Parents, this one’s for you. I’m not going to sugar‑coat it: watching your kid wrestle is one of the toughest gigs you’ll ever take. You’re proud, anxious, hopeful, frustrated… and you feel like you’re walking a tightrope every time your kid laces up those shoes. I’ve been there. I’ve stood where you stand. As someone who competed in the Olympics and now runs a club, I’ve seen the blood, sweat and the quiet moment afterward when a kid hides tears, but you as the parent never know which it will be.
Here’s what I want to say: you’re vital. But you can also be the one who wrecks it. So let’s dig into what you can do, right now, to help your wrestler grow, not just win. Because the wins matter. But the person your child becomes? That matters more.
The Reality: Pressure. Expectations. Fear.
Your kid signs up for wrestling. You see potential. You imagine championships. You imagine glory. The first tournament comes: your kid gets pinned. You see the heartbreak. That gut‑punch moment where they walk off the mat, head down, and you feel a knot in your chest. You want to fix it. You want to propel them forward. But in wrestling, forward isn’t always linear.
Youth wrestling parents make mistakes. They pressure results, compare their kid to someone else, radar‑coach from the sideline. The weight of your expectation claws. And if the kid feels it, they’ll bury dreams instead of chase them.
The Truth: You Can Be The Difference.
It’s simple, but not easy: you show up. You believe. You step back. You allow your kid to climb by themselves. Here’s how:
1. Believe Your Kid is Enough… even before the gold.
Does your kid know their parent sees more than the scoreboard? Because they need to. They need to hear: “I’m proud of you no matter what the result.” When you communicate acceptance, you free them. Free them to wrestle with courage, free them to fail, free them to hustle for the next time.
2. Don’t Make the Score the Hero.
Wins matter, but they don’t define the journey. When you focus on results, you shift focus away from effort. Wrestling at youth level is about growth, grinding, character building. Parents often put too much pressure on the outcome. So when your kid screws up a move, misses a shot, or loses, talk about the effort. “That set‑up you did… I saw it. Next time hit it stronger.” Focus on execution. Celebrate steps forward.
3. Be the Fan, Not the Coach.
You’re wearing two hats: parent and supporter. But the moment you become the coach from the stands, you step into the wrong lane. Let the coach coach. Let your kid wrestle. Let the room between you and your kid be one of trust, not of constant correction.
4. Create Peace & Recovery at Home.
After tournaments, losses, wins… home should not be another battleground. It should be a safe zone. Kids need room to feel frustrated, angry, sad, proud. And you need to give them it. If every result becomes a family drama, you’ll have a wrestler who fears the mat instead of embracing it.
5. Help Them Build a Love. Not Just a Medal.
This sport will beat a kid up physically, mentally, emotionally. If the only reason your kid wrestles is to win, you’ll have short shelf‑life. If the reason becomes: “Because I love it. Because it makes me stronger. Because I can be better than I was yesterday,” then you have durability. Wrestling builds life skills: grit, resilience, discipline. Use that.
Why It Matters…
Because we live in a world where many kids quit sports every year. They feel invisible, over‑pressured, mis‑used. As a parent, you have the power to flip the script. At my club, The Best Wrestler, we’ve worked with kids who came in frustrated, locked out of success, feeling like they’re just “trying.” We’ve turned that around. Our system has produced 9 Olympians so and over 25 World Team members and medalists… thus far. We did it not by glorifying wins, but by building systems that work, without burnout, without sacrificing childhood. Because success without burnout is the real victory.
When you shift how you stand beside your kid, when you shift from “earn the medal” to “earn the person”, you change the trajectory. You’ll look over 5 years and see your kid matured. Wrestling becomes less about the scoreboard and more about the fight to become someone worthy of respect. Worthy of themselves.
Action Step… Right Now
Tonight, when your kid’s done with practice: ask them one simple question:
“What movement today did you get better at because of the work you did?”
And listen. No lecture. No scoreboard. Just curiosity and belief.
When they answer, tell them you saw it. Say: “That matters.”
Then help them rest. Hydrate. Eat well. Smile. And forget the tournament until it’s time to focus again.
You’re the champion behind the champion. Your role isn’t flashy. It isn’t about shouting louder than the crowd. It’s about staying steady, showing up, believing when nobody else does, and letting your kid climb when you could take the rope for them.
Because this sport, wrestling, is raw. It demands everything. But when it’s done right, it gives everything back. And as a parent, you help unlock that for your kid. That’s worth more than any medal.
If you want a proven system, if you want to walk this path with clarity and purpose, not confusion, come see what The Best Wrestler offers. We build athletes and entire lives. Because on the mat alone you fight. In the world you win.
Be The Best.
Georgi I. Ivanov
Olympian | Mentor