Peaking for postseason is about maximizing kids’ potential

Photo: Danny Struck (right) and a Jeffersonville (Ind.) student-athlete prepare to take on the state tournament.

By Danny Struck

Editor’s Note: Jeffersonville High School (Ind.) coach Danny Struck has earned 30 local, state and national coach of the year awards. He’s coached at five Pan American Games and three World Championships.

Peaking when it matters (and why it matters for everyone)

One of the great lies in wrestling is that peaking is only for state champions.

I don’t buy that. Never have.

I’ve been fortunate to learn from some of the best minds in this sport —coaches who have taken multiple programs to state titles and national prominence. Guys who know peaking. When I have questions about end-of-season preparation, I still pick up the phone and call Darrick Snyder from Brownsburg, Ind., or Jimmy “Flatbill” Tonte. I’ve leaned on Dave Crowell from Nazareth, Pa. — who has quietly perfected this art for decades. And of course, my high school coach, T. Howard Jones, who had a system he simply called “The Three Phases” — and somehow had me ready to wrestle at any moment.

When I was 21 years old and a first-year coach, I even got caught stealing practice plans out of Jimmy Tonte’s filing cabinet. True story.

They had just won a state title with those plans, so I figured they were good enough for me. I regret nothing.

Here’s the thing: my program isn’t Brownsburg. It isn’t Nazareth. We’re an inner-city school. We don’t always get the same opportunities, depth, or resources as state and national powerhouses.

But peaking is peaking.

Sometimes we’re chasing a title.

Most of the time, we’re chasing something more important: the best version of each kid.

If a wrestler reaches their full genetic potential — whether that means a national championship or simply cracking the varsity lineup and surviving the state tournament grind — then we’ve done our job. Every athlete deserves to learn how to peak, and every coach should be working to perfect their version of it.

For us, peaking is built on five pillars: Strength. Technique. Conditioning. Health. Mindset. All five begin on Day One.

Strength: Year-Round, No Apologies

We lift year-round. Period.

Sometimes we take breaks from wrestling. We do not take breaks from the weight room.

I’m a huge believer in multi-sport athletics. After Fargo, we intentionally take a few weeks off from wrestling and encourage kids to try football, soccer or cross country. I don’t even want to hold practice during that time — I want them doing other things.

But we still lift. I’m fortunate enough to also be our strength coach, so when I say year-round lifting, I mean in class, in-season and in the summer.

During the season, we lift as a team one day a week. All of our wrestlers have weight-training class, so that day isn’t about building monsters — it’s about culture. Seeing each other in the weight room. Reinforcing that strength matters.

We lift heavy. We lift basic. We do not try to simulate wrestling. Wrestling happens in the wrestling room. The weight room is for getting strong.

Our motto is simple: “Strength transcends sport.”

If you’re strong, you’re strong everywhere — football, wrestling, life. There are plenty of ways to make lifting fun and creative, but the philosophy stays the same. (If you want that creativity, read Zach Even-Esh’s work — he’s the expert.)

I learned this lesson the hard way. My first year as a head coach, I stopped lifting during the state series. The kids told me they felt weaker.

Was it mental? Absolutely. Did it matter? More than anything.

Now we lift all the way through — reduced sets, reduced reps — but they know they lifted. Confidence matters.

Technique: Basics first, always

Technique is a year-round process.

We use A, B, and C drill days.

A and B days rotate throughout the season. These are our bread-and-butter drills — what experienced wrestlers need and new wrestlers must learn just to survive on the mat.

C days come after Christmas. These are counters, throws, and “break-glass-in-case-of-emergency” moves.

We want our kids attacking all year long. Post-Christmas, we teach them when to counter, when to throw, and when to take calculated risks. They like the variation — but they know it’s not the foundation.

We also teach with intention. If we’re about to wrestle a cradle-heavy team, we drill cradles a week or two in advance. If we’re facing throwers, we prepare accordingly. Peaking isn’t just physical — it’s planning. A coach has to understand what’s coming and layer it into an already-established system.

You don’t abandon who you are. You add what you need.

Conditioning: Build it, then sharpen it

Conditioning is always on our minds, but it evolves.

In the spring and summer, wrestling itself is enough. We suggest running and other sports, but we don’t turn practice into cross country.

As the season starts, we move through phases:

Phase 1.0: Drill, short live (10 minutes), short conditioning (10 minutes)

Phase 1.5: Two live segments (10 + 5), two conditioning segments

Phase 2.0 – 3.0: By the end of the year, practices are about 90 minutes, rotating through drilling, live wrestling, and conditioning three times.

Here’s the key: Intensity goes up. Duration goes down.

We also make it a point to get kids out of the room while it’s still light outside. Wrestlers live in darkness all season. Sunlight matters — for mood, motivation, and mental health.

We have one practice a week called “Live Day.” It’s exactly how it sounds. I used to hate it. Now I love it. Kids came out for wrestling — to wrestle. Alumni show up. Energy spikes. We warm up, do one hard conditioning block and wrestle. That’s it.

Conditioning-wise, we prioritize short sprints. Never more than 4–8 reps. Never longer than 14 seconds. No one should leave thinking they accidentally joined cross country.

In December, we run stairs over Christmas break. In January, we drop stairs and add sprint work twice a week. Seven minutes max. Everything timed.

Why? Because improvement is visible. When a kid hits a new sprint PR, you don’t have to guess: “See? You’re faster. You’re in better shape.” Confidence loves evidence.

Mindset: The real peak

Mental prep starts Day One — but January is where it gets refined. Every freshman receives an empty binder. Every Monday, they complete a post-weekend scouting report, set goals for the week, and journal on a specific topic I provide. That binder fills over four years.

In January, topics narrow: Sleep. Nutrition. Recovery. Anxiety. Adversity. Nervousness. We’ve covered it all — every year. The ultimate goal is simple: Get them to want one more match. One more week.

You’d be surprised how many kids are okay with being done. You can’t grind kids into loving March. You have to sell them on it. That means practices are intense — but enjoyable. It means you, as the coach, better be energized and confident. They feed off you.

I learned another hard lesson early on. My first year, I “shark-baited” kids with brutal workouts late in the season. They told me afterward they wanted practice to end — and losing felt like relief. I never do that now.

We also create traditions. Our final 14 varsity starters receive exclusive black team gear. No extras. Ever. Kids compete all year for it.

We choose a team song. Play it constantly. Discuss the lyrics. Use it as a trigger between rounds.

We talk about wrestling for others. We talk about chasing the next best thing. Didn’t get first? Go get third. Didn’t get the job? Go get the next one. That’s not just wrestling — that’s life.

Final thought

Peaking isn’t about trick workouts or magic plans. It’s about intentional strength, refined technique, smart conditioning, honest recovery and belief.

Whether you’re standing on top of a podium or just breaking into the lineup, every kid deserves to know what it feels like to be at their best — when it matters most.

And if you have to steal a few practice plans along the way… just make sure they’re from state champions.