Chisago Lakes Wrestling

Wildcat Wrestling – High Expectations

“The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it but that it is too low and we achieve it”
Michelangelo

A meticulously arranged display of Chisago Lakes Wildcats wrestling gear laid out on a clean, dark rubber wrestling mat. A forest-green and black singlet with bold white “Wildcats” lettering is folded precisely beside a pair of well-worn headgear, matte black wrestling shoes with scuffed soles, and a neatly coiled green jump rope. The polished wooden bleachers of a high school gym fade softly into the background. Overhead gym lights cast even, bright illumination, creating subtle reflections on the mat and clear, professional detail throughout the scene. Photographed at eye level with a slightly angled composition and moderate depth of field, the image feels organized, serious, and informational, with a photographic realism that matches a professional school athletics website.

Mission

To enable students to find connection, belonging, and purpose beyond the classroom.

To help students become selfless adults who diligently pursue their goals with moral courage and a positive outlook.

To set permanently in the students mind that they are loved and accepted for who they are, not what they do or accomplish, and that they have something of importance and significance to offer the world.

Focus: As a program, we will not focus on winning but rather the development of the student athlete in the pursuit of reaching what they are fully capable of. We will teach our wrestlers to control what they can control; their effort, their habits, their skills, and their outlook.

We want our athletes to define success like the famous coach, John Wooden did: “The peace of mind that comes from the satisfaction that you made the effort to become the best of which you are capable of.” This can only happen if we turn our focus to our habits and leave the results up to what they can produce.

Attacking Style of Wrestling

At Chisago Lakes, we will execute an Attack Style of wrestling. We will master specific moves that will be our strengths.

“Master” means:

  • I execute it without thinking about it
  • I execute it flawlessly without sloppiness
  • I finish it or progress to the next strength effortlessly

We will relentlessly execute our strengths before our opponent has a chance to execute theirs.

We will out hustle and out last our opponents

The key to this is to train through repetition; which is easier said than done. It requires mental toughness and discipline from our wrestlers to focus on repetitive drills in practice; not to take short cuts or just go through the motions.

A Different Kind of Strenght & Condition

In order to out hustle and out last our opponents, a different kind of strength and conditioning is required than what is commonly practiced.

Strength Endurance: The ability to continue repeating muscle contractions against resistance over an extended period (e.g., high-rep, functional training)

This type of training is referred to as “AMRAP” and stands for “As Many Reps As Possible”. In other words, as many times as you can until you reach the point of fatigue…and then repeat it.

This kind of training produces:

  • Match endurance
  • Grip strength
  • Explosiveness
  • Mental toughness
  • Wrestling-style conditioning

We don’t care if you can lift 300 pounds one time, we want you to be able to lift 30 pounds 100 times.

Maximum Strength (Absolute Strength): The highest amount of force a muscle can generate in a single, all-out effort (e.g., powerlifting) can be done by wrestlers as part of their off-season workouts.