| you need to practice and practice and practice. with guys bigger and smaller and stronger and weaker. you need to learn the basics and fundamentals. be willing to fail a lot in order to learn how to win.
theres an old adage in chess that each game played is one more step toward understanding the game, whether you fail or win, one less lesson needed to be learned. be willing to learn. and fail.
conditioning is king. yes, you need to be able to withstand that first period when the other guy is fresh and on top of his game. to do that you need to have the physical ability and the mental knowledge of the sport. but can you push him to the limit? can you push him past the point where he is tired and you have more in the tank? im not saying conditioning alone will get you to be a winner. most of it is ability and knowledge of the disclipline... but also work yourself hard so you can work your opponent even harder.
one of the best wrestlers i know was a freshman wrestling in a class of mostly juniors and seniors. he lost a lot. but that kid had heart. he pushed those guys, even when he was way down in points and going to lose unless he got a fall. it didnt stop him. two years later, after being pushed around and not quite getting it done, the kid is king. hes not a 4 time state champ, but in my mind, hes the kind of guy you want as champ. a guy who rose through the ranks and didnt give up because he wasnt the best out of the gate.
so leave it all on the mat, have a great time, win or lose. and keep coming back and getting better. | 
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