With John Heffernan
BUILD THE FOUNDATION
Developing a caliber-level wrestler starts long before they ever reach the high school room. For St. Edward’s Head Coach John Heffernan, it begins with a strong youth foundation, supportive families, and coaches willing to invest in the process year-round.
“It’s a year-round process. It’s working with youth kids; it’s traveling during the off-season. It’s being there on Saturday mornings when the kids don’t want to be there on Saturday mornings. A lot of it is giving things up, but you have to love what you’re doing. You have to love being with kids.”
That commitment is what creates the foundation for everything that comes later. Developing wrestlers is not a seasonal responsibility. It is a long-term investment in the athlete and the person.
LET THEM DEVELOP
No two wrestlers are exactly alike, and Heffernan believes coaches have to recognize that. The job is to teach the fundamentals while giving athletes enough freedom to discover what works for them.
“If they do it well and it works, I’m not gonna stop them from doing it. Let the kids develop and let the kids be creative in their own way. But also make sure they stay in the basics.”
That balance gives wrestlers the freedom to build their own style without losing the fundamentals that make them successful. The goal is not to create identical wrestlers, but to help each athlete become the best version of their own style.
CHASE COMPETITION
Heffernan does not measure development simply by wins and losses. Instead, he wants his wrestlers continually placed in situations that force them to improve, adjusting the approach based on the team and the individual athlete.
“The focus for us really is week by week by week. Every year is different, every team is different, every kid is different. So we train different ways. I always say, if our kids go undefeated, I didn’t do my job. I want to give them the toughest competition they can possibly get before the state tournament.”
The right competition exposes weaknesses and creates opportunities to grow. Losing is not the objective, but avoiding challenges is not the path to becoming a better wrestler.
EMBRACE THE GRIND
Toughness has to be developed before it is tested. At St. Edward, Heffernan creates situations in practice designed to replicate the physical and mental demands wrestlers will face when the match gets difficult.
“We do a thing called Toughness Tuesdays during the season, where we put the kids through any tough situation they’ll ever be in matches. And we make them keep going as long as they can. Getting kids to be comfortable, being uncomfortable.”
The lesson is simple: fatigue is not the end of the match. When things get difficult, Heffernan wants his wrestlers focused on the next opportunity rather than the discomfort they are feeling.
MAKE IT A WAY OF LIFE
For Heffernan, developing a wrestler extends beyond what happens inside the room. The sport demands discipline in the way athletes train, recover, eat, sleep, and surround themselves with the people who help them reach their goals.
“A way of life is the RUDIS saying, but if you want to be a really good wrestler, it should be your mantra as a wrestler also. I tell our wrestlers that you have a short window to be competitive and to reach all your goals.”
That mindset puts the work into perspective. Wrestling may only be one part of a person’s life, but for the years spent chasing competitive goals, Heffernan believes it has to be treated as much more than a sport.
