Amassing 10 Southwest Preparatory Conference, 7 Texas Prep State and 5 Texas State Duals titles in the past 11 years, the wrestling team has constructed a winning formula under the lead of head coach Alan Paul. This year, seniors Sebastian Rodriguez and Mason Lum lead the Mavericks to success.
“The boys believe in themselves and they have a lot of confidence in what we do in the system. We have very clear expectations,” Paul said. “All of that breeds success.”
This season, following a dominant win over Kinkaid at the “War on the Floor,” a historic first win of the Doc Hess Invitational and a victory at State Duals, the Mavericks look to extend their winning streak as they approach Prep State, SPC, and Nationals.
The team’s preparation and structured routine play a large role in their success.
“What sets us apart is our mental strength and our ability to keep going, even when we feel like our body’s giving out on us,” Rodriguez said. “The conditioning we do is really there to make us able to push past what we think we can do.”
To Rodriguez, wrestling is almost artistic.
“There’s so many moves to learn and things you can get good at that it really allows you to find a style that suits you,” Rodriguez said.
Beyond the style, Paul said the mental toughness he teaches his team distinguishes them from their competition. Conditioning for the Mavericks isn’t only physical; mental resilience has played a role in developing character for the team as well.
“We push every kid to the brink of their limits and they find out where it is,” Paul said.
Rodriguez said that the conditioning and mental toughness that the wrestling program provided him has allowed him to refresh his mind and look forward to future opportunities.
“When two people are tired, really who wins is the person who I guess has the most will and who wants it more,” Rodriguez says.
“If you’ll push yourself to those limits, you will realize how much further your body will go and how much further deeper in the water your mind can go,” Paul said. “You find out very quickly which type of person you are. What I mean by that is, what breaks first — your mind or your body?”
Paul believes this drive is a reflection of the work put in on the practice mat.
“You realize how much further your body will go and how much into the deep water your mind can go,” he said. “We push every kid to the brink of their limits and they find out where it is.”
It’s then no surprise that the resilience built from wrestling transfers to other aspects of life.
“We’re making them stronger, mentally and physically, on a daily basis,” Paul said. “That carries on to multiple sports and things they do academically, all of it.”
Another aspect unique to wrestling is its merit-based, intra-competitive nature. Wrestlers within the same weight class must vie for limited spots to represent the Mavericks in competitions against other schools.
“Ironically, I think it makes the team better because there’s this idea that you’re both working hard together and improving together.” Rodriguez said. “You’re constantly being chased. It’s this reminder that your spot isn’t static. It’s dynamic.”
The team’s constant internal competition is a reminder to never be dormant.
“It sounds harsh, but the competition’s really made the team a lot better,” Rodriguez said.
Team culture plays an equally large role in the success, as well.
“The idea is that, once you’re in, you’re in, and no matter what, these guys will have your back,” Rodriguez said. Despite being an individual sport, Maverick wrestling involves contribution from the entire team. “Everything’s about your teammate and not you. You wrestle for your teammates, not for yourselves,” Paul said.
Still, individual wrestlers have found ways to shine through feats and milestones. Jet Ligums recently achieved 100 wins in his St. John’s wrestling career.
Wrestling also requires discipline off the mat, as wrestlers have to maintain their weight by watching what they eat everyday.
“It never stops,” Paul said. “You wake up preparing, you walk around preparing before you go to sleep and you’re always preparing for the next day — that’s a mindset.” The preparation runs on a daily basis.
To put it simply, “it’s more about the process rather than the product,” Paul says. “Winning SPC, a state title, or state duels, that’s the product, we are not focused on that.” The silverware is a nonfactor in the team’s actual success. “We’re focused on being the best version of us as we possibly can every day.”
Overall, Lum and Rodriguez will aim to lead the team to success through the season’s final stretch. “We’ll continue to push ourselves, better the team, and solidify the legacy,” Rodriguez says.
