Gene Zannetti talks with Dragon Wrestling Club founder Eleazar De Luca about why cutting weight is overrated, how confidence comes from drilling proper technique, and teaching wrestlers to shoot to positions of strength instead of uncertainty.

Timestamps:

2:40 - High school wrestlers focus on the wrong things

3:38 - Learning from his own mistakes

7:16 - Soviet Union model: one coach for life

10:36 - Drilling proper technique and chain wrestling

12:23 - Teaching proper vs improper wrestling positions

17:00 - Confidence is brought by the drill

20:10 - Competition frequency recommendations

27:04 - USA Wrestling's systematic approach

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Gene Zannetti talks with Woodbridge High School Head Coach Mike Monaco about kids wrestling to avoid disappointing parents instead of for themselves, how social media creates unrealistic expectations at young ages, and why there's no better feeling than being the underdog who lets it fly.

Timestamps:

2:03 - Parental pressure and wrestling for yourself

5:44 - Professional-level coaching from a young age

7:27 - Learning from losses even when you do everything right

10:19 - Weight management and discipline

13:25 - Wrestling community brings different people together

19:06 - The sport is growing

21:14 - Being the 10 seed with nothing to lose

25:00 - Loading up districts and wrestling the best

🎯 This episode is sponsored by:

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Gene Zannetti talks with West Essex Head Coach Michael Markey about why wrestling has become mentally heavier with social media and national exposure, balancing tough competition with building confidence, and why coaches need mindset training as much as their athletes.

Timestamps:

1:15 - How social media has made wrestling heavier

4:37 - Balancing between testing and confidence building

9:17 - Mindset as the edge when everyone has access to technique

10:20 - Battling imposter syndrome

14:22 - Staying current as competition gets tougher

19:06 - Wrestling as a self-development tool, not just winning

20:26 - Coaches need mindset training too

24:11 - Forcing your goals versus their goals

🎯 This episode is sponsored by:

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Use code MINDSET for 15% off your order

💪 Champion Athletes Sports Nutrition – champion-athletes.com

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Gene Zannetti talks with Brick Township Head Coach Joe Lindenbaum about why kids and coaches change every two to three years, reframing nerves as excitement for competition, and building community to keep wrestlers home in your program.

Timestamps:

1:55 - Weight cutting struggles and better nutrition resources

3:02 - Kids change in cycles every 2-3 years

6:19 - Having fun and incorporating games into practice

7:11 - Reframing nervous as excited for competition

10:01 - Focus on what you have, not what others have

10:49 - Building community to keep wrestlers home

15:43 - Scouting helps some but hurts many more

18:24 - Off-season focus on improvement, not just wins

🎯 This episode is sponsored by:

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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.

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Gene Zannetti talks with Rutgers RTC Coach Kyle Kiss about belief being the biggest battle at every level, why middle school results don't predict college success, and focusing on long-term development instead of immediate wins and tournament pressure.

Timestamps:

1:40 - Building Triumph and Garden State Wrestling

4:32 - Summer travel with international competition

9:46 - Biggest lesson: belief is always a battle

12:51 - Mental struggles at every level of wrestling

17:33 - Middle school phenoms don't always pan out

18:10 - Half of college wrestlers weren't best in middle school

20:14 - Writing down mental reminders before matches

22:22 - Focus on scoring points today, not future

🎯 This episode is sponsored by:

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Use code MINDSET for 15% off your order

💪 Champion Athletes Sports Nutrition – champion-athletes.com

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Please LIKE and SUBSCRIBE to the podcast and go through the archives to hear more great episodes.

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Gene Zannetti talks with Southern Regional Head Coach Dan Roy about using hard training to build mental toughness, why kids need to understand the "why" behind their work, and learning that confidence issues made him a better coach for understanding his wrestlers' struggles.

Timestamps:

2:59 - 23 years at Southern Regional

5:59 - Kids become like your own children

10:53 - Community support and environment at Southern

13:40 - Wrestling teaches life lessons, not just winning

17:16 - Train hard so adversity doesn't break you mentally

20:20 - Importance of warm-up and nutrition routine

24:17 - Different kids need different motivation approaches

33:16 - Gratitude mindset: "I get to" not "I have to"

🎯 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 [email protected]

🎙Stay connected with Wrestling Mindset

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Gene Zannetti talks with Olympic Champion Kendall Cross about breaking down opponents with sport intelligence, placing low value on failures to stay optimistic, and why being motivated to compete matters more than being the best athlete.

Timestamps:

2:50 - Positive outlook and optimistic mindset

4:01 - Being a cerebral wrestler without elite athleticism

8:04 - Early influences

9:55 - Demystifying the Olympic process

12:40 - Naysayers doubting the unorthodox style

16:35 - Social media's impact on young wrestlers today

21:30 - High motivation to compete drives success

23:30 - Placing low value on failures and mistakes

🎯 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 [email protected]

🎙Stay connected with Wrestling Mindset

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Gene Zannetti talks with coaches Mike Foca and Donny DeFilippis about why parents need to step back and let coaches do their job, the dangers of club hopping, and why customer-is-always-right doesn't apply to wrestling coaching.

Timestamps:

1:43 - The difficulty of coaching your own child

12:28 - What parents should do when entering your room

14:10 - Parents can't let go of their kids

19:38 - Parents proving coaches wrong instead of kids proving themselves

21:46 - Stop chasing kids and begging them to stay

25:11 - Private lessons vs practice room development

32:03 - Academy and military discipline in coaching

40:28 - Club hopping destroys consistency and coachability

🎯 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 [email protected]

🎙Stay connected with Wrestling Mindset

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Gene Zannetti talks with Virginia Tech Head Coach Tony Robie about his kidney donation to an athlete's father, why effort matters more than results, eliminating the fear of getting tired, and how doing hard things strengthens your mind and spirit.

Timestamps:

4:21 - What makes Virginia Tech unique

7:13 - Brotherhood and team culture

10:00 - Donating a kidney to Norm Latona

14:12 - Doing hard things strengthens your spirit

15:50 - You can care too much

17:20 - Coaching philosophies

20:13 - Eliminating the fear of getting tired

22:01 - Approach what makes you afraid

🎯 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 [email protected]

🎙Stay connected with Wrestling Mindset

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Wrestling Mindset Social Media

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