As the fall sports seasons are coming to a close, winter sports are starting to reach out and recruit both new and returning athletes to the teams. Co-Ed Wrestling Head Coach, Craig Stocker, shared a student based FAQ to further inform students.
I’ve never done it before and don’t know anything – We will teach you everything you need to know. You will not be the only one that is new. During most competitions, we will pair you up against someone similar to your experience level.
I don’t want to wear a singlet (spandex uniform everyone associates with wrestling) – You don’t have to wear one. We have multiple different uniform options. Shorts and a t-shirt are one of them.
Don’t wrestlers starve themselves? – The lazy ones might. The disciplined ones will follow our team nutrition plan and be able to eat and drink throughout the week with no issues.
I’m too small/big to wrestle – We have weight classes, so that you will only compete against other wrestlers your same size. Most other sports usually favor the bigger stronger athletes, not ours. Wrestling favors the hardest worker
Wrestling is a sport heavily focused on hard-work and determination. Nothing comes that easy.
Stocker stated, “You don’t get to hide in the back, just so you can wear the uniform. Everything in wrestling is earned. Even though your teammates help you prepare, winning each match is 100% on the individual.”
This is the one sport where you must prove yourself over others. Players shouldnt be intimidated by these values. They are set in place to motivate the team to try their absolute hardest and to exceed the limits they put onto themselves.
Assistant Coach Brandon Dart shared, “All the hardships or anything that’s hard when you come in, is going to be worth it in what you learn about yourself. The things that you take out of wrestling are things you’ll take out in life.”
Wrestling helps players learn how to work in a team setting, having positive sportsmanship, taking accountability and recognizing all of your individual abilities. Dart added, “This isn’t easy. If it was easy, everyone would be here.” Wrestling tests an individual in multiple ways. It tests mental and physical fortitudes and really pushes people to their ‘max.’ It also challenges students’ way of problem solving and helps them question how they are going to persevere when things get hard, both physically and personally. Also, the sport has its share of raw bonding experiences being able to sweat and improve together; motivating one another to keep on going and to really watch each other grow.
