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In highschool I was undeniably an athlete. I played on three different varsity sports for four years straight, graduating with 12 varsity letters (the most possible). However, despite all of my involvement in different clubs and sports nothing has come even close to as beneficial as wrestling has. Here's why:
1) Fighting: Quite frankly, nobody wants to fuck with a wrestler. When you're ranked in the state or known to be a good wrestler people are not interested in getting in a tussle or bothering you. If you are to encounter an altercation you almost always have the upper hand. How many fights end up on the ground? Almost all of them. The second a fight involving a wrestler hits the ground it's as good as over.
2) Self-discipline: No other sport takes the self-discipline and determination that wrestling does. Not only is it one of the most challenging sports to participate in physically, it is even tougher mentally. Cutting weight is brutal (yes I know wrestling is not the only sport that involves cutting weight) and takes a toll on the body and the mind. When you're ten pounds overweight and have to weigh in the next day you're overcome with a sense of hopelessness and defeat. It takes a tough person to deal with the workouts alone without practically including forcing an eating disorder upon yourself.
3) The sense of accomplishment: When you go out there against an opponent it's just you and them. No other factors, nobody else to blame, it all comes down to who is better on that day. The fact that the fate of your match rests on your shoulders and your shoulders alone is special and rare in sports today. It annihilates the possibility of making excuses and gives wrestlers an unspoken respect for one another.
4) The fact that a match is not over until it's over: When you play lacrosse and you're down by ten points in the fourth quarter it's almost a guaranteed defeat coming your way. Wrestling is unique in the fact that no matter how badly you're losing you can always pull out a win. For those of you who are unfamiliar with wrestling the point system works like this: two points for a takedown, one point for an escape, two points for a reversal, two points for having someone on a shoulder blade for three seconds, three points for having someone on their shoulder blade for five seconds, and single points occasionally given for illegal moves and penalties. Regardless of the score of a match however, putting both of your opponents shoulder blades on the mat for two or three seconds (really depends on the ref) ends the match with you the victor. This is hands down the best part of wrestling for me. There is a never ending sense of urgency, you're never safe and you've never lost until that final whistle blows. Every single person who has ever wrestled has won matches they had no right winning and lost matches they should have been able to win in their sleep. Happens to the best of us, happens to the worst of us. Moral of the story is that wrestling taught me to never give up and to never take my position for granted. That's something that more people should understand.
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