6 Tournament Tips and Tricks
I know, it’s been a minute. But cut me some slack, we’re mid season here and I can’t focus all my time writing blog posts.
I’ve been to a lot of tournaments. I’ve seen them from every angle. Each year, I learn a little something something to give me an edge. I’ve got some advice and I’d like to share it. No, it isn’t the most important. No, it isn’t even the most serious. But they are good things to know. They all will improve your wrestling meet quality of life exponentially.
Starting chronologically…
1. Order groceries and pick them up
As a coach, there are not many tasks I despise more than grocery shopping after a long day of driving a long distance. It sucks to get settled in the hotel, have dinner, then go to the store. For me, ordering groceries for pickup was amazing.
Best features:
Walmart offers free pickup - I don’t like Walmart but with so many schools being in remote areas, it’s the only consistent store. Plus pick up is free and their process is streamlined.
Repeat orders - This is a nice “template”. I have a grocery list that I check off as a backup but not having to search the website (or the aisles in person) makes the whole thing even faster.
2. Find a good bathroom
It doesn’t matter if you are a coach, participant, or spectator. Everyone knows that the bathrooms at a wrestling tournament can take a long time. Especially after weigh-ins.
Here is the pro-est of pro tips. Before weigh-ins, go find the set of bathrooms that aren’t the obvious ones. The ones in the lobby or locker room are going to have lines and be gross. Take a bit of a hike to where it seems like you’re not supposed to be. Those bathrooms will be quiet, empty, and clean. You know you’ve found the right ones if you have to turn the lights on.
3. Claim a mat
As a college coach who goes to a lot of Open tournaments. Finding space to warm up as a group can be very challenging. We talk a lot about winning the first fight. This starts at the warmup.
Tips:
Go First - If you go out there before everyone else, you will have the first choice of a mat. IMO this isn’t the best move though. After weigh-ins, you want to maximize your time to digest. The minute you start jogging digestion stops.
Choose your mat wisely - The mat right in front of everyone is going to be hotly contested. Going to something in the corner, even if it is a bit of a harder mat, will make other people not impose. A great warmup areais the host team's wrestling room (if it is open) because the mats are nice and people are hesitant to impose.
Jog in a Circle - This one is big. If you jog around one circle, it will stop people from wanting to jump in the middle of you. If you jog around the whole gym, you do nothing to claim your space.
Spread out - Use your whole space, don’t crunch in because of people around you. Stay strong when the passive aggression of other teams wanting to take your space comes. This is not the time to be nice.
Coaches on the outside - Coaches, don’t stand in the middle of the group, you are a better barrier than the wrestlers. Opposing athletes will not want to bump into you. This allows you to claim a bigger space.
There you go. Glad you followed these directions and won the first battle of the day.
4. Find a hallway far away to sprint
Hitting some sprints after your wrestling warmup is essential. Everyone knows you need to blow out your lungs before you compete. I am a big believer in getting away from everyone during this time. Finding a hallway that is away from the action allows your team to stay closer and be more personal. Then when you are done, it’s a peaceful place to talk about the themes of the day.
5. Food after weigh-ins
Every competition, I’m blown away by what people eat right after weigh-ins to fuel their body for a long day. Here are some of my tips:
Fruit first - If you are cutting weight, fruit will make you feel better immediately. After weigh-ins, your energy and blood sugar is going to be low. Make sure the natural sugar from fruit is the first thing you put in your body.
Don’t Eat Meat - Meat is silly to eat after weigh-ins. You need energy for a long day. Protein will not provide that energy. It takes a few hours to digest that meat. You need sugar, carbs, and some fat. Eat what will give you energy now, not what tastes good.
Banana, Coconut water, OJ, or Pedialyte - Water is good, but you need more than H2O to rehydrate. Just like the Gatorade commercials say, you need electrolytes. Specifically, you need potassium and sodium. When you sweat, you lose these electrolytes the most. Most science says you need about a 3:1 potassium to sodium ratio. Coconut Water and Orange Juice and of course, bananas, have a lot of that potassium that can be hard to get elsewhere.
100g Gatorade - 58 mg potassium
100g Pedialyte - 78 mg potassium
100g Orange Juice - 200 mg potassium
100g Coconut Water - 250mg potassium
100g Banana - 358mg potassium
A Pinch of Salt - As explained above, we need mostly potassium and salt to rehydrate properly. Potassium comes from the drinks, what about salt? Without eating something like salty meat, you may not actually get much. I give my athletes a pinch of salt after weigh-ins. It's a fun ritual and helps get that hydration process going.
6. The Water Cup Trick
Every tournament has an orange big full water jug and a limited amount of paper cups. Eventually these paper cups run out but have no fear, I am here to rescue you from this petty annoyance. Of course, the smart thing to do is to bring your own water bottle and fill it up but you may be like me and be way too forgetful to bring a water bottle to a tournament. How I get around this is to use a paper cup then just put it back on the back of the stand. No one will ever touch that cup and it won’t be thrown away till the end of the tournament. Doing this gives you a sneaky vessel to drink from for the rest of the day.
Now go on, you are master of the tournament domain- spread the knowledge by sharing this link.