Gentleness, approachability, compassion.
These are not things you would expect from a wrestler, yet these are vital skills students learn from participating in this sport.
“I’ve learned a lot about being nice to people. After a lot of my matches I’ve become friends with girls I wrestled,” Emma Underwood said. “ A lot of people are very nice there and you wouldn’t expect it because you’re basically fighting each other, but a lot of the people you meet are very nice and are very contributing to the sport and to you.”
After a long-fought season, wrestling is coming to a close. JV girls won first place at district on Jan. 25, after 4 months of competing.
“I think we all worked harder mentally because we knew we were going for something big. I think we subconsciously pushed ourselves, and that’s why we were able to do as good as we did,” Underwood said.
Being part of a team creates bonds that last a lifetime. Having a bond like that is crucial to a team’s performance. Ideally, members view their team as a second family, and the girls in JV exemplify that notion.
“In our team, we all talk to each other and connect really well. It’s like we’re all one big family. We’re all friends and we’re all comfortable, so I think we work pretty well with each other,” Underwood said.
However, that family is going to have to be rebuilt next year after the seniors on the team graduate. This departure, while glum; makes way for new people to discover wrestling and become part of the community that comes along with it.
“In wrestling, you make a lot of friends, you gain a lot of strength, mentally and physically. You find how to work with yourself and how to work with others,” Underwood said.
Jumping into wrestling can be intimidating, especially without any prior experience, but the upperclassmen have faith in the incoming freshman to succeed.
“People are nice and they help. This sport has brought me a lot closer to people, and has made me feel a lot better about myself because I’m able to do things I never thought I’d be able to do,” Underwood said.
