I would like to echo the concerns of the previous post. My 6yr old son is so very hard on himself after a loss. This is his second year of wrestling. There seems to be nothing we can say to console him. We want him to show good sportsmanship but after some of his matches he is so upset he just wants off the mat.
We have always been postive and offered support. He has chosen to be a wrestler. My husband and I have no history in the sport. We are learning right along with him. He has a very supportive and skilled coach. His take on our sons behavior has been much the same a previous posts on this topic, "He is a very competitive kid", He is hard on himself".
I think maybe it is more apparent in this sport because there are several potential losses at each tournament. Unlike basketball, football, and soccer there is usually just on game. If you lose you go home and recover there.
I would welcome any words of wisdom. Tell me something I can do, on top of the hugs and words of encouragment after the fact, that we are already doing. Is there something we can say or do before his matches that could help him? Right now we tell him, "Just do your best", "Have fun".