Varsity:
As the new year kicks off into full gear, the girls wrestling team is heading strong into their season. With the right coaching and dedication, the varsity team is putting their all into their matches.
Some of the girls on the wrestling team have been in the sport since they started high school. Although there will always be challenges, the girls have been growing as a player and a person since then.
“I’ve been wrestling since I was a freshman, so being here now, watching this team grow, and just keeping up with varsity feels like a big accomplishment,” said Kaylee Koleman, senior.
With a sport like wrestling, players are bound to get injured, especially since this sport involves hand-to-hand combat.
“I have dislocated my shoulder, my sophomore year, it just means like, my shoulder’s not fully what it used to be, but with physical therapy and wrapping it up, I can work through it and wrestle through it,” said Amelia Alexander, senior.
One part of wrestling that is common in the sport is cutting weight and how it affects the players. Because each of the duels gets divided into weight classes, the athletes can stress over gaining the weight that they want or the weight that they need to cut.
“Mentally, I had to deal with making weight and thinking about dietary and realizing that having a good, strong diet is really important no matter what level of athleticism you are at. I realized it helped me because I am going off into college after this, and I will have a good dietary plan,” Alexander said.
The girls wrestling does not have a JV team, but they do have a second string. If a player goes down a weight class or is not here,then a person from the second string would step in her place.
“Second string is if I’m not there, if I’m sick, or if I go down a weight class. Sometimes Leslie is a weight class up, so that’s why she is like varsity,” Alexander said.
Second String:
Physical aspects aside, wrestling can be one of the most mentally challenging sports because players have to have extensive determination to make it through.
“There are a couple of things that I’ve struggled with, like, afraid of losing or thinking that the other guy is going to beat me. And I have overcome these struggles with the help of my coaches and my teammates,” said Leslie Roman Ledezma, freshman.
Even with all these obstacles, the player’s reason for continuing on with this sport is the emotion they get when they win a match. This alone can be the reason the girls have to continue the sport with not only the support from others, but also their determination not to give up.
“I have gotten better with accepting and trying to figure out how to be better the next match instead of just being frustrated over it,” said Zoey Quintero, sophomore.
Over the years, the girls wrestling team has grown and flourished under the support system the players have created for each other.
“Being part of a big group that is really nice to each other and is always there for each other,” Ledezma said.
