Snacks

This week's Snacks is a sneak peek at a new PDF I’m putting together to share on social media.

I’ve been toying with the idea of creating a full series of in-depth ebooks for parents, coaches, and athletes—each built from the valuable insights I’ve gathered over the past year while interviewing some of the best in the sport.

This Wrestling Parent’s Guide is the first step—a short, focused resource featuring practical advice and action items from 5 NCAA National Champions. My hope is that it’s both useful right now and a stepping stone toward bigger, more detailed guides down the road.

Below is the rough draft of the guide I’m planning to share.

I’d love your feedback before it goes live—reply to this email with a 1–10 rating to let me know what you think!

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The Wrestling Parent’s Guide

5 Tips from 5 NCAA National Champions
by Seth Wright

Wrestling is a sport that shapes character, discipline, and resilience like no other. Over the past year, I’ve interviewed some of the best coaches and athletes in the country, asking them what parents can do to best support their kids in wrestling.

What emerged was a clear and powerful message: Parents are at their best when they offer opportunity, keep perspective, and let their child’s goals lead the way.

Below, you'll find 5 tips from 5 different NCAA National Champions, along with insights gathered from those conversations. Each tip includes an action item designed to help you become the steady foundation your child needs as they navigate the highs and lows of this demanding sport.

Tip 1: Offer Opportunities Without Adding Pressure

When kids feel ownership over their journey, their motivation grows from within. Present camps, clinics, and tournaments as options. Let them choose what they want to pursue.

💡 Action: This week, ask your child what wrestling opportunities they’re excited about this Fall.

Tip 2: Communicate Honestly About Goals

The foundation of trust between a parent and child is built through open and honest communication. This means listening to understand—not just to respond. Kids need to feel safe sharing their goals, frustrations, and needs without fear of being judged or lectured. When they know you’ll meet them where they are, they’re more likely to stay engaged and committed.

💡 Action: Ask your child this week, “What do you want to get out of wrestling right now?” Listen without interrupting, then ask, “How can I help?”

Tip 3: Teach Independence Early

One of the greatest gifts you can give your child is the ability to take ownership of their own journey. That means teaching them discipline, work ethic, and problem-solving—then stepping back. Micromanaging robs them of the chance to build confidence and self-reliance. By high school, they should be managing their training and mindset with you supporting in the background.

💡 Action: Choose one area of their training or preparation this week to hand over fully to them. Step back, watch, and let them own it.

Tip 4: Let Passion Drive Progress

Early wins are nice, but they’re not the foundation of long-term success—passion is. When a child loves wrestling for their own reasons, they’ll stick with it through the hard seasons and grow year after year. Parents play a critical role in fueling that passion—not by pushing results, but by creating positive experiences and opportunities to learn.

💡 Action: Watch a college or international match together this week. Ask them what they enjoyed or learned from it.

Tip 5: Focus on Practice Over Endless Competition

Competition is important, but it’s not where the bulk of improvement happens. The practice room is where skills are built, refined, and repeated until they become second nature. Too much competition too soon can lead to burnout. Creating a balanced schedule keeps kids eager to compete and focused on long-term growth.

💡 Action: Review your child’s competition schedule and make sure there’s enough downtime between events to focus on skill development.

Closing Thoughts

The best wrestling parents aren’t always the loudest in the stands or the hardest on their kids. They’re the ones who support without adding pressure, communicate openly, encourage independence, fuel passion, keep the long game in perspective, and focus on overall growth.

Your role isn’t to control the journey, but to walk it with them.

If you put these 5 tips into action, they can help you build strong habits as a wrestling parent. And remember—parents need to develop good habits, too. You can’t expect your child to be disciplined, hard-working, and accountable if you’re not living by those same standards yourself. Parents play a huge role in whether kids develop true skill in something. Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide if this is something you’re willing to invest your time and energy into.

To me, wrestling is always worth the investment because it’s about building humans for life. No other sport prepares your child for life quite like wrestling—and I truly believe that.

Thanks for reading—and for being the kind of parent who’s willing to learn, grow, and lead by example.

Seth Wright
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