Throughout the last two years of my life one thing has not changed, my love for wrestling. Wrestling comes down to passion, and will. Wrestling is where two people step out onto the mats hoping to achieve the same goal “victory”.
In high school I wrestle, I spend many days weight-training preparing myself for an intense season. Every school year starts the same. I make my way back to the weights after taking a summertime break to let the body relax. The first week back is always the slowest, waking up every morning with the stiffness in my muscles. Although I may be sore, I’m happy. Not only does weightlifting craft my body into a powerhouse, it's gives me the confidence I’ll need to push through my wrestling season. However in wrestling weights means nothing, how much you can squat means little. During my first year of wrestling I couldn’t understand this concept. I thought pure power would help me win matches. My whole first season I spent learning moves, and conditioning my body. This was just my first taste of wrestling, my following year was completely different.
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I was able to take all of my knowledge from my previous season, and apply it early in the season. This lead to me taking first at many tournaments. This season I found my heart, my yearning for victory. The big picture is what I found. State is where the best of the best go. The top ten from each state are ranked every year, and my goal this year is to pin my way to state. Down this road I will see setbacks, but they won’t deter me from my goal to be in the top ten. My junior year I spent training for a chance to varsity, after Kyle graduated he left the spot wide open. This year I’m going to take the spot, and wrestle
Winning states in wrestling is one of the best moments in my life. It was at this time in Flint Michigan at IMA arena the last match of the year was finally here. I locked eyes with my opponents, walked onto the mat, put on my ankle band on, and put my foot on the tape ready to start. We shook hands. The whistle blew, I locked arms with him and it began. Our arms were locked tight, so tight I could barely move. For a second I thought he might win. But then we broke up, and I tried to take a shot he blocked it, and our arms were locked up again. The whistle blew and the first period was over, and it was tied zero to zero.
Before earning my black belt, I never saw myself as someone who could accomplish great things. I always undermined myself by not using my full potential. I rarely tried to prove myself correct when someone else shot down my statement because I did not know I had the tenacity to take action.
There is no other feeling like that feeling you get when the crowd is roaring, because of something you personally have just achieved. To get to those glorious moments in life that you have been dedicated to, whatever it is you are wanting to succeed in whether it is sports, music, acting, and so on, but when you reach that moment of glory you will remember that point for the rest of your life. It all began when I was in fifth grade when my dad was looking for a place that I could box at and could not find a club near us, but ended up coming upon a wrestling club called, Alabaster Youth Wrestling Association at the time which is now known as the Warrior Wrestling Club. So my dad came up to me that day I got back from school and said, “ Hey bud, I found a wrestling club in Alabaster lets check it out.” After that, practice my dad fell in love with the sport and I did as well, because I was a natural when it came to wrestling.
Dedication throughout hardships. Discipline in body and mind. These are the qualities this sport has engraved into my being. There is not a time I can remember when I was not involved in gymnastics. When I reflect on the milestones of my life I don’t reminisce on the loss of my first tooth or a move to a new house, but instead I recall my first trip to nationals and mastering my back tuck.
I had little to no motivation for a while and thought that maybe wrestling wasn’t the sport for me. I had shown promise in practice but as soon as I got on the mat for a tournament or duel I just drew a blank. I wasn’t executing any of the techniques I had learned after so many repetitive drills. I wasn’t the only one that had faced such miserable losses but it felt like it. My teammates helped me through my rut by giving me additional advice during practice and being in my corner while I wrestled matches. It was a great feeling knowing that I had people who had my back whenever I needed help. The wrestling team was a close knit group that dealt with all our problems together. We worked hard and played hard together till none of us could go any further. We were each other’s motivation, rivals, and family on and off the mat. If I had any doubts about a match my team thought the exact opposite and made sure that I understood why they believed so. But what made us a strong unit was the fact that we had similar goals and values. None of us wanted to lose and planned to make it past districts. We all wanted to take home hardware not only for our own self recognition but also to bring back a trophy to put on our principal’s desk who just so happened to love the wrestling program about as much as our team. All of us valued the effort that was put into every early morning practice so no one looked down on each other. The connection we had as a team made my experience wrestling all the more worth
Sports play a very important role in my life ever since I could walk. My interests in playing sports began at the age of three as my parents signed me up for soccer, flag football, basketball, and lacrosse. First grade started my competitive edge as I began to play for travel teams in various sport tournaments. This competitive edge transferred from the sports field to the classroom having teachers and coaches helping me be the best I can be. Sports have continually well-shaped and defined my character by teaching me how to accept a win from working hard, also how a loss is an opportunity to learn and fix mistakes.
What does wrestling and wrestling in Section V mean to me? Well, wrestling has become my life these past few years, ever since I began wrestling in seventh grade. I was in sixth grade when my gym teacher and future coach (Scott Freischlag) told me I should wrestle. From that very moment on, my life changed forever. Sure, being a wrestler has had its ups and downs, but there's no greater sport than wrestling. A sport that really shows the hardwork and dedication that you put in. I have been fortunate enough to be a wrestler in Section V, one of the toughest sections in New York. This section has given me the resources to become the best wrestler I can become. Section V is one of the only sections in New York that has strong D1 and D2 wrestling,
Next, I work out using weights to improve my chances for success in the upcoming season.
There is only one thing that is worse than wrestling practice, and that is having to sit out at wrestling practice. When I hurt my shoulder and couldn't wrestle, I wanted nothing more than to be on the mat with my teammates. No matter how hard, painful, or stressful wrestling may be, it means more to me than just being comfortable for those two hours. A sheer feeling of accomplishment surrounds a wrestler after removing completely soaked work out gear after practice. The discipline that it takes to be a member on the mat is something I will always have the utmost respect. Although I may always hate humidity because of it for the rest of my life, I will forever carry the discipline that the Hotchkiss High School wrestling room has given me.
Wrestling is a great sport to better yourself and earn a bunch of awards and titles to look back on later on in life. It 's something i will never forget and cherish always. But the memories of losing all the weight and making myself miserable for all those seasons is something i will not miss. People around me were only worried about the medals i had gotten and not about my personal being, that 's where wrestling goes wrong. That 's what needs to change in the future for not only wrestlers but the people around them as well.
CLAP, CLAP, CLAP, CLAP, echoes through my head as I walk to the middle of the mat. "At 160lbs Aidan Conner of La Junta vs. Rodney Jones of Hotchkiss." All I can think of is every bead of sweat, every drip of blood, every mile, every push up, every tear. Why? All of this: just to be victorious. All in preparation for one match, six minutes. For some these six minutes may only be a glimpse, and then again for some it may be the biggest six minutes of their life. Many get the chance to experience it more than once. Some may work harder and want it more than others, but they may never get the chance. All they get is a moral victory. Every kid, every man comes into the tournament with a goal. For some is to win, for some is to place, others are just happy to qualify. These six minutes come on a cold frigid night in February at a place called the Pepsi Center. Once a year this gathering takes place when the small and the large, the best of the best, come to compete in front thousands of people. I am at the Colorado State Wrestling Championships.
When I was a Freshman, I was curious about the sport of Wrestling. When I tried out for it, I was eager to learn more about it. It is not just rolling around on the mat it is a form of combat using grappling techniques such as throws, takedowns, pins, holds, and joint locks. In addition into this sport, there are a variety of ways to use these grappling techniques. Wrestling has many rich memories of it is history with a variety of wrestling styles and rules.
Through Powerlifting I was able to find an equal balance between patience and confidence. For someone to succeed, they have to set their minds to their goal. When I heard over the intercom, that there was a Powerlifting meeting after school, I eagerly waited for the end of the school day. The ideas of what could happen and what can happen just kept replaying over and over in my mind. Through listening at the meeting, I became aware of my interest in health and fitness. Prior to my sophomore year, I never had an interest in pursuing “healthy habits” at all. During Powerlifting competitions, one is judged on the performance and the ability to squat, bench, and deadlift. Going into Powerlifting, I knew I wasn't by any means strong. The first day of Powerlifting, I was nervous and I did not portray any self
Boxing In My Life What is boxing? Boxing is an extremely hands on sport. This sport is what helped me manage all the problems in my life. This is the sport that helped change my life for the better. When I was 14 years old I use to get picked on at school; a lot of people use to make fun of me since I was short and chubby.