How do you motivate a kid to give 100% at practice? All clubs probably have several kids on their team that do this, and have other kids that just go through the motions. I have a couple of my own boys that like to wrestle on Saturday but not practice hard during the week. As a dad is there any thing I can do to help give them that desire to give their best all the time, or is this something they have to find on their own? This post is not ment to put these guys down but to find a way to get them to give their best. This is not just a wrestling or sports related goal but a goal for life . Thanks!

I think as a parent you have to talk to your kids about effort why you need to give your best. Then you try to be patiant and wait for the desire build.
A man asked me last weekend what I do or say to make my 6 year old so aggressive on the mat? I told him if I knew the awnser to that all the kids in our club would wrestle that way. His older brother who is 12 dosnt respond the same as him. I believe all kids develope at differnt rates all you can do is be supportive and hope they learn the value of hard work and dedication.
Its hard not to compare to other kids with sports and grades. I know it is tough for me to do. We all want our kids to be successful people and avoid any mistakes that we've made ourselves but not everybody learns the easy way by listening. All a parent can do is pray for guidance and pray their kids pray for the same thing.
Jon Murray
PWC

In the day and age of playstations, gamecubes, and computers it's INCREDIBLY hard to get kids motivated. Whether its at the kids or high school level. They just don't have the same mentallity as say even 4 years ago. Hard work has really been put on the back burner and kids don't like to pay that little price for victory. You shouldn't worry all that much about motivating a younger (9- younger) wrestler. Let them have fun at those ages, then as they get alittle older start putting them on the road to success. Like Murray said above every wrestler is very different from the next so it takes work. Whatever it takes I haven't found it yet... Hope to someday..

N2Sports~
My situation is similar to yours. However, my son wrestles his heart all week at practices. I mean really puts 110% into his practices! We get to the tournaments on Saturday and he determines what matches he will win or loose by looking at the bracket. It's all a mental game. How do you avoid this? How do you get them to mentally prepare themselves? Even for those matches they think they can't win? And what do you do for a wrestler that has it in his heart but loosing confidence? My son and I have a motto: ATTITUDE: It's what separates the BEST from the REST! Any suggestions out there?

Hey when you find out how to get them over that mental block tell me we will make millions.
My son is the same way. My youngest son will try and beat anyone even if they have beat him before. Good luck and God bless.

My guess is that because children are constantly discovering new things about theirselves and the world around them, this is something that will come in time for most. My youngest son has the potential to be as good as the top wrestlers in his class. I have watched him wrestle some of the best and do really well one weekend, and turn around the next weekend and wrestle like he just started wrestling. My oldest son rarely placed last year, and has placed in the top four every tournament but this weekend at Topeka. It just finally clicked for him.

I have written and taught a lot of courses over the years: leadership, self-development, behavioral science, etc.

I have four sons 13-26 years old, and coached them (and others) in several venues over the years.

I subscribe to the notion that technically you can't motivate others, only yourself...you can only provide the stimulus to others...they motivate themselves, when/how they choose.

I've kept the faith, provided solicited (and unsoicited) advise, made lots of mistakes along the way.

Ineviteably, each found his time and place on a subject of his choosing.

Keep the faith and hug them as often as you can observe the slightest step forward.