Confidence.
It's a fragile thing. It can be the difference between winning and losing. Take this Saturday's wrestling match at Cliff Keen Arena between Michigan and Northwestern. The Wolverines are coming off two weekends of disappointing losses and are looking for the confidence to bounce back.
"Hopefully we can dominate the whole dual meet," Michigan junior Jeff Catrabone said. "We have the capability of winning every weight class, and hopefully, we can do that."
Practice this week has been geared toward getting the wrestlers ready for the pressure of tough matches.
During Wednesday's practice, the Wolverines were put in situations where they were stressed out, Michigan coach Dale Bahr said. The team was put in a grey area in which they were tired and had to think. The point of these types of practices is to show each wrestler that his body will not fall apart and that he can think clearly in these situations.
"We had a meeting with the captains (Catrabone, junior Bill Lacure and senior Airron Richardson) Wednesday night," Bahr said. "We talked about working and pushing harder in practice, and they did that last night. You can't have those types of practices every night, but we'll try to have one at least once a week."
The captains realize that they need to set an example for the team during practices, as well as during meets.
"Everyone looks up to us," Catrabone said. "Usually when we're dominating, everyone else gets confidence and seems to want to dominate, too."
As tough as practice was, the wrestlers felt good about what took place on Wednesday night.
"The guys seemed to be in a good mood," Lacure said. "They were working extra hard. It was one of the toughest practices I've had since I've been here. No one was letting up. Everybody was pushing themselves to the breaking point."
The practice not only made the team mentally stronger, but it also gave the Wolverines a stronger sense of unity.
"We always talk about hitting the wall, getting into a grey area where you're so tired that you want to pass out," Richardson said. "We were pushing each other, which strengthens the team bond. It helps our mental toughness. A practice like that makes a seven-minute match seem very short."
After losses to No. 4 Penn State, No. 3 Iowa State and Oklahoma, the Wolverines have seen their national ranking drop from eighth to 12th. But Northwestern is struggling with a 3-5 overall record, 0-3 in the Big Ten.
"We need to get a good win under our belts, and this is a good opportunity to do that," Bahr said. "We matchup well against them, and if we wrestle the way we're capable of wrestling, we should be able to get back on track."
One of the team's biggest problems over the last couple of weeks has been losing close matches.
"There are always going to be one point or overtime matches, and we need to make sure we win those," Richardson said. "Every Big Ten team has studs or guys that are ranked high. The difference is going to be the younger and newer guys."
No matter how much the coaches or the captains try to set an example or motivate the wrestler, everyone needs to make an individual commitment to making improvements.
"Each guy has to look within himself, see what he's doing wrong and make changes quickly," Richardson said. "There is only so much the coaches and captains can say to a person. Everybody has to look deep within themselves to finally get sick of losing or barely losing."
KRISTEN SCHAEFER/Daily
The Michigan wrestling team has struggled in recent weeks. Losses to Penn State, Iowa and Oklahoma have sent the Wolverines from the eighth position in the national rankings to No. 12. But, Michigan will get a chance to boost its morale tomorrow when 3-5 Northwestern rolls into town.