5 Skills that Wrestling Promotes in Children

Wrestling is one of the oldest and most popular sports in the world, although it’s not practised in the UK as much as sports like football and rugby. You might be more familiar with the more staged type of WWE wrestling shown on TV, however two other types of wrestling appear in the Olympics: Greco Roman and Freestyle. It may seem like it’s just fighting, but wrestling can be a very good sport for children in lots of ways - read on to find out why.

Resilience

Few sports are as demanding as wrestling. It requires strength, speed, and endurance, and it often comes down to a battle of wills, so it can help improve children’s resilience. The constant challenges that wrestlers face help them to develop a thick skin and the ability to bounce back from setbacks. The competitive nature of the sport teaches kids how to deal with disappointment and stay calm under pressure. As a result, children who wrestle learn valuable lessons about resilience that they can carry with them throughout their lives.

Strength & physical well-being

For children, wrestling improves strength and physical well-being while teaching them to use their bodies safely and in a controlled manner. Wrestling helps them build muscle mass and improve their coordination. It’s a great cardio workout too, helping to increase stamina and endurance. As a contact sport, wrestling teaches children how to use their strength in a controlled way while following established rules, meaning they’re less likely to turn to fighting outside of the sports setting. 

Self-confidence

In wrestling, children are constantly challenged to grapple with an opponent trying to defeat them. As they learn to overcome these challenges, they develop greater confidence in their abilities. This increased self-confidence can carry over into other areas of their lives, such as school and relationships. Wrestling also requires split-second timing and decision-making. Children have to be able to think quickly and make the right decisions to win. This skill can be useful in many situations, such as taking a test or dealing with a challenging situation.

Discipline

Wrestling, like all martial arts, is based on discipline, and this can help children develop in this area. Wrestlers must be willing to put in the hard work and dedication to succeed and they need to be able to focus and stay disciplined to execute the moves correctly. This discipline carries over into other areas of their lives, such as schoolwork, other extra-curricular activities, and eventually the workplace.

Respect

In wrestling, opponents must show respect for each other to compete fairly. Showing respect instils a sense of fair play and sportsmanship in children, which can carry over into other areas of their lives. Kids learn that they can strive to be their best without putting down others in the process. Learning to respect themselves and others is something that will help them to build relationships and succeed in all areas. 

Wrestling is a great sport with many different benefits for children. Why not give it a go?

Photo by Chris Chow on Unsplash