Can a room be *too* intense?

[Dogwelder]

Hi Everyone,

I have a naive question. I was watching the Suriano/Lee match from the other thread, and I was noticing how intense that match was, and how it must take a lot out of the wrestlers (mentally and physically) to go through it. Now what if they see each other in the room every day? Could it actually be too mentally tiring to get psyched up to go to practice every single day to go to war against someone just as intense as one's self? I suppose a sharp coach might notice such dynamics and actually forbid certain teammates from wrestling each other overly much ... But I'm just supposing; does it ever happen that guys have to be protected from being too intense in practice? And, does it ever happen that a room gets too intense (in whatever sense) just because of the intense wrestlers in it? (My own experience as a mediocre wrestler on a high school team is not enough to supply an answer.)

I guess my main question is this. If every practice feels like the state/national tournament, then it's going to be hard to taper and peak and all that. So, with a team of Nolfs and Retherfords, is it hard for a coach to ensure that every day does not quite feel as stressful as the state/national tournament?

One other way to ask it is to ask, does it sometimes happen that too much steel blunts steel?

 

[El-Jefe]

Once upon a time, Cael had to order Nico to cut back on practicing so he'd be fresh for his first trip to nationals.

 

[Tom McAndrew]

Can a room be *too* intense?

it can, but only if guys get so much grief from the coaches that they become afraid to go for things.

as long as the coach maintains a good environment, it's quite rare that a wrestler feels the competition in a room is too intense. these guys are insanely competitive athletes. they are use to success. for the most part, they are able to continue that trend at PSU, despite having major battles in the room. there are some that do lose their confidence, but they are, for the most part, in the minority.

Nolf is as intense a wrestler as there is on PSU's roster. He constantly battles with Zain in practices. At the same time, he's one of the more relaxed guys you'd ever meet. 10 minutes before the introductions at the Ohio State dual, I walked right past Jason. He was sitting on the edge of the raised platform, laughing at jokes, and looking like he was getting ready to be a couch potato for the day, as opposed to being less than an hour from a big match.

DT and Ruth worked out a lot. Did it have a negative impact on their college careers? PSU's heavies work out with CS, and don't have great success against him, but that doesn't have a negative impact on their performances.

I mentioned in January that I met Nick Suriano, and chatted with him. He really wants Spencer Lee to verbal to PSU. In part, he's looking to be a part of a great team, but he also knows that great workout partners generally help each of the partners.

 

[ejb25]

How you practice is how you will perform. If you want a team of National Champions, there is no such thing as too intense.

 

[Tom McAndrew]

Once upon a time, Cael had to order Nico to cut back on practicing so he'd be fresh for his first trip to nationals.

LOL, while writing my earlier response, I did think of addressing Nico. Wrestling wise, he's been near the top of college pyramid at 125. Personality wise, he's quite different than Nolf (who I did mention). Some guys, like Nico, are super intense. They aren't comfortable in most aspects of their lives when they aren't hyper, intense (however you want to describe it).

Part of the art of being a coach is to help every member of the team to get better, and knowing that the same approach doesn't work for all of them.

 

[lionlover]

How you practice is how you will perform. If you want a team of National Champions, there is no such thing as too intense.

Do you read the posts? El-Jefe just got done reporting that Cael told Nico to back off of his training. So there is such a thing as being too intense!

 

[SRATH]

While I mostly agree, I am not sure I would be looking to tangle with Deiringer from okie state. That guy is pretty intense. I would want a coach nearby. He mauled Morelli

 

[backdrft76]

Well I really hate to play Devil's Advocate here (so why bother?? I just kinda wanted to know other's opinions), but what about J.G.?? Is he mentally worked over too much (as some suggest by Zain) that it may be too tough in the room for him?? I may be out of line asking asking this publicly, but just a thought....

 

[Brian LB-U]

Don't tell T&T, but Dodgeball helps take the edge off.

 

[ejb25]

Fair enough. but as other posted, for some wrestlers there is no such thing as too intense, but for wrestlers like Nico he sometimes needs to dial it down. I agree it's upto the coaching staff to find the right balance.

Do you read the posts? El-Jefe just got done reporting that Cael told Nico to back off of his training. So there is such a thing as being too intense!

 

[NittanyLion84]

Once upon a time, Cael had to order Nico to cut back on practicing so he'd be fresh for his first trip to nationals.

I also remember reading that the staff had to put the brakes on Conaway as well.

 

[Changeover08]

There are a few current PSU starters who only go with each other periodically because of this exact issue on this year's team. Smart coaching and training tactics to peak.

 

[CropDuster507]

I once watched Montell Marion and Nate Moore go to blows at a summer workout during team camp... at a summer workout.

I've been a Montell fan, ever since.

 

[BDB57]

I've heard that most of the middle and upper weights who wrestle with Casey they dial it back by wrestling with any teammate near their weight.

 

[orange nole]

Sure, it's all about peaking. It almost sounds blasphemous to say, but you just can't go 100% all the time. There are definitely days when you have to pull the intensity back a bit, mentally, emotionally, and physically. The whole Sanderson family are masters at getting their guys to be at their best when it matters the most.

 

[RoarLions1]

"Too intense"? Not sure what that even means. Does it mean wrestling to an extreme that the wrestlers will "burn out" (the "mental" aspect)? Does it mean the wrestlers are pushed physically so they are drained of all their physical energy (the "physical" aspect)? I say NOPE to both, I can't see that ever happening with this coaching staff.

At the very bottom of this post are 4 selections from the rulebook that can help us all understand the time constraints for countable practice sessions. These rules are in place to help balance the academic side of things, but they also help with burn out and over-training.

The PSU practice sessions mirror our coaches personality. With set limits on practice time, they will balance the time to best benefit (prepare) the wrestlers for peak performance. There's strength and conditioning training, there's mat instruction, there's mat training, there's group talks, and then there's dodge ball. Lots to manage, so it's a balancing act to use allotted time wisely.

The "mat training" is time when the guys go hard, even "intensely" so, mimicking the intensity of a dual or tournament match.
The "group talks" are the coach's time to talk about ALL the mental aspects... and set the culture, set the expectations, and all the "soft" stuff. THIS IS SOOOO IMPORTANT. My point is, it's not all "let's hit the mats and have 4 hours of extreme wrestling". There's so much more.

"Super" intense events, like the 17-minute match between Zain and Jason, where neither would give an inch, or last year's gazillion sudden victories match between Lawson and Gingrich, who were as even in the room as two guys can be, happen. These guys are COMPETITIVE, so it's good to harness that nature. Sure, sending gym rats like Nico, or Jordan away in extreme cases happen, as much for mental as physical refreshing, but it's not frequent, and is part of "managing" the room.



17.1.7.1 Daily and Weekly Hour Limitations—Playing Season. A student-athlete’s participation in countable athletically related activities (see Bylaw 17.02.1) shall be limited to a maximum of four hours per day and 20 hours per week.

17.1.7.2 Weekly Hour Limitations—Outside the Playing Season.
(a) Sports Other Than Football.Outside of the playing season, from the institution’s first day of classes of the academic year or September 15, whichever occurs earlier, to one week prior to the beginning of the institution’s final examination period at the conclusion of the academic year, only a student-athlete’s participation in required weight training, conditioning and skill-related instruction shall be permitted. A student-athlete’s participation in such activities per Bylaw 17.02.1 shall be limited to a maximum of eight hours per week with not more than two hours per week spent on skill-related workouts. All countable related activities outside the playing season are prohibited one week prior to the beginning of the final examination period for the applicable academic term through the conclusion of each student-athlete’s final exams.

17.27.2 Preseason Practice. A member institution shall not commence practice sessions in wrestling prior to October 10.

17.27.7 Safety Exception. A coach may be present during voluntary individual workouts in the institution’s regular practice facility (without the workouts being considered as countable athletically related activities) when the student-athlete is engaged in wrestling. The coach may provide safety or skill instruction but may not conduct the individual’s workouts.

 

[Azchief32]

Depends on the individual. Intense during the season but start working individually near the post season. Some guys you only need to turn the motor on and they won't stop until the end...self motivated, always looking to get better. Some guys have great talent but need motivation to bring it out. Some respond to yelling, some to a quick word here or there.