I now realize exactly why I wrestle. It is truly hard to pinpoint it to a few words, but what you gather from my experience at the Warrior tournament this year is most likely the ultimate reason I wrestle. So, I wake up at 3:45 a.m. To make breakfast burritos for the team after weigh ins and to finish packing for my weekend of wrestling. Dragging, I get up, make coffee for my mom and I, and finish good prep and whatnot and leave. I arrive early, load into the vans when the coaches being them to the entry way, and sleep the majority of the drive to Grand Junction. It being a varsity tournament, I know I won’t be wrestling, which makes it all the more difficult not to eat everything I see. My wrestling happens on Saturday in Fruita for a JV tournament.
I watch hours upon hours of sweaty guys, and three other girls, wrestle: win, lose, the whole nine yards. Having watched this with little else to do, besides play ninja games on my iPod and get stuck in a game of logic, 6 hours on my ass has gotten very tiring. Another wrestler took my pillow to sleep on and I let him, after all, he’s the one wrestling today not me. Having eaten a bit that day, enough to put me up in the 900 calorie range (protein bar, fruit, burrito, and a little bit of trail mix..I wasn’t eating junk), I begin to worry. Weighing in that morning at 156.4 lbs, I was scared I wouldn’t make weight for the tournament. Yeah, I was four pounds under, but that means nothing when your metabolism is as slow as mine.
Another issue: I brought a jump rope and running shoes, but would coach be offended if I were to stop watching for a while to go and get some cardio in?
No, apparently not. I asked and he didn’t care; he was too focused on the next Paonia win,
I make my way to the hallway (hang in there, it’ll get all cute and heartfelt soon) and break out my rope and set my timer for 6 minute intervals. Between sets, I see the Central wrestling coach and some (if not all) of his JV wrestlers come out and begin body weight exercises near me at the end of the hall. People flow in and out of the hall, but one person sticks around: a seven year old little girl. Cute as could be, her short blonde hair, big smile, and bright eyes watched in awe as I did speed rope and push ups and the guys from Central did push-ups, crunches, squats, etc. She actually broke out her own multi colored nylon jump rope and tried imitating me.
I knew it was coming, she was too excited not to, so I braced myself for her talking. She told me her cousin Cody, from Rifle, was wrestling and that he was 15-0. “Well, 15-1 actually. I can already pin him!”
I couldn’t help but laugh and congratulate her. She kept following my every move and I asked her if she wanted to wrestle too.
“Yeah, when I’m 8 I will!”
“Yeah? Are you going to win state like that girl from West Valley?” (She had graduated last year and is now an Olympian)
“Oh yeah!”
The guys were laughing and joining the conversation, fully supportive of her future in wrestling.
We all exchanged names: David, Roberto, and “Doo-Da.”
She introduced herself with a nickname and went on to explain why she had it. I couldn’t resist the idea that I was helping her solidify her wrestling dreams. She began push-ups when I did, jumped rope with me, and wished me luck wrestling tomorrow. Wanted me to win!
Finally, I had finished my workout and packed my stuff to return to the bleachers.
“It was great to meet you, girly!”
“You too, Noelle. It’s close to Christmas, isn’t it?”
“Yep, it is!”
“Well, happy holidays then!”
I lost it. I couldn’t help but wish her the same and give her a big smile and hug.
Moments like that, for people like that, is the reason I wrestle.
…
And later, I went to do more jump rope and she and I were talking again. She told me I was,
“Like, my new best friend!”
Unbelievably sweet! We went and watched her cousin (a beastly 120 some-odd) and he won his match. It was great and she told me she was leaving so I have her a huh and said goodbye to her. She looked so put out that we couldn’t hang out more…
Connections like that over wrestling is what makes everything worth while for me.