“Summer wrestlers make winter champions” (wrestling adage)

“Summer wrestlers make winter champions” (or “Summer wrestling makes winter champions”) is a popular wrestling adage. “Summer wrestling makes winter champions” was cited in 2002 and “Summer wrestlers make Winter Champions” was cited in 2005. It’s not known who first used the saying.
 
“Skiers are made in the summer” is a similar saying about another sport.
   
 
SC Wrestling
October 17, 2002
(...)
So get out there and wrestle because…
SUMMER WRESTLING MAKES WINTER CHAMPIONS
     
Bodybuilding.com Forum
rage87
02-25-2005, 05:19 PM
Glad to see that you enjoy the sport. I love it too. I’ll be wrestling 189 next year too. I wrestled 152, 160, and 171 this year. It was my first year for high school, I did modified programs but for stupid reason I didn’t wrestle my freshman and sophomore years. I think I’m going to J Robinsons Intensive Camp this summer and I’m definitely going to some tournaments, it’s a good idea for you too.
   
“Summer wrestlers make Winter champions.”
   
Wrestlegirl.com
Eight Bucs heading to Huntington
BY MATT FUCHS 2/20/06
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Firen, Kelby and Reid proved that “Summer Wrestling Makes Winter Champions”
   
Northern Arizona Grapplers
wednesday, june 25, 2008
Summer Wrestlers make Winter Champions!
Congratulations Western State Participants!
   
Twitter
Bill Lewis
‏@bgrappler
Day 1 of summer strength and conditioning. Summer workouts make winter champions.
10:57 AM - 7 Jul 2009
 
Twitter
brendon andrews
‏@bandrews7
summer wrestling makes winter champions
10:48 PM - 17 Jul 2009
 
27east.com
Publication: The East Hampton Press & The Southampton Press
ESM youngsters do well in state tournament
Mar 9, 2010 1:25 PM
By Drew Budd
There’s an old saying that Eastport South Manor’s varsity wrestling head coach Nick Garone likes to use when he talks about the importance of off-season training: summer wrestlers make winter champions.
 
Twitter
V
‏@gdavanessa
Summer Wrestlers Make Winter Champions <3

3:19 PM - 18 May 2010
 
Alaska Dispatch News
‘Summer wrestlers make winter champions’
Jeremy Peters
July 12, 2011
(...)
“Summer wrestlers make winter champions,” Ritchie said. “Typically the ones in this are in the state finals or state champs.”
 
Valdez Wrestling (Santa Ana, CA)
May 1, 2012
The Importance of Summer Wrestling
When I was in Junior High School, I used to watch my older brother compete at his high school wrestling meets. There was a corny quote that I often read on the back of people’s t-shirts when I would go to these meets. It said, “Summer wrestlers make winter champions.” It wasn’t until a few years later that I would really understood the truth behind that quote.
   
Marysville (KS) Advocate
Mat camp focuses on many drills, skills
Published:
Wednesday, July 8, 2015 11:29 AM CDT
Three days of wrestling camp were spent on skills, technique and getting time on the mat for practice and review.
 
At least 50 youths participated in one of two sessions Marysville High School wrestling coach Cole Fredrickson ran each morning.
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“The old adage is that summer wrestling makes winter champions,” Fredrickson said.