Consistency transcends boundaries and is critical for success in any endeavor. The quality of being steadfast in your behaviors establishes an unchanging foundation for growth and improvement. This foundation is critical in wrestling for when motivation wanes, setbacks occur, and challenges arise. By staying consistent in practice and maintaining discipline, wrestlers can build the habits necessary to achieve long-term success.
Jody Strittmatter was a 2x NCAA Champion and 4x All-American (University of Iowa and Univ Pitt-Johnstown). Strittmatter is also the co-founder of the Young Guns Wrestling Club, one of the premier wrestling clubs in the nation. Jody has developed athletes who have achieved success at every age level of the sport. His athletes have won 5 World titles, 9 NCAA titles, and hundreds of State Championships.
Jody singles out a couple of figures in his life that created the standard of consistency for him. His father, a Dairy Farmer, never wrestled a day in his life but provided the most valuable lesson for success. “Regardless of his health or holidays, my father approached every day as a workday.” This presence instilled unyielding discipline and laid the guidelines for Jody's approach to wrestling and coaching.
Strittmatter was also inspired by former coach Pat Pecora, a legendary wrestling coach with over 50 years of success at the University of Pitt-Johnstown. His leadership style reinforced the importance of maintaining an attitude of ‘creative consistency’ for Jody, which revolves around a lifelong pursuit of excellence.
Armed with these principles, Strimatter designed several practical points to understand how to apply this to your life. Creative consistency applies an understanding of your goals infused with discipline and passion.
Creative Consistency:
- Daily Dedication: Committing to your goals daily, regardless of fluctuations in motivation or facing challenges.
- Combining Discipline and Passion: There has to be an equal combination of hard work and passion for what you're trying to achieve.
- Outworking Others: Set the standard to become the hardest worker on your team every day.
- Overcoming Motivation Fluctuations: Every day is different, and motivation can vary. Don’t rely on emotion to set your bar. Demand the same level of effort regardless of circumstance.
- Desire-Driven: A wrestler must shift their perspective from feeling obligated to work to loving the process.
Strittmatter recognizes that different age groups have varying workloads, but the basic principles of consistency apply across all age levels. He explains, “Gradual growth is the building blocks key, built on developing habits such as disciplined eating, regular sleep, and religious training.”
Gradual Growth:
- Incremental Progress: Gradual growth focuses on making steady progress, one step at a time, rather than expecting immediate results.
- Forming Consistent Habits: This mode underscores the importance of developing and maintaining disciplined habits in various aspects of your life, including training, nutrition, and rest.
- Sustained Development: Over time, these habits lead to consistent development, transforming you into a disciplined wrestler.
- Foundation Building: This is the construction of a solid foundation for your skills and abilities, ensuring long-term success rather than short-lived accomplishments.
- Resilience and Adaptation: Helps athletes face challenges and setbacks while remaining dedicated to their journey.
Creative Consistency and Gradual Growth are intertwined principles. Creative Consistency is the unwavering commitment to your goals with a blend of discipline and passion, while Gradual Growth represents the steady and sustainable progress achieved by sticking to this commitment. Together, they form the essential framework for a successful path toward your aspirations.
In addition to these two key principles, Strittmatter also stresses the importance of knowing your "Why" when it comes to developing consistency. Understanding your “Why” fuels an athlete's purpose, makes sacrifices worthwhile, and serves as a driving force for success.
Know Your Why:
- Identify Your Motivation: Understand the reasons driving your pursuit of success. It involves asking yourself why you are on this journey and what compels you to persevere.
- Clarity of Purpose: Understanding this outcome makes it easier to endure challenges and setbacks. When you're aware of your "Why," it serves as a constant source of motivation and inspiration.
- Long-Term Commitment: Reminds you of the bigger picture and the significance of resolving your efforts long-term.
- Goal Reinforcement: Goals must be more than aspirations but rather powerful driving forces for your actions and decisions.
The final step Jody highlights in creating consistency is, "Learn to love the process." Every athlete is different, but the key to success is finding a passion for the daily grind of pursuit. Strittmatter highlights the success of Young Guns Wrestling Club's standout athletes, 3-time NCAA champion and 2-time Hodge Trophy winner Spencer Lee (Iowa) and top-ranked Cadet World champion Bo Bassett, as examples. He attributes their next-level achievements to a genuine, uncompromising passion for wrestling and the extreme process of high-level training. This warrior’s mindset serves to sustain resilience in the face of setbacks and reinforces the commitment of facing challenges head-on.
Jody Strittmatter emphasizes, “Having talent is important, but developing talent is equally important. Coaches play a pivotal role in instilling the mindset, but consistent discipline stems from loving the process." By asking thought-provoking questions and nurturing a passion for their respective goals, coaches can guide young athletes toward the path of consistent success.
Consistency is a similar thread that weaves through stories of champions at all levels. Whether you aspire to be a successful athlete or excel in any other field, the lessons from Jody Strittmatter remind us that it all begins with the power of consistency and a passion for the journey.
