The Wrestling Team- The Real Truth

The wrestling team is one that is generally misunderstood. People think that the wrestling team is just a group of guys, who obsess over working out and exercising, and wrestle each other in uncomfortable positions wearing weird clothing. These stereotypes are wrong and demonstrates ignorance about the sport. As a member of the TABC Wrestling Team I want to tell you what wrestling is really about.

While physical conditioning and health are very important to being a successful wrestler, we are not an exercise club. We make sure that we are in shape in order to succeed in the matches themselves. Wrestling is a tiring sport and requires peak conditioning. When in=t comes to cutting weight, that choice is made solely by the wrestler and not by the coach or anyone else. No member of the team is ever forced to lose or gain weight for the sake of the team. I myself have chosen to lose weight from time to time in order to move around to different weight classes, but it was always my decision.

While I do concede that the clothing worn in matches is somewhat odd for a spectator, it is indeed necessary for the safety of the players. Wearing baggy clothing is very dangerous because fingers can get caught in an opponent's shirt and possible be broken. Because of this, no one is allowed to wear baggy shirts or pants with pockets to practice. Most kids on the team will tell you that after a few matches you get used to it and it just seems normal. It’s all about perspective when it comes to the wrestling team.

People watch UFC, WWE, and many other combat sports and no one thinks its weird. Wrestling is no different. Yes, there is a lot of physical contact but many sports do too and it’s not weird if you think about it in the proper way. Wrestling is a sport and a competition. When you are trying to pin a person, the last thing on your mind, is the fact that you happen to be lying on his chest; trust me. I doubt that people think its weird when they watch UFC wrestlers competing on the ground on top of one another. In the UFC they don’t even wear shirts and no one bats an eye. Wrestling is the same type of sport; it is a combat sport a wrestlers single tgoal is to pin the other person. From experience, I can tell you that I have never felt uncomfortable wrestling, because I know what the sport is really about.

Another thing that people don’t realize, is that kids on the wrestling team learn a lot more than just how to wrestle. We learn a tremendous amount about responsibility and organization. The wrestling team has three practices a week which require a lot of commitment. I personally have learned a lot about how to stay on top of my work and stay organized. We also learn what it means to eat healthy and to have a regular workout routine so we stay in shape. These are valuable lessons that will stay with every wrestler on the team for a long time to come.

I think that people need to stop looking at the wrestling team as a bunch of sweaty guys who love to jump on each other, because that couldn’t be further from the truth. Guys join the wrestling team to learn how to engage in an incredibly fun sport, and become a healthier and more responsible person along the way. I think that everyone needs to understand what the wrestling team is really about before they make judgements and stereotypes about wrestlers.