I go on a water break in the middle of class. I need to move around some and just take a walk. As I watch my water bottle fill up I feel a hand grab my shoulder. My friend is trying to convince me to join the women’s wrestling team. I remember a few days before that she wanted to convince me to sign up. I had completely forgotten about it, until that moment. She drags me to the office of the coach insisting I sign up. I took a few moments to contemplate my decision. Knowing myself, once I signed up I wouldn’t back out or quit no matter how difficult it was. I had no idea what was in store once I finished writing my name on that paper.
At first, everything seemed scary. Walking up to the daunting field house for the first time, I did not know what to expect. Writing my weight on the whiteboard for all my other teammates to see was something that took me a while to adjust to. But the most challenging thing I had to overcome was getting back in shape after years of low-impact exercise.
The first week was very difficult. I was sore and worn out but kept going. As time went on I got used to the exercise. Training before the actual tournaments was a short amount of time. I was nervous and inexperienced but since this was the first time women had their category for wrestling I felt I had a chance.
My first-ever tournament was a blur. The energy in the air was chaotic. Every wrestler couldn’t eat before being weighed in. You had to make sure you got a skin check and nail check. Right after the weigh-in, you could eat, and you wanted to make sure you had energy. My first tournament was at Enka High School, and my first opponent was from Enka. I was determined not to lose; it was difficult. She was stronger than me but I had more stamina. I kept trying until I heard the buzzer. I realized we were tied in points and the match was about to go into overtime; I was exhausted. I finally managed to pin her down and I won!
After that, I continued to work hard every day I could. Through Christmas break through it all. I devoted my time and energy to something I had never done before and grew to love. I respected my other teammates for doing a sport that wasn’t the most popular or praised. Everyone worked out to achieve the goals they set for themselves. Through the time of wrestling, I learned a lot about responsibility, hard work, and commitment. And I’m glad I went out of my comfort zone and tried something I never thought I would do. The memories and the friendships I made I will always look back on. Even the bad moments have taught me things that helped me grow.