How to Succeed (and Fail) as a Wrestling Parent

A Detailed Guide for Supporting Your Wrestler’s Journey

By: Donovan Panone

Narrated by: Donovan Panone

Length: 5 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's summary

Arm yourself with the wisdom to confidently support your wrestler’s journey and help them reach their full potential on and off the mat. How to Succeed (and Fail) as a Wrestling Parent contains practical guidance and real-life stories from Donovan Panone's 28 years in the trenches as a coach, as well as from being the parent of a wrestler.

You’ll learn lessons derived from experiences with thousands of wrestlers and parents. You'll hear the candid story of how his son started his youth career with a three and 59 record, ultimately becoming a three-time high school state champion. You will also hear directly from interviews with nationally successful wrestlers about their unique path, what it took to jump levels, and their parents' involvement.

In this book, you will learn from what Panone has seen done right, wrong, and way wrong. Whether you are new to wrestling or deep in the journey already, there is something for parents at every stage. The lessons in this book will provide you the confidence to handle anything along your journey as a wrestling parent.

©2023 Donovan Panone (P)2023 Donovan Panone

Great Resource for Wrestling Parents & Wrestlers too!

Listened to this with my wrestler son! We both really enjoyed it & learned a lot together! Highly recommend!

Great book.

This is a fantastic book that offers a fresh perspective for individuals like me, who have primarily been involved in team sports. It provides invaluable insights and less obvious advice on cultivating a strong and healthy parent-child relationship. Panone's guidance on knowing when to push your child and, more importantly, when to step back is truly refreshing.


One of the book's most commendable aspects is Panone's willingness to openly share his own mistakes and missteps. By doing so, he encourages readers to reflect on their own behaviors
and learn from them. This level of humility and self-awareness from the author makes the book not only educational but also entertaining.


While the book focuses on wrestling parents, its lessons extend far beyond the wrestling mat. In today's sports-crazed world, this is a must-read for all parents. The valuable insights
and practical advice provided can be applied to any sports discipline, enabling parents to navigate the challenges and complexities of raising young athletes.


Panone's writing style is engaging and accessible, making the book a breeze to read. His words resonate with readers, and his anecdotes bring the experiences to life. The book succeeds
in building a strong connection with its audience.


I highly recommend this book as it will leave you with a fresh perspective and valuable knowledge to apply in your parenting journey.

Must Read For Pioneer Parents.

WARNING: This is not just a wrestling book. If you too are a first generation Father, Husband, and or Leader of young men then this is a man that you'd be blessed to know and his words should be on your "Must Read!" list. It is okay not to know what to do or how to do it. Instructions like this book will help you figure it out.

Invaluable advice!

As a dad (sometimes coach out of necessity) who didn’t wrestle, this book provided so much insight into many of the conflicts and conundrums I’ve found myself in over the past 2 years. Thank you for consolidating and sharing so much valuable experience and wisdom!