Wrestling is a sport of much greatness yet much adversity. Throughout my two years of wrestling so far, there have been many difficulties but just as many payoffs for every minute of hard work put in. The practice is difficult, but it teaches you composure and to keep pushing when it matters most. If you are willing to put in the hours and effort, then good things will occur. 

My first year wrestling in eighth grade, I did not win a match. This was mostly due to COVID and only wrestling one match at the end of the year, but when I put in the work this year, I got my first win. The feeling of victory and triumph when I did is unparalleled. The culmination of my hard work resulting in a win was truly surreal to be a part of. Having my team there to support me when I was in the ring was without a doubt a major contributor to my success. The camaraderie both on the mat and off the mat is a very unique experience that happens in few sports aside from wrestling. This is due to the bond created when teammates have to sweat, grind, and fight daily with each other to become the best in your respective weight class. The energy and adrenaline that enters your body, not only during the matches, but during the practices when you’re wrestling your friends and teammates alike doesn’t drive you farther from each other but closer as you both face the struggle together. Specifically, it takes this kind of commitment and practice to master even a couple of wrestling moves. For example, I worked all of this year to perfect a move called the half-Nelson, which the results of my hard work eventually came to fruition when I used it to pin my opponent in an actual match scenario. The difficulty to learn even one move discourages many people, but for me just made wrestling more appealing as I strived to master it. Ultimately, wrestling is a sport that I find like no other as it requires rigorous training and work put in, but the results are without a doubt worth it.