Physical Punishment

I previously discussed more of the mental side of wrestling. Now I want to get into a little more detail about the physical side. By physical, I am talking about injuries. I am currently in my 7^th year of wrestling and have already racked up an impressive amount of injuries. I broke my shoulder during my freshman year of high school. I had to get 5 staples in the back of my head after my opponent’s tooth busted it open by sprawling on top of it. I bruised my kidney and was peeing blood for a couple days. I separated my acromioclavicular joint (also called the AC joint). I have cauliflower ear, which is actually a pretty painful process. I can’t even count the number of times I’ve gotten bursitis in my knees or pulled a muscle somewhere on my body. Probably the worst injury I have ever developed would have to be a concussion I received during my sophomore year of college. I got it after the first practice of the season. I ended up missing the entire season, and it got so severe that I had to withdrawal from classes for the semester. I couldn’t physically make it through a single class, and I would just lie in my bed for days a time. This continued for about three months. I found out that not only did I receive a concussion, but I also damaged my inner ear which was just compounding onto the already agonizing effects of a concussion. There is no such thing as being completely healthy during the wrestling season. Everybody is banged up, some more severe than the others. At the very least you are feeling the aches and pains that come with the brutality of a wrestling practice. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of taking care of your body during the season. You should always go see your athletic trainer after every practice to at least get ice for the sore parts of your body or to receive any other treatments you may need. If this is not done, it does not take a very long time for the injuries to start piling up. Before you know it, you are too injured to anything else other than ride the bike during practice. Perhaps the greatest attribute of a wrestler is that they have to be mentally and physically tough. There will come a time where every wrestler feels physically broken down during the grind of the season, and it is at this point where the great wrestlers separate themselves from the good wrestlers by finding a way to push through.

Why We Do It

It can be hard to understand the mentality of a wrestler. Many people question why they would put themselves through the torture of cutting weight and making it through a practice. The simple answer is that there is no greater feeling than winning a wrestling match. Wrestling is about as individual of a sport as they come. There is a small team aspect but all the accolades go to the individual. Whether you win or lose the match is completely dependent upon your effort. There is no teammate to hide behind. Once the match starts all eyes are focused on you. The only people on the mat are you, your opponent, and the referee. Technique and stamina is important but what really separates the great wrestlers from the good wrestlers is their determination. Dan Gable, an Olympic gold medalist, once said, “The 1st period is won by the best technician. The 2nd period is won by the kid in the best shape. The 3rd period is won by the kid with the biggest heart.” It all boils down to who wants it more. Are you willing to go the extra mile and push yourself past your breaking point? Once you get the right mindset, the victories will start to come. There is nothing like getting your hand raised after defeating your opponent for the first time. All of the blood, sweat, and tears finally feel worth it. You walk off that mat knowing that you just completely dominated another human being. There is just something special about accomplishing something with your own two hands. It is a very invigorating and empowering feeling that I have never gotten anywhere else. Another important aspect about wrestling that is crucial to understanding the mentality of a wrestler is the degree of difficulty of the sport. There is a reason that not everybody wrestles. It is a very challenging and daunting task that not many people can endure. It brings great satisfaction to know that you are doing something that not too many people can do. Honestly, once you make it through a wrestling season, everything else in life seems easy. Wrestlers take great pride in what they do. Outsiders can say whatever they like about the sport, but in the end, only a wrestler truly knows all of the time and effort that goes into it. There is no other sport like wrestling.

A Way of Life

Wrestling is a lifestyle. It is not unusual to have kids who have been wrestling since they were 5 years old. More times than not wrestling is a family tradition. It is difficult to get away from the sport. I do not quite fit this mold. I was the first person in my family to wrestle, and I didn't start until my 7th grade year. Whenever wrestling was mentioned my family thought I was talking about Triple H, Shawn Michaels, and Stone Cold Steve Austin. They were surprised when they found out I was speaking of the sport not the World Wrestling Entertainment. It was my best friend who convinced me to give it a shot. He came from a wrestling family and participated in the sport ever since he knew how to walk. He got me into wrestling, and I never looked back. Wrestling helped me in more ways than I could have ever imagined. When I first started, I was a very chunky kid. I was always quiet, shy, and kept to myself. Wrestling helped me change all that. I developed the skills needed to watch my weight, and it also helped that wrestling was by far the most physically demanding sport I have ever played. I would easily lose three pounds a practice without much effort. Once the pounds started shedding off, I gained a little more confidence and eventually came out of my shell. However, wrestling is sort of a double edged sword. It can have numerous positive effects, but at the same time, it can also negatively affect a person. A wrestler’s eating habits are normally the first thing people question. When dieting is done incorrectly, it can harm the body. It is physically and mentally exhausting to continually exert so much energy and effort every day at practice and tournaments without being able to refuel the body appropriately. The most amount of weight I had to lose in one day was 10 pounds. This is accomplished by not eating, sweating out water weight, and the small little tricks that every wrestler has. Some like to spit in bottles. Others will constantly chew gum to try and burn that extra tenth of a pound. There are thousands of little rituals that wrestlers will do to lose that weight. Most people who have never wrestled before are startled when they hear about everything that wrestlers put themselves through. It is difficult to understand, but hopefully, I can clear this up with this blog.