I'm in my 8th year of Wilkes Central wrestling. I've seen athletes wrestle their hearts out and win, and I've seen them wrestle their hearts out and lose. I've seen good sports and bad. I've seen young boys turn into young men. I've seen wrestlers jump for joy when they win a crucial match, and I've seen them cry when they lose. I've seen good refs and some who were not so good. I've seen parents who support their children, and I've seen parents who berate them, and there are parents I've never seen at a match ... I feel so sorry for them. I've seen four different coaches spend long hours, very long hours, with little financial compensation, help dedicated young men and women develop the skills, the strength, and the courage to compete in what, I believe, is the greatest high school sport there is. After 8 years there are 4 truths I have come to believe in.

Sportsmanship
There is nothing more important than sportsmanship. It is equally important to be gracious in victory and defeat. This is the life lesson that our young men and women take away from the sport. After all, how many of these athletes will go through their wrestlling careers undefeated. Wrestling mirrors life; sometimes we have to deal with loss. The loss may be due to the fact that we wrestled poorly, it may be due to the fact that we were up against a better wrestler, or it may be due to a poor call by an official. Guess what ... sometimes life is like that. You have to learn to deal with life's disappointments.

Sportsmanship doesn't end with the wrestlers; it extends to the coaches and parents. As parents we want to be proud of our childrens' behavior on the mat, and our children want to be proud of their parents' behavior in the stands. The coaches have to maintain a level of composure that sets a good example for the wrestlers. How many times have you sat in the stands and talked about the coach who berated and belittled a wrestler who failed to live up to the coach's expectations. Remember the wrestler is the one who is stepping out on the mat and risking it all.

Rules
There are rules in wrestling. Take the time to learn the rules. Learn what makes a takedown a takedown and what makes a reversal a reversal. Know what's illegal and what's potentially dangerous. Know when wrestlers can score points and when they cannot. Understand that not all referees call matches the same way; understand that what matters is consistency. Some refs will call a pin in 1 second, some in 2 seconds ... I've seen some who slap the mat in less than a second. Don't lose your temper and scream at the refs. At best you are setting a bad example for your child; at worst you can cost your team points.

Know the rules about weight. These rules have changed a lot in 8 years, and they continue to change every year. When a child makes a committment to be ready to wrestle at a certain weight, it is that child's responsibility to be ready to make weight.

Weight
I am opposed to cutting weight. I'm not talking about losing a few pounds at the start of the season. I'm talking about young people depriving their bodies of essential nutrients at a time in their lives when they are growing and developing at a rapid pace; when they need the proper diet to fuel that growth. I'm talking about young adults wrapping their bodies in trash bags to lose weight through water loss. I'm talking about young adults taking laxatives to lose weight. I'm talking about young adults forcing themselves to vomit after they eat so they don't gain weight. I'm talking about young adults who lose muscle mass to get down to a certain weight, when they might do just as well, if not better, at a higher class if they were stronger.

I've seen a wrestler struggle to make weight all season and win almost every match, only to be unable to make weight for Regionals and miss a return trip to the State Championships. I've seen that same wrestler forget about his weight, focus on strength training and wrestling, and win the State Championship the following year.

Support
Support your children. I believe wrestling is the most demanding, and rewarding, sport in high school. While it is a team sport, the wrestler always steps on the mat alone. When your child wins, share in his joy. When he loses, support him. At best he only has four years to compete in this greatest of sports ... help make them memorable.