As the winter season flies by, girls wrestling is looking to make its mark at OHS and create a legacy for both the present and future of the new and upcoming sport.
The uniqueness and increasing popularity of wrestling is something that strives to be acknowledged. Students who decide to join are given endless, new opportunities within a sport that is just beginning to further its stride.
“[Wrestling] is unlike a lot of other sports where, for soccer, for football, for softball; these kids have been playing those sports since they were young. A lot of the girls specifically, and the boys that come to wrestling their freshman year, don’t really know anything, so they get to learn from that point on,” said Autumn Webb, girls wrestling coach.
Along with the new sport comes less experience and distinct challenges, but the team is doing their best to learn and adapt to obstacles that they face.
“I think because of the fact that this is only our second year with a girls wrestling team, there are definitely some challenges because we’ve only had one year of experience,” Webb said.
Both players and spectators alike are able to witness the expanding and newfound popularity of girls wrestling at OHS.
“It’s definitely a growing sport because at competitions there are always a lot of girls there and you can just see that it’s growing for sure,” said Cassidy Langford, freshman.
Students who join wrestling get to experience a sport that is unlike many others. The unique skill sets required within wrestling can provide fresh perspectives and opportunities for students at any age level.
“I decided to take a leap of faith after being cut [from a sport] and join wrestling this year. I’ve done many sports but none like wrestling. I’m extremely lucky to have found a sport that I can push myself and get consistently better at,” said Morgan Dunne, senior.
Just like any other sport, wrestling comes with its own set of challenges. The losses and tough days highlight the necessity of teamwork and perseverance.
“As a team we’ve had some challenging days, but we always bounce back and find the little wins,” Dunne said.
A short term memory mindset is very vital within wrestling, but can also pose as an obstacle to overcome. Athletes have to let go of the bad days and focus on improvement for the next ones.
“I just have to try and stay out of my head about matches and just recognize that there is another one coming up and you have to get ready for that before you can keep those bad ones with you,” said Kaylee Coleman, sophomore.
Recognizing that more opportunities and chances will come can help prevent the athletes from dwelling on a loss. Instead, they can look for other ways to win and improve.
“I think wrestling is unique maybe just because there’s more chances to go against the same person and more ways you can beat them and win. If you don’t get it right the first time, there still might be other chances,” Langford said.
Even though these athletes compete individually, a team environment can be a key to success and perseverance. Teammates build and push each other to their limits, creating the environment that every athlete needs.
“I learned this from my brother: wrestle smart, wrestle tough. I kind of bring it with me and then just after the matches, win or loss, I go up to my teammates and try to calm them down and talk to them,” Coleman said.
The girls wrestling team is putting in the work, and wants to get as far as they can this season. They are looking forward to continue showcasing their skills and competing to win.
“We definitely want to have multiple girls qualify for state, and in wrestling in order to go to the state tournament you have to place at the sectionals tournament,” Webb said.
The bonds that the wrestling team has created this year have allowed them to celebrate both the individual and team wins. They are not only working hard, but also enjoying the season and the memories being made.
“I think that because wrestling is so hard and the practices are so hard, it has kind of pushed the girls to lean on each other, and build tight friendships and inside jokes and things that only they can understand because they’ve gone through the super hard losses and the super great wins,” Webb said.
The girls wrestling team is willing and eager to tackle any challenges that they face. Continuing to strive for success, the team is raising the bar of expectations for both themselves and the sport as a whole.
“We have a young team, so it’s a challenge, but a good challenge because we can teach from the ground up and find success there,” Webb said.
