Now that the first semester of school is done, the moratorium has kicked in. The class B and C coaches preached for their guys to take a break from wrestling, enjoy time with family and friends, but to maintain their conditioning and control their weight.

Class B

Chuck Mulligan of Omaha Gross Catholic:
“What I’ve told my guys since day 1 of practice, is that we aren’t going to get better from just the two hours of practice a day. So I’ve tried to condition them on getting an extra work out in every day. Now that we are on moratorium, that work out isn’t a big deal since they are used to getting an extra workout in anyway. I have let them know that they work too hard day in and day out to undo it in 5 days. They are all getting excited about the results they are having, so them wanting to succeed is what motivates them for that extra workout. Most of these guys had never even seen a wrestling match before November, and now they are winning and placing at tournaments. The proof is there and they are buying into the process.”

Matt Bruggeman of Gretna:
“We believe in separation from the sport, and want them to get away from it. We turn them loose a couple of days before the moratorium kicked in, and usually give them a total of 10 days. With the moratorium being less than in previous years, they get right at a week off.”

Chad Mattox of York:
“1. Be responsible. That means with diet, exercise, and behaviors. What you do can either positively or negatively impact your team.
2. Enjoy time off with your family. Give yourself a chance to unwind and relax with the people who care about you.
3. Come back on Wednesday, Dec 28th ready for the second part of our season. This is the time we really push hard with our conditioning and live wrestling in practice. Our wrestlers need to be mentally ready for that span of 5-6 weeks.

I try to keep it simple. If I have to constantly talk to a kid about accountability, that means they aren’t taking steps in their personal life to be successful.”

Derek Garfield of Fairbury:
“First of all, I stressed the importance of family and how spending the next 5 days with family is a great thing. With that being said, we have worked too hard up to this point to lose all of the conditioning we have built up. Also, weight maintenance is vitally important. Enjoying the holidays can be done without throwing away your diet and training habits. I stressed that they need to continue to workout on their own which will allow them to enjoy some holiday meals while maintaining their weight. We hit the ground running when we return from the moratorium and so they will have to be within striking distance of their weight class immediately when they get back. That gives us a little incentive to make sure they are staying close as possible to weight!”

Jordan Johnson of Beatrice:
“I just told them that we have a good thing going, and if they wanted to be the team that competes against teams like Bennington and not like some of the teams we have lost to, they needed to at least get a couple of jogs in just to stay ready. I also encouraged them to watch film.”

Darold Foster of Wahoo:
Make sure to enjoy the holiday and heal up, But stay active, get out and do something, running, basketball, racket ball etc. Be smart and remember your goals should guide your decisions.

Jason Redmond of West Point-Beemer:
“Our wrestlers were instructed to get outside, scoop some snow, help a neighbor out, watch some wrestling on FloWrestling, Hudl, or YouTube to keep their minds sharp! Main focus was to not lose their conditioning over the moratorium.”

James Miller of Scottsbluff:
“We have gotten off to a great start this year, but no one remembers how you start a season, only how you end it.”

Chas DeVetter of Skutt Catholic:
“I told them to get some work outs in and to eat healthy. We wrestle at the Rumble on the Red the Thursday and Friday after moratorium, so they need to keep their weight under control.”

Erich Warner of Blair:
“I just asked them to stay active over the break, but encouraged them to take advantage of their time off by spending time with their family and friends. We have been dealing with a lot of injuries and had multiple starters out at the Fracas, so the time off of the mats will be good for the kids.”

Alan Pokorny of Bennington:
“Keep weight under control and enjoy the holidays in moderation. If they had a little too much to eat find a way to get a workout in. Other than that, I want them to relax and enjoy their family time. I feel the break gives our kids a good mental and physical break. They come back refreshed and ready for the last half of the season.”

Dan Davenport of Waverly:
“Eat smart, workout where and when they can, and relax/spend time with their family and friends. Be rested and ready to get back to work next week. After the moratorium, we have a few fun team activities planned, and we usually do a few games in practice to keep things fresh and fun.”

Class C

Tahner Thiem of David City:
“Because we are unable to have practices over the five day NSAA moratorium, I stress the importance of guys getting a workout in on their own. Whether guys go out and run, or go to the wellness center down town to lift, I think it is important for our guys to continue to get 1% better on a daily basis even if we don’t have practice. We also talk about the weight management side of wrestling. We always discourage our guys to not get on the weight roller coaster. Maintaining weight within reason is important for our guys even over the moratorium. I think wrestlers can enjoy the holidays, eat well balanced meals and still not come back way over weight. We find that our most disciplined and dedicated wrestlers come back from break within 7 pounds of their weight classes.”

Cody Wintz of Battle Creek:
“We want them to enjoy the break with their families. We encourage some running and body weight exercises, but we also tell them to come back from break big. We want them 5-7 pounds over their weight class, but with good weight. We don’t have any varsity competition until the first weekend in January, so we use this time to refuel and recharge for the second half.”

Bryan Corkle of O’Neill:
“I tell em to get out of the house and be active. Run, hunt, get a lift in somewhere (not at school). You can shadow wrestle and work drills in a clear space in your living room. If you sit around the house, you’ll over indulge. Remember, when you’re milling about the house around all that food during the holidays and are tempted to keep snacking, you’re not hungry, you’re bored. Drink some water and find something to do. That’s how you win that battle. With us hitting the mats to compete with just one practice in after the moratorium, the work they do on their own is very important.”

Darin Waddington of Wood River:
“Take a day off. Enjoy family and friends, and get at least one workout a day. If they have a mat they can drill and shadow wrestle. They can’t lie around and lose the conditioning they’ve worked hard to obtain. Minimum of a 3-mile run a day. Clear their minds and recharge. We take 5 days off and then we have 2 a days right away because we host a holiday tournament right after the moratorium.”

Shane Allison of Valentine:
“We told our guys to enjoy time with their families, re-charge and come back ready to roll. It’s going to get real in a hurry after the break, and we need to be fresh and focused.”

Darin Garfield of Central City:
“I told our guys it was vitally important to find time every day to get a workout in. They have to be a little creative with no access to the wrestling room. We have a tournament the day after the moratorium, so they have to be vigilant in maintaining their weight and conditioning.”

Matt Rogers of Kearney Catholic:
“1. We just told the guys to try to get in at least one workout and ideally two in order keep their metabolism going. With the forecast looking good for the majority of the break we told them to try to get outside for one of them.
2. Make sure they get quality family time in.
3. Most importantly, we want the mental batteries recharged for the second half of the season. We told them to be ready mentally and physically to get after it when we start back up on Wednesday.”

Phil Payne of Centennial: