“My team and I have seen growth in our attitude and mindset, throughout this season I learned that it is hard to wrestle to the best of my ability if I am not in the right headspace.” freshman Melanie Valladares said, “I also think that something all of us can work on is technique, not just doing everything in your power to bring down your opponent, but using technique.”
Wrestling is certainly a mental battle that requires determination, discipline and resilience. The sport also requires a large physical sacrifice, your skin may burn, muscles worn out,and lungs burning. This mental and physical game translates beyond the mat and into your life.
Watching the Atoms wrestle, it’s like they get better every single match. “As a team and individually we have grown our skill sets by working hard in practice, and also grown as a family in the process.” Junior Pascual Rodriguez said. With how physically and mentally draining wrestling can be, it’s very important to have a supportive team around you. Having good chemistry and building relationships can keep players motivated and mentally sharp to perform at the best of their abilities.
Rodriguez has played an important role for the team and their success which brings a thriving environment for all the wrestlers.
One of the most important but also difficult aspects of high school wrestling is managing weight, wrestlers have to compete in a certain weight class, and they’ll do whatever it takes to stay within the weight range. Cutting weight is a common occurrence in high school wrestling.
Even off the mat, wrestling takes lots of discipline, like all sports, you need healthy foods to fuel your body and stay in peak condition. Wrestling may just look like a bunch of muscly people grabbing and slamming each other, but it’s a sport that teaches valuable life skills, such as discipline, perseverance and resilience. Wrestlers learn the importance of hard work and determination in achieving their goals, both on and off the mat.
Wrestling along with many other many other high school sports teaches athletes how to overcome challenges and adversity, skills that can be applied to many aspects of life. Taking part in the high school wrestling program can open up many opportunities for you, such as college scholarships, and competitive wrestling programs. Most colleges and universities have wrestling teams and offer scholarships to talented athletes who excel on the mat. This opens doors for athletes to wrestle at the collegiate level, but also further their education at a much lower price.
Aside from in school wrestling, there are many leagues where you can learn how to wrestle. Some Atoms wrestlers take part in these leagues so they can focus on their technique and prepare for the in season wrestling competitions.
Most sports played in high school or any other level involve a scoreboard, but in wrestling, you’re not able to make a shot, or shoot a goal, but the scoring is a little bit different. Matches are divided into three periods, with each one lasting a set amount of time. Takedowns, escapes, and pins can all earn you points for you and your team. The ultimate goal is to pin your opponent’s shoulders down on the mat for a certain amount of time.
Technique is what it’s all about. Though it can seem like just brute strength, a game plan is always going through the minds of these wrestlers.
While it is a quite violent and seemingly primitive sport, wrestlers must follow a very strict code of conduct which requires respect towards opponents, coaches, and officials. This code of conduct also requires following the rules of the sport. A violation of these rules can result in a penalty or disqualification from a match. High school wrestling programs emphasize respect, requiring opponents to shake hands before and after every match.
Although wrestlers practically fight their opponents, there is mutual respect between them, none of the violence is personal, it’s purely for the love and competitive nature of the sport.
All the determination and training is exerted during a wrestling match and that is why it is so tense and in the moment.
Junior Callia Uviedo said, “Although wrestling is not my main sport, it has taught me a lot of valuable lessons that carry on into other sports and also other aspects of my life. Some of the biggest things I learned were resilience and mental toughness.”
Whether competing for their own individual status, or for the success of the team, wrestlers strive to be the best version of themselves and leave everything on the mat.
Looking at practices, the wrestlers will work on their techniques and things they could improve on in their next meet.
Some wrestlers may take on about 3+ opponents in separate matches throughout the duration of a meet which requires lots of endurance and overall motivation to keep you going throughout all your matches.
High school wrestling is overall a challenging, but rewarding sport that teaches important mental and physical skills. Wrestling requires dedication, hard work, and a strong desire to win and get better. Wrestling is not for everyone, certainly not a sport made for the faint of heart, but if you think you’ve got what it takes, I suggest you take part in the wrestling program.
The team overall has a strong bond and they work together to help one another succeed especially individually. They all know what it is like to be on the mat and they know it’s always good to have support. The Atoms look forward to seeing some of their wrestlers attend states and potentially bring home some rewards.
For future meet dates go ahead and check out @grappling_atoms and go show your support to our wrestlers.
