Reaksmey Thim
Holly Pappas
ENG101
February 19, 2011
Wrestling
During the years in high school, I’ve had participated in physically challenging sports. With dedication and support, I’ve made it through three years with success of completing the sport learning discipline and respect along the way.
If I wanted to be on the team not only do I have to come to practice everyday but also I had to do well in school. To stay on the team I had to have a C+ average. The most important rule for being on the team was making sure the grades were up to the credentials. So I studied and studied. I knew I had to discipline myself not only on the mats but also in the classrooms.
As the days go by I realized the team was a big family. We would train and push each other harder and harder making sure we all go out like champs. I also realized that if one of the teammates slacks off we all suffer. The coach gave us a speech on how we are a family and if one of us falls we all fall, if one of us gets in trouble even in school he would have to suffer in practice that day. Family would stick together through thick and thin, that’s what a team consist of.
During meets, quads, and tournaments the team whether we where wrestling or not cheered each other on during the matches to give each other the strength and to give it our all and to never give up. Although at the end of the matches we also had to show sportsmanship to the other wrestler and shake hands, this was a way to show respect. Respect is earned not given.
I’ve learned respect and discipline on the mats and off the mats. Staying in school for the most part is the most important; education is the key to success. Respecting each other as well showing that we as a team will only get through a day with respect. With discipline and dedication, in practice we push each other to the limits. Never give up and just dig in, and if we follow these rules it will lead to success.
As a result I wrestled varsity for three years and won many matches at the 135lbs weight class and pinned an opponent in 35 seconds. I was given one varsity letter and two pins, a certificate from the NCAA achieving a B+ average in school throughout the season and the hand shake of my coach at the end of the year.
Reks--
ReplyDeleteYour focus here seems clear--that wrestling has taught you respect and discipline. However much of this is quite general. I'd like to hear more details about what respect means in wrestling and how it's taught. could you describe in more detail what happens practices and meets, perhaps including some dialogue of your coach's talks? Or maybe you could describe one typical week to show the discipline required, both in gym and classroom? You have all this "insider" knowledge of what it's like to practice and compete as wrestler--as a reader I'd like to learn something I don't already know about wrestling. (I don't know too much, but I do know most of this. Tell me something more. Let me understand what the experience was like from the inside.)