NCAA Wrestling

Lessons Learned Observing the NCAA Finals

There are certain moments as a coach when sport becomes the classroom.

As coaches, we are always looking for real-life examples to share with our athletes. Although my experience was primarily in football, I routinely looked to other sports and other areas of life to find lessons that translate. Last weekend provided one of those opportunities.

I have always enjoyed the NCAA Wrestling Finals. Raising our family in the state of Iowa exposed us to the sport early. All three of our boys wrestled through junior high. One continued through high school and on to Division I wrestling. We also had a front-row seat to the University of Iowa wrestling program, one of the most storied in the history of the sport.

This past weekend, the NCAA Championships were held in Cleveland, Ohio.

One of the unique aspects I enjoy most is seeing the families sitting mat-side during the finals. Having lived that path, my heart always goes out to them. You think about the sacrifice and commitment that has been poured into that wrestler from those around him. Practices. Travel. Weekends. Diet. Training. The ups and downs. The adversity.

There is no other sport like it. You go out there by yourself. No teammates. Nobody else to blame. You either win or you lose. You can stand out there in front of the entire crowd and get pinned, and it is all on you.

“Once you’ve wrestled, everything else in life is easy.”
— Dan Gable

That is why there may be no greater teacher of accountability.

One of the most powerful moments from the weekend came from Mitchell Mesenbrink of Penn State. He referenced Saint Francis, talking about the connection between the physical, the mind, and the soul. He spoke to the journey. The work. The sacrifice. The realization that the goal is not the destination. It is the daily disciplines, habits, and standards that lead to success on the mat and beyond.

As I observed the post-match interviews, there were five key points that seemed to be consistent across the board with the wrestlers as they were interviewed after winning their weight class.

1. Family

Nobody does this alone.

There are many people who have sacrificed along the way. Parents. Siblings. Youth coaches. High school coaches. Club coaches.

One moment that stood out was Aden Valencia speaking about his sister, Nyla Valencia. After three ACL injuries ended her career, he carried that with him onto the mat. He was not just wrestling for himself. He was representing his family. Representing her.

That is what this sport does. It connects purpose to something bigger than yourself.

2. The Team Behind the Individual

Although wrestling is an individual sport, the journey is not.

Repeatedly, the champions talked about their teammates and their coaches. The gratitude they have for the group they came from. The room that pushed them. The people who made them better.

They understand something that matters.

You may compete alone, but you are never built alone.

They represent their program. They carry it with them. And they are grateful for it.

3. Doing Hard Things

“It has been terrible and incredible all at once.”
— Isaac Trumble, North Carolina State

That quote says everything.

Repeatedly, these wrestlers talked about doing hard things. The long road. Wrestling as a kid. Continuing to show up year after year.

Wrestling is a battle of attrition.

Along the way, it presents opportunity after opportunity to quit. To step away.

But the ones who keep showing up are the ones who get good.

Not overnight, but through commitment, sacrifice and resilience.

4. Standards and Fundamentals

“I’ve been doing this my whole life.”
— Luke Lilledahl, Penn State

“I’ve been doing this since I was a kid.”
— Sergio Vega, Ohio State

“I just had to do what I do every day.”
— Jax Forrest, Oklahoma State

This is the standard.

Once you have developed a standard of excellence, when you step into the bright lights of the big stage, you do not have to do anything remarkable.

You just need to show up and be yourself.

It is about fundamentals. It is about how you operate on a daily basis.

These champions have built that standard over time. Day after day.

So when the moment came, they did not rise to it.

They simply stayed true to who they already were.

That is how they won.

5. The Spiritual Component

This was a common theme.

I have never been one to push religion on people. That is personal.

But many of these wrestlers spoke about something bigger than themselves.

Faith. Purpose. Belief.

What stands out is what it gives them.

Perspective.
Strength.
The ability to stay in the fight.

However you define it, that is your choice.

But if it helps you become a better person, and perform at a higher level, it’s a good thing.

And clearly, for many of these champions, it has been part of their journey.

At the end of the day, what you saw on that mat was not just talent.

It was years of discipline.
It was standards built over time.
It was people who refused to quit.

That is the lesson.

The performance is just the result.

The process is what makes the champion.