The Mental Side of Wrestling: Training Your Mind to Handle Wins, Losses, and Emotional Highs and Lows
The Mental Side of Wrestling: Training Your Mind to Handle Wins, Losses, and Emotional
Highs and Lows
How often does your coach take you through a mental prep before competition? While some fortunate athletes have coaches equipped with this tool, many do not. Wrestling is not just about strength and technique—it’s a battle of mental endurance. While you are most likely physically prepared, few take the time to train their minds for the emotional highs and lows that come with winning and losing. Which means you have an opportunity to make it your secret weapon.
This guide will walk you through a mental training plan to help you stay focused, resilient, and prepared for all the possibilities which come with competing in the sport of wrestling.
Step 1: Build Your Pre-Competition Mindset
It’s imperative that you begin this process by getting a journal dedicated specifically for wrestling. Answer these questions in your journal before you step on the mat. Training your mind before competition will help you stay mentally strong regardless of the outcome.
Mental Training Exercises Before Competition:
Identify Your Performance Goals – Instead of focusing on winning or losing, set process-based goals (e.g., "Stay aggressive on my ties," "Commit to my setups," "Wrestle through every position"). What specific phrases will you use?
Create a Mental Warm-Up Routine – Just like you warm up physically, prepare mentally with breathing exercises, self-talk, or visualization. Which tools you utilize before your matches?
Detach from Outcomes – Accept that you can't control everything (refs, brackets, or your opponent’s game plan). Focus on your effort and execution. How can you detach your mind from the outcome? Write down 3 things you want to focus on in your next competition that have nothing to do with winning or losing.
Step 2: Handling Wins the Right Way
Winning is the goal, but it can also create mental challenges. Overconfidence, added pressure, and the fear of losing your next match can creep in. Here’s how to handle victories without letting them control you.
Post-Win Training Strategy:
Celebrate, But Stay Focused – Take a few moments to appreciate the win, but then shift your focus to what’s next.
Stay Humble and Hungry – Even if you dominated, review your match. What could you have done better?
Avoid the “Winner’s Trap” – Sometimes, after a big win, athletes let their guard down. Remind yourself: "I have to prepare myself in the same way for every match."
Mentally Reset Before Your Next Match – If you're in a tournament, don’t dwell on your last win. Your next opponent doesn’t care who you just beat.
✅ Post-Win Drill: After a win, write down two things you did well and one thing you want to improve for the next match. This keeps you grounded and focused.
Step 3: Bouncing Back After a Loss
Losses can feel crushing, but they are also one of the best learning tools in wrestling. The key is to avoid negative self-talk and use each loss as a stepping stone.
Post-Loss Recovery Plan:
Give Yourself a Short Time to Feel It – It’s normal to be upset after a loss. Give yourself a set amount of time (e.g., 30 minutes) to feel those emotions, then move forward.
Control the Story You Tell Yourself – Instead of saying, "I’m not good enough," shift to, "This is a chance to get better."
Analyze Without Emotion – Watch your match as if you're coaching someone else. What did you do well? Where did you get stuck?
Set an Action Plan – Instead of dwelling on mistakes, create a game plan for improvement. Example: “I got taken down off a bad shot. I need to work on setting up my offense.”
✅ Post-Loss Drill: Write down one positive takeaway and one technical or mental adjustment you will work on in practice.
Step 4: Managing Emotional Highs and Lows During a Tournament
Wrestling tournaments can be emotionally exhausting. Whether you're riding the high of a win or dealing with a tough loss, you need to reset quickly.
In-Tournament Mental Reset Routine:
Physically Shake Off the Last Match – Walk around, stretch, lay down to rest, and reset your body.
Use a Short Breathing Exercise – Try 4-4-4 box breathing: Inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, exhale for 4 seconds.
Repeat a Reset Phrase – “Next match, next moment” or “Control what you can.”
Stick to Your Routine – Whether it’s rewarming up, listening to music, or a quick self-check-in, go back to what works for you.
✅ Tournament Drill: If you have multiple matches, practice writing a quick “mental reset” note after each one (Example: “Good setups, but I need to keep moving my feet”). This keeps you mentally engaged throughout the day.
Final Takeaway: Train Your Mind Like You Train Your Body
Consistency will be key in order to implement these tactics, see how they work, and gain improvement overtime. The best wrestlers in the world are using their journals and re-assessing their preparation from one tournament to the next.
Don’t become frustrated if this doesn’t come easily for you. Just like training your double leg, it has taken hundreds of reps in order to feel comfortable with the movement. The same will go with training your mind to focus over and over on the way that preps you just right. If you can handle wins and losses with a strong mindset, you'll wrestle more freely, improve faster, and enjoy the sport more.
Meet the Writer
Katherine Shai has been immersed in wrestling her whole life. Growing up in a wrestling family in California, she went on to become a 2x Collegiate National Champion and World University Champion at Menlo College coached by her father, Lee Allen. She spent over a decade on the National Team, traveling the world, winning National and International medals, and competing in four Olympic Trials—placing 3rd in 2012, 2016, and 2021. After retiring in 2021, she shifted her focus to coaching and educating the wrestling community through LuchaFit.com, helping to evolve the sport with technical and mental performance training. Based in Denver, Colorado, she’s a passionate advocate for girls’ wrestling, a coach, and a mom of three. If she’s not on a wrestling mat, you’ll find her soaking up the sun in her garden.