THE GOAL OF EVERY wrestler is to pin the opponent. But that happens only about half the time. Most matches are decided by points (three or less), not pins. It's why coaches have to prepare their athletes for close matches. I begin doing this in the first week of our pre-season, long before our first competition. Following are the vocal instructions I use:

1. "Keep your mouth shut and look over at the coach on every break (referee's whistle)."
During the drills and wrestling, no one talks except the coaches. All action must stop immediately on the whistle, and the wrestlers must look directly at the speaker.

2. "Stay focused on basic tech niques and prompt your opponent into making a mistake."
We point out common mistakes (i.e., crossing the feet in the neutral position, putting the head down in the bottom position. etc.) and how to take advantage of them.

3. "Force your opponent into a position in which he is basically unfamiliar."
We talk about scouting an opponent and which factors are most applicable in a tournament setting. If the opponent is more skilled at takedowns, for example, we will stress riding. If he is excellent on top, we will want to go neutral.

4. "In the neutral position, if you can't open up your opponent for a takedown, try to get him called for stalling."

We don't want our wrestlers to put themselves into bad positions by risking takedowns that the opponent can easily defense. We thus preach aggressiveness and forward motion, pushing the opponent back to make it appear that he is stalling. We are, in fact, always pretending to be trying for a takedown to convince the official that our opponent isn't initiating any takedown at all (stalling).

5. "Never waste energy chasing, lunging, or worrying. Just be persistent and focused."
This is the psychological part of wrestling wherein our athletes have to remain poised and confident. In practice, we'll simulate match situations (i.e., "down by two, top position, 22 seconds left") and then stop to discuss all the strategies that our wrestlers used in that situation -- what worked, what didn't, and why.

During the match, my comments are always brief and calm. I use my hands rather than voice as much as possible, to avoid having the crowd drown out my messages:

• Both thumbs up means, "You're doing fine, keep trying the same technique."
• Lifting and dropping my hands palm down toward the mat means, "Ride him and look for the pin."
• A tap on my leg and then my neck tells my wrestler to ride with the legs and use the power half.
  

Whenever I do shout, it's usually only to remind the wrestlers of the score, the remaining time, or their proximity to the boundary. I want them focused on the opponent, not on any yelling from me or the fans.

I think this shift away from depending on me for every maneuver helps build the confidence they need in close matches. And since many of their matches are going to be close, I want them feeling confident and in control, knowing that they have been prepared for such matches every day in practice.

Keith Manos is the former Athletic Director and a coach of two sports at Richmond Heights (Ohio) High School. His books include Wrestling Coach's Survival Guide and Coach's and Athletic Director's Complete Book of Forms and Letters, both published by Prentice Hall (800-947-7700).