Posted By: ReDPloyd
Funny Memories After 13 Years on the Mat - 02/26/14 02:43 AM
My son is heading into his fourth and final high school State Wrestling Tournament and wrestling his 13th year on the mat. I know that there are a lot of youngsters who will be trying to get to State in the Kids' Federation circuit in the coming weeks. Parents, Coaches, family members and wrestlers alike will be feeling the stressors that I did; will they stay healthy, make weight, avoid injuries, not have a bad day on the mat in Subs or Districts, etc? I thought that I would share a few funny memories that I have from Garrett's Kids' Federation career to help you all get through the next few weeks.
1) Garrett won his first two Novice Tournaments when he was 6 going 6-0. His third tournament he lost his second match to a tough opponent from Junction City. After having his first emotional melt down, he came off the mat and knocked the video camera from his mom's hands when she came to console him. I still chuckle about that today.
2) In his first attempt at Subs he wrestled a young lady and was winning with relative ease when she suddenly threw him in a tight headlock and almost pinned him. He held on to win the match by 2 or 3. After they shook hands on the center of the mat, she took her head gear off and her long hair came out and she swished it around like a young model. We always told him that she liked him and was trying to impress him although she just about finished his tournament with that impressive headlock.
3) His first tournament when he was 9 he went to the restroom before a match and came out with his team wrestling shirt half soaked. I said "what happened to your shirt?" He said, "I dropped it in the toilet." That was the first time I purchased a tournament shirt for him although it wasn't the last (not because he dropped more team shirts in the toilet but because we thought the tournament shirts were pretty cool).
4) When he was 11 he started out the season going 0-11 in his first four tournaments. It was a tough time for both of us but I told him that he was just wrestling a lot of tough competition and finishing in close matches. He went on to win 13 out of his next 21 and made it to his first Kids' State Tournament. The local paper picked up on his story for the season and wanted to interview me for an article they wanted to publish in their youth sports addition of the paper. When they called I was in a hospital room with my wife when she was in labor with our third son and I was able to complete the interview before they started the final pushes. She still brings that up and it is a great conversation piece with family and friends.
Anyway, I hope that I helped lighten your load. Remember, the most important thing is to get your wrestler on the high school team and through their Senior year. You will have some great memories and some very tough memories as I have had with my son through his high school career. This is the final tournament for him and I hope that he is satisfied with the results.
If you have some funny memories to share, I would love to hear them. I need a few laughs too heading into State.
1) Garrett won his first two Novice Tournaments when he was 6 going 6-0. His third tournament he lost his second match to a tough opponent from Junction City. After having his first emotional melt down, he came off the mat and knocked the video camera from his mom's hands when she came to console him. I still chuckle about that today.
2) In his first attempt at Subs he wrestled a young lady and was winning with relative ease when she suddenly threw him in a tight headlock and almost pinned him. He held on to win the match by 2 or 3. After they shook hands on the center of the mat, she took her head gear off and her long hair came out and she swished it around like a young model. We always told him that she liked him and was trying to impress him although she just about finished his tournament with that impressive headlock.
3) His first tournament when he was 9 he went to the restroom before a match and came out with his team wrestling shirt half soaked. I said "what happened to your shirt?" He said, "I dropped it in the toilet." That was the first time I purchased a tournament shirt for him although it wasn't the last (not because he dropped more team shirts in the toilet but because we thought the tournament shirts were pretty cool).
4) When he was 11 he started out the season going 0-11 in his first four tournaments. It was a tough time for both of us but I told him that he was just wrestling a lot of tough competition and finishing in close matches. He went on to win 13 out of his next 21 and made it to his first Kids' State Tournament. The local paper picked up on his story for the season and wanted to interview me for an article they wanted to publish in their youth sports addition of the paper. When they called I was in a hospital room with my wife when she was in labor with our third son and I was able to complete the interview before they started the final pushes. She still brings that up and it is a great conversation piece with family and friends.
Anyway, I hope that I helped lighten your load. Remember, the most important thing is to get your wrestler on the high school team and through their Senior year. You will have some great memories and some very tough memories as I have had with my son through his high school career. This is the final tournament for him and I hope that he is satisfied with the results.
If you have some funny memories to share, I would love to hear them. I need a few laughs too heading into State.