There are many different points of view when it comes to peaking an athlete or team before a major tournament. Some continue to go fairly hard throughout the week and have a light practice the day before the competition. Others feel that it is better to gradually reduce practice time and intensity as the week progresses and go light the day before or just have it off. I agree with the latter but I have seen great results with giving an athlete a day or 2 off prior to the big tournament.
Any ideas, suggestion, other point of views, or anyone else that have first hand experience over the years of trying different methods and an opinion as to what has worked and hasn't in the past.

The week before, as the week progresses: Gradually go harder as the week progresses for three days. Gradually reduce time, but increase the intensity. Also increase the work on the head game (most of us forget: on the mat, it's 90% mental). Create a self-assessment form (nothing fancy).

Day 1: take 5 minutes to "assess myself". Then swap sheets with their drill partners (trusted peer) and ask them to "assess me", for 5 minutes. Take another 5 + 5 (10) minutes to give one another feedback. Tell them to "do some homework and make a goal(s) for each of the next 3 days". End practice (and watch the conversations continue).

Day 2: "Who made some goals? Give me an example one." Some introspective words from the coach, followed by a short open forum discussion on "what do my words mean to you"...the wrestlers need to buy in (personally commit to themselves).

Day 3: Point out the positives and strengths about each wrestler in an open forum. Ask all to comment, but it must be led and dominated by "coach".

The day prior to the big tournament: Share the pride you (coach) feel about their efforts and character, not their accomplishments. Then talk about, explain, and practice visualization.

the week of regionals our coaches take us to the point of breaking and beyond and push us hard so that come regionals we will have the mind set that we have been there before and can handle it

I don't think the time to take the kids "to the point of breaking and beyond" is the week of regionals. In most states regionals is the week before states. I believe that should be done a week or 2 prior to regionals. By the week of regionals and states the kids should already be in shape and be tapering off and fresh for regionals and states. If you take a kid "to the point of breaking and beyond" within a few days of regionals, there is a good chance that he may not recover in time to be peaking for regionals.

Peaking is as much mental as it is physical. If your coach has you convinced that you have to go to hell and back, then so be it. From a conditioning stand point, if you are not ready two weeks prior to the big event, it's probably too late to make a big push. Still, you can make a few gains. It's important to be physically healthy. Two weeks prior is a great time to heal. Drill a lot, correct mistakes, get healthy. Wrestlers get beat up during the season, and if you have a tough tournament schedule in January, it's time to rest, in my opinion. We will start to run a little more distance...sprint a little more about ten days prior to regionals. We probably won't have a lot of hard wrestling, but enough to keep the intensity up. We will do a lot of situational wrestling. Bobby Douglas spoke on this topic during his presentation at the KWCA Clinic in Salina this year.

Is it that kids are peaking? Or is it that kids winning all year panic, have a mental break down, or 12 weeks of pulling weight and a tough (good) ref forcing wrestling 100% for 3 periods????

see our coaches build us up we are always the best conditioned wrestlers out of everyone we wrestle but we never have a break they push us hard all the time. the work load never gets lighter it just gets tougher we never slack off causethen you peak before state and regionals and then you won't get better

I remember at UCO there were times we had long nearly 3 hour practices...I also remember having a practice that was about 45 minutes and complete hell!