A Repeated Cycle

I have recently talked about a wide variety of different wrestling topics. I have covered what wrestlers put themselves through, and why I believe wrestlers do this. I have also talked about the injuries and skin infections that are almost unavoidable during the wrestling season. My last couple of posts went into detail about the rules and regulations of wrestling. I would now like to go back sort of to where I began. I want to discuss my transition from high school to college wrestling. At the end of my senior year of high school I promised myself that I would finally be done with the sport. I was mentally and physically beaten down and no longer wanted to put myself through the hassles of wrestling. Once I graduated I decided to go to Tennessee Tech University. This school did not have a wrestling program, and I was kind of relieved by that. I thought I would enjoy finally being able to go through school without worrying about sports. Well I couldn't have been any more wrong. I was completely bored out of my mind. I missed the competitiveness that sports brought me. I discovered that TTU actually had an intramural wrestling program, so I decided to give it a shot since I knew it wouldn't be nearly as serious. As soon as I stepped on the mat I knew that I would not be able to stay away for much longer. There was some indescribable force that drew me in. I had to wrestle again. The following year I decided to transfer to a Division III university so that I could wrestle for them. I was definitely rusty to begin with, but it did not take much time for me to submerge myself back into the wrestling culture. Now college wrestling is magnitudes above high school wrestling. The practices are harder, the coaches are stricter, and the level of competition is far greater. Every single year the wrestling team starts off having huge numbers of incoming freshman but only a few make it. The rest quit, got hurt, or dropped out of college because of money or grades. College is tough even without having to worry about sports. This heightened level of toughness increases the negative aspects that are associated with wrestling. Your body and mind get beaten down more severely and more quickly. With that being said, it also makes the rewarding side of wrestling astronomically higher. Finding success in college wrestling is one of the hardest things to do. If you can find yourself on top of the podium at the end of the year, you can proudly say that you are a member of a very select group of people that have proven that they have the heart and determination to push themselves farther than anyone else can.