Horsetooth Hybrid Grappling Club

An axiom we like to repeat with our young wrestlers here at HHGC – ‘forget the loss, and keep the lesson’.

Regardless of age and experience, every athlete has to be prepared for the fact that losses will come. That’s definitely a big part of the deal every time a grappler takes to the mat, either in competition or even just a difficult practice.

Wrestling in particular creates a very clear winner and a loser. No other teammate is on the mat helping you. If you’re disappointed by the outcome, no one else can be blamed. This can really bruise your ego, if you don’t have a growth mindset.

But remember this–blame doesn’t need a home. As difficult as losing may be sometimes, the initial outcome will eventually offer important lessons and motivation for athletes down the road. Think of a loss as an invaluable lesson that–with objective study and help from training partners and a coach–will pay dividends down the road.

John Wooden said, “Losing is only temporary and not all encompassing. You must simply study it, learn from it and try hard not to lose the same way again. Then you must have the self control to forget about it.”

And a reminder of our motto here at Horsetooth–

‘We believe wrestling is a parable of our human relation to all things.’