Wrestling narrative
High school juniors – one step below the prestigious seniors – are students who may have had experiences doing various activities, whether they are academic, extracurricular, or sports activities. Junior year isn’t typically the year to try new things. It is the year where a student knows what he or she excels at. If this is the case, I am not a typical 11th grader. Because this year, I decided to try wrestling for the first time.
I’ve always had experience with martial arts such as boxing, kickboxing, and Capoeira – a fight that was disguised as a dance by Brazilian slaves in the 1500s. Also, I’ve done school sports and athletic activities such as indoor and outdoor track, and lacrosse. But, until this year, I had never done any form of wrestling, which is a sport that has always piqued my interest. The exhilaration of watching someone get slammed to the mats, the physical prowess required to wrestle, and the dedication it takes to excel in wrestling were all things that allowed me to make up my mind and say “I’ve done these other things enough, and I want to try something new.”
On the first day of practice, I almost died. The running and conditioning had me wanting to crawl on my knees and pass out, and the workouts caused an extreme burning sensation in my muscles. It was as if I could feel the lactic acid slowly seeping into my arms, legs, and abs, making my body feel stiff and heavy. When I felt was it was like to get slammed for the first time, I knew I didn’t want that to happen again. When I had the wind knocked out of me from being pinned, I thought I wouldn’t get back up. When I got elbowed in the back of the head and was knocked out for 2 seconds; or when I got kneed in the mouth, causing my braces cut my lips and bleed profusely, I was ready to quit right then and there. That night, I went home with aches in places I’d never had before, an extreme headache, and a bloody mouth. But, at the same time, I really enjoyed it.
No other sport I have
I’ve always had experience with martial arts such as boxing, kickboxing, and Capoeira – a fight that was disguised as a dance by Brazilian slaves in the 1500s. Also, I’ve done school sports and athletic activities such as indoor and outdoor track, and lacrosse. But, until this year, I had never done any form of wrestling, which is a sport that has always piqued my interest. The exhilaration of watching someone get slammed to the mats, the physical prowess required to wrestle, and the dedication it takes to excel in wrestling were all things that allowed me to make up my mind and say “I’ve done these other things enough, and I want to try something new.”
On the first day of practice, I almost died. The running and conditioning had me wanting to crawl on my knees and pass out, and the workouts caused an extreme burning sensation in my muscles. It was as if I could feel the lactic acid slowly seeping into my arms, legs, and abs, making my body feel stiff and heavy. When I felt was it was like to get slammed for the first time, I knew I didn’t want that to happen again. When I had the wind knocked out of me from being pinned, I thought I wouldn’t get back up. When I got elbowed in the back of the head and was knocked out for 2 seconds; or when I got kneed in the mouth, causing my braces cut my lips and bleed profusely, I was ready to quit right then and there. That night, I went home with aches in places I’d never had before, an extreme headache, and a bloody mouth. But, at the same time, I really enjoyed it.
No other sport I have