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Wrestling Mindset
Team Over Individual with Billy Smith
Gene Zannetti talks with High Point Head Coach Billy Smith about overcoming nerves through deep breathing and relaxation, why team wrestling prepares athletes for individual success, and keeping fundamentals basic for 50+ years of program success.
Timestamps:
0:46 - Struggling with nerves despite confident preparation
3:53 - The moment deep breathing beat the nerves
5:13 - Kids need structure and guidance with checklists
6:28 - Overthinking as a cerebral wrestler
10:17 - Love winning but more than just a competitor
14:00 - Team goals prepare you for individual goals
18:01 - Being part of something bigger than yourself
22:15 - Managing personalities harder than coaching technique
🎯 This episode is sponsored by:
🥗 Eat Clean Bro – eatcleanbro.com
Use code MINDSET for 15% off your order
💪 Champion Athletes Sports Nutrition – champion-athletes.com
Use code MINDSET25 for a special discount
Please LIKE and SUBSCRIBE to the podcast and go through the archives to hear more great episodes.
If you want to support the podcast, please leave a 5-star rating & review on Apple Podcasts.
For all partnership and sponsorship inquiries, email mindset@wrestlingmindset.com
🎙Stay connected with Wrestling Mindset
đź”— Visit our website: https://www.wrestlingmindset.com/
📞 Book a free consultation: https://www.wrestlingmindset.com/1-on-1-coaching/
Wrestling Mindset Social Media
Instagram: / wrestlingmindset
Facebook: / wrestlingmindset
Twitter: / wrestlingmindse
🎧 Listen to our podcast
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KS State Champ Brogan Monly | Wrestling Mindset Success Story
13:39|Gene Zannetti talks with Kansas state champion Brogan Monly about coming back to Wrestling Mindset mid-senior season after early losses he had no business taking, how making the moment too big led him to wrestle not to lose instead of wrestling to win, the phone call with Coach Tillman the night of his worst loss that turned his whole season around, and his plan heading to Division 2 Colorado State Pueblo where the goal is to make the lineup and become a national qualifier.Timestamps:1:23 - Started mindset training in seventh grade, quit in high school, came back after rocky start1:57 - Called Coach Tillman the night of his worst loss and turned everything around4:10 - Lost 15 to 4 to a wrestler he should have beaten, texted Coach Tillman right off the bus8:46 - State finals: down 7 to 5 with 30 seconds left, got off bottom and scored to win10:35 - Wrestled the same rival seven times in high school, classification change put them in the same bracket12:44 - Wrestling Mindset made a night and day difference, more aggressive, more relaxed, more fun🎯 This episode is sponsored by:🥗 Eat Clean Bro – eatcleanbro.comUse code MINDSET for 15% off your order💪 Champion Athletes Sports Nutrition – champion-athletes.comUse code MINDSET25 for a special discountPlease LIKE and SUBSCRIBE to the podcast and go through the archives to hear more great episodes.If you want to support the podcast, please leave a 5-star rating & review on Apple Podcasts.For all partnership and sponsorship inquiries, email mindset@wrestlingmindset.com🎙Stay connected with Wrestling Mindset🔗 Visit our website: https://www.wrestlingmindset.com/📞 Book a free consultation: https://www.wrestlingmindset.com/1-on-1-coaching/Wrestling Mindset Social MediaInstagram: / wrestlingmindsetFacebook: / wrestlingmindsetTwitter: / wrestlingmindse🎧 Listen to our podcastSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/65xcqo9ZdPY36HeQOltPUI
UT State Champ Uriah Anderson | Wrestling Mindset Success Story
10:25|Gene Zannetti talks with Utah sophomore state champion Uriah Anderson about how the biggest shift was taking the pressure off himself and stopping the need to prove something to his parents, using a double handshake as his reset button between periods, and beating a returning state finalist in the semis by staying loose and having fun in the match.Timestamps:1:17 - Reset button: double handshake between periods to refocus2:04 - Semis against a returning state finalist came down to wanting it more and having fun5:11 - Thought it was stupid at first but six months in started to fully trust his coach7:53 - Calisthenics over lifting, wants to control his body like Jack Forest🎯 This episode is sponsored by:🥗 Eat Clean Bro – eatcleanbro.comUse code MINDSET for 15% off your order💪 Champion Athletes Sports Nutrition – champion-athletes.comUse code MINDSET25 for a special discountPlease LIKE and SUBSCRIBE to the podcast and go through the archives to hear more great episodes.If you want to support the podcast, please leave a 5-star rating & review on Apple Podcasts.For all partnership and sponsorship inquiries, email mindset@wrestlingmindset.com🎙Stay connected with Wrestling Mindset🔗 Visit our website: https://www.wrestlingmindset.com/📞 Book a free consultation: https://www.wrestlingmindset.com/1-on-1-coaching/Wrestling Mindset Social MediaInstagram: / wrestlingmindsetFacebook: / wrestlingmindsetTwitter: / wrestlingmindse🎧 Listen to our podcastSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/65xcqo9ZdPY36HeQOltPUI
Faith, Discipline, and the Road to Worlds | Wyatt Hendrickson
19:18|Gene Zannetti talks with Final X champion and World Team member Wyatt Hendrickson about why he said mindset was the key difference between making the world team and becoming a world champion, how deciding to be a national champion nine months before NCA's shaped every training decision that followed, the difference between confidence and cockiness and how his opponents can feel which one you are before the match even starts, and why discipline trumps motivation every time and he trains for his future self not his present comfort.Timestamps:2:35 - Last year the goal was just to make the world team — now it's to be a world champion5:00 - You can't fool yourself at worlds if you didn't live the lifestyle in training6:12 - Dad's lesson: the match is won or lost before you even step out on the mat7:54 - Confidence versus cockiness: confidence has nothing to do with the other person9:02 - So locked in before the Gable finals that he never heard what Gable said to him11:59 - Wrestling your match not your opponent's match — same principle on the mat and mentally13:18 - Training with David Taylor and Saeed Valencia replaced his ego with humility16:15 - Discipline trumps motivation — he trains hard today so his future self can be proud🎯 This episode is sponsored by:🥗 Eat Clean Bro – eatcleanbro.comUse code MINDSET for 15% off your order💪 Champion Athletes Sports Nutrition – champion-athletes.comUse code MINDSET25 for a special discountPlease LIKE and SUBSCRIBE to the podcast and go through the archives to hear more great episodes.If you want to support the podcast, please leave a 5-star rating & review on Apple Podcasts.For all partnership and sponsorship inquiries, email mindset@wrestlingmindset.com🎙Stay connected with Wrestling Mindset🔗 Visit our website: https://www.wrestlingmindset.com/📞 Book a free consultation: https://www.wrestlingmindset.com/1-on-1-coaching/Wrestling Mindset Social MediaInstagram: / wrestlingmindsetFacebook: / wrestlingmindsetTwitter: / wrestlingmindse🎧 Listen to our podcastSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/65xcqo9ZdPY36HeQOltPUI
Building a Hangout, Not a Factory | Jeremiah Webber
17:42|Gene Zannetti talks with Ohio club coach Jeremiah Webber about why wrestling pulled Jeremiah out of a tough upbringing and led him through the Marine Corps into a coaching calling, building one of the first freestyle and Greco clubs in central Ohio from scratch into a pipeline that has sent over 25 athletes to international teams, why he prioritizes a family hangout culture over a grinding factory atmosphere, the rise of social media and instant visibility creating new mental pressure for young wrestlers competing for recruiting attention, and the case for why every wrestler needs comfort in Greco and freestyle since both expose technical flaws that folkstyle can hide.Timestamps:2:06 - Chase was always gifted but became defensive and calculating to protect wins4:18 - Wrestling kept Jeremiah on the straight and narrow growing up, leading him to the Marine Corps5:08 - Wrestling really changed his life and felt like a calling into coaching6:20 - Built one of the only freestyle and Greco clubs in central Ohio from scratch7:41 - Club culture built on gratitude and being a hangout, not a grinding factory10:03 - Social media and instant visibility create new mental pressure 12:56 - Club has produced 25+ international Team USA spots 15:34 - Why Valentin Kalika says Greco to freestyle is an easier transition than the reverse🎯 This episode is sponsored by:🥗 Eat Clean Bro – eatcleanbro.comUse code MINDSET for 15% off your order💪 Champion Athletes Sports Nutrition – champion-athletes.comUse code MINDSET25 for a special discountPlease LIKE and SUBSCRIBE to the podcast and go through the archives to hear more great episodes.If you want to support the podcast, please leave a 5-star rating & review on Apple Podcasts.For all partnership and sponsorship inquiries, email mindset@wrestlingmindset.com🎙Stay connected with Wrestling Mindset🔗 Visit our website: https://www.wrestlingmindset.com/📞 Book a free consultation: https://www.wrestlingmindset.com/1-on-1-coaching/Wrestling Mindset Social MediaInstagram: / wrestlingmindsetFacebook: / wrestlingmindsetTwitter: / wrestlingmindse🎧 Listen to our podcastSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/65xcqo9ZdPY36HeQOltPUI
NC State Champ Jacob Hudgins | Wrestling Mindset Success Story
12:19|Gene Zannetti talks with North Carolina state champion Jacob Hudgins about two confusing midseason losses that pushed him to start mindset training just weeks before states, how playing it too safe and trying to protect an undefeated record actually cost him those matches, how staying calm while sensing his opponents were uptight gave him a clear edge at the state tournament, and his decision to continue wrestling at Lander University.Timestamps:1:29 - Started the season undefeated, then lost two matches that blew his mind2:30 - Realized late in the season he needed mindset training before states3:29 - Playing it too safe to protect an undefeated record cost him those losses4:09 - The tools that helped: a consistent routine, chewing gum, and a cross on his shoe6:19 - State tournament: staying calm and relaxed while noticing opponents were uptight7:50 - Committing to continue wrestling in college at Lander University9:23 - Working with his mindset coach to fix getting tired in third periods10:56 - Extra conditioning work: getting his mile under six minutes and two and a half extra hours a week🎯 This episode is sponsored by:🥗 Eat Clean Bro – eatcleanbro.comUse code MINDSET for 15% off your order💪 Champion Athletes Sports Nutrition – champion-athletes.comUse code MINDSET25 for a special discountPlease LIKE and SUBSCRIBE to the podcast and go through the archives to hear more great episodes.If you want to support the podcast, please leave a 5-star rating & review on Apple Podcasts.For all partnership and sponsorship inquiries, email mindset@wrestlingmindset.com🎙Stay connected with Wrestling Mindset🔗 Visit our website: https://www.wrestlingmindset.com/📞 Book a free consultation: https://www.wrestlingmindset.com/1-on-1-coaching/Wrestling Mindset Social MediaInstagram: / wrestlingmindsetFacebook: / wrestlingmindsetTwitter: / wrestlingmindse🎧 Listen to our podcastSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/65xcqo9ZdPY36HeQOltPUI
Father First, Coach Second | Bill Bassett
25:25|Gene Zannetti talks with head coach and legendary wrestling dad Bill Bassett about why a relationship with your sons always has to come before results, how not every parent is built to coach their own kid in the corner even if they're a great coach for someone else, the importance of a wrestling mom who is fully bought in like his wife Carissa, and why some of the greatest wrestlers came from parents who were all in while some great ex-wrestlers have struggled to separate the coach-athlete relationship from the father-son one.Timestamps:1:59 - Jason Nolf sparked the idea for the Oceans series3:57 - Jordan Burroughs picks Bill's brain at Fargo and NCA's5:39 - Topics covered on how to be a wrestling dad7:50 - Relationship with his sons always came first over results12:49 - Carissa is fully bought in and lets the boys and Bill do their thing17:40 - No parent has ever set out to hurt their kid20:33 - Being dad at the dinner table and coach in the room, you have to switch hats22:15 - The greatest wrestlers had all-in parents🎯 This episode is sponsored by:🥗 Eat Clean Bro – eatcleanbro.comUse code MINDSET for 15% off your order💪 Champion Athletes Sports Nutrition – champion-athletes.comUse code MINDSET25 for a special discountPlease LIKE and SUBSCRIBE to the podcast and go through the archives to hear more great episodes.If you want to support the podcast, please leave a 5-star rating & review on Apple Podcasts.For all partnership and sponsorship inquiries, email mindset@wrestlingmindset.com🎙Stay connected with Wrestling Mindset🔗 Visit our website: https://www.wrestlingmindset.com/📞 Book a free consultation: https://www.wrestlingmindset.com/1-on-1-coaching/Wrestling Mindset Social MediaInstagram: / wrestlingmindsetFacebook: / wrestlingmindsetTwitter: / wrestlingmindse🎧 Listen to our podcastSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/65xcqo9ZdPY36HeQOltPUI
Ken Chertow shares his wisdom and experience
37:12|Gene Zannetti talks with legendary Olympian and camp director Ken Chertow about how he developed his mindset as an athlete through persistence and hard work despite not being a naturally gifted kid, what the biggest mental hurdles are for college wrestlers, why evaluating matches on process rather than outcome is what separates good from great, and how the Latin root of confidence, to trust, means you have to actually put the work in to have something to trust.Timestamps:1:33 - How Ken developed his mindset3:13 - Intensity and calm focus need to coexist9:50 - Joey Kangaroo: plugging away since sixth grade, now Harvard wrestling captain16:51 - Biggest mental challenge for wrestlers: self-confidence and believing in yourself20:25 - Wrestle the man's body not his name, Nate Carr's advice that still holds up29:39 - Evaluate matches on process not outcome: did you make the first attack, did you hustle back🎯 This episode is sponsored by:🥗 Eat Clean Bro – eatcleanbro.comUse code MINDSET for 15% off your order💪 Champion Athletes Sports Nutrition – champion-athletes.comUse code MINDSET25 for a special discountPlease LIKE and SUBSCRIBE to the podcast and go through the archives to hear more great episodes.If you want to support the podcast, please leave a 5-star rating & review on Apple Podcasts.For all partnership and sponsorship inquiries, email mindset@wrestlingmindset.com🎙Stay connected with Wrestling Mindset🔗 Visit our website: https://www.wrestlingmindset.com/📞 Book a free consultation: https://www.wrestlingmindset.com/1-on-1-coaching/Wrestling Mindset Social MediaInstagram: / wrestlingmindsetFacebook: / wrestlingmindsetTwitter: / wrestlingmindse🎧 Listen to our podcastSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/65xcqo9ZdPY36HeQOltPUI
NB State Champ JT Smith - Wrestling Mindset Success Story
17:21|Gene Zannetti talks with Nebraska state champion JT Smith about starting with Wrestling Mindset in eighth grade to fix a confidence problem that was holding him back despite having the technique and athleticism to beat top-level guys, how shifting from a prey mindset to a predator mindset unlocked his aggression on the mat, pinning his first two state tournament opponents in a combined 35 seconds, and his goals of graduating from West Point and making a U20 Greco or freestyle national team.Timestamps:1:41 - Started with Wrestling Mindset with a confidence problem2:54 - The prey mindset: going in timid, not ready to attack or score3:18 - Feels ready at 100% almost every time he steps on the mat5:23 - Got sick mid-season, had to come back and rebuild conditioning6:23 - Teched everyone at districts, pinned first two state opponents in under 50 seconds combined8:36 - Two best friends lost in the state finals right before his match10:11 - Took an injury timeout in the finals, refocused, and pulled away to win 11 to 214:52 - Going to West Point, wants to be an All-American and make a U20 national team🎯 This episode is sponsored by:🥗 Eat Clean Bro – eatcleanbro.comUse code MINDSET for 15% off your order💪 Champion Athletes Sports Nutrition – champion-athletes.comUse code MINDSET25 for a special discountPlease LIKE and SUBSCRIBE to the podcast and go through the archives to hear more great episodes.If you want to support the podcast, please leave a 5-star rating & review on Apple Podcasts.For all partnership and sponsorship inquiries, email mindset@wrestlingmindset.com🎙Stay connected with Wrestling Mindset🔗 Visit our website: https://www.wrestlingmindset.com/📞 Book a free consultation: https://www.wrestlingmindset.com/1-on-1-coaching/Wrestling Mindset Social MediaInstagram: / wrestlingmindsetFacebook: / wrestlingmindsetTwitter: / wrestlingmindse🎧 Listen to our podcastSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/65xcqo9ZdPY36HeQOltPUI
Jordan Burroughs: Parenting By Example
01:16:56|What does it actually take to sustain excellence for over a decade at the highest level of sport — and still feel fulfilled?Gene Zannetti sits down with 6x World Champion and Olympic Gold Medalist Jordan Burroughs for one of the most honest conversations in wrestling. Jordan opens up about his career journey, building a culture as a parent and coach, how faith became the missing piece in his pursuit of greatness, and why the key to raising champions starts long before they ever step on a mat.Wrestling Mindset is proud to partner with Jordan's All I See Is Gold Academy — a shared mission to develop wrestlers who win on the mat and lead with character off it. This conversation is the heart of that partnership.This episode is essential listening for every wrestling parent, coach, and athlete who wants to win the right way — with character, integrity, and purpose.Timestamps:2:22 - Youth wrestling assessment3:01 - What NOT to do as a wrestling parent5:38 - Building virtue and character first11:21 - Is winning always worth it? Olympic and World Championship ceremony15:51 - Are you growing as a parent?19:01 - Leadership and Communication23:47 - 4 Mindset Principles26:49 - Building a Winning Culture in the Wrestling Room34:11 - Pursuing true greatness after 1st world title37:26 - Dremiel Byers lesson41:20 - Learning from his peers Coleman Scott and Tervel Dlagnev45:01 - Bo Bassett pace47:45 - Jason Wilson parenting lesson51:14 - Why Jordan is NOT retired52:08 - Competing and training with a large family55:59 - Honoring your family name57:11 - Joe DeSena lesson work-life integration58:33 - Wrestling as a family sport1:05:14 - Leading USA wrestling1:09:27 - What it's like as a Professional Athlete1:11:48 - How to Navigate Fear1:12:42 - Tervel Dlagnev message before World Championship🎯 This episode is sponsored by:🥗 Eat Clean Bro – eatcleanbro.comUse code MINDSET for 15% off your order💪 Champion Athletes Sports Nutrition – champion-athletes.comUse code MINDSET25 for a special discountPlease LIKE and SUBSCRIBE to the podcast and go through the archives to hear more great episodes.If you want to support the podcast, please leave a 5-star rating & review on Apple Podcasts.For all partnership and sponsorship inquiries, email mindset@wrestlingmindset.com🎙Stay connected with Wrestling Mindset🔗 Visit our website: https://www.wrestlingmindset.com/📞 Book a free consultation: https://www.wrestlingmindset.com/1-on-1-coaching/Wrestling Mindset Social MediaInstagram: / wrestlingmindsetFacebook: / wrestlingmindsetTwitter: / wrestlingmindse🎧 Listen to our podcastSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/65xcqo9ZdPY36HeQOltPUI