I spent my Saturday as I have spent many winter weekends over the last 50 years. In a gym filled with wrestling mats! I wrestled in my first tournament as an 8-year-old. It did not go well. Bloody nose and humiliating defeat. I learned I didn’t like losing. But I loved wrestling. So I kept on doing it. Through elementary school, junior high, high school and college. I enjoyed a lot of good times, great successes and great friendships. I also had some humiliating defeats, frustrating efforts and painful injuries.
After college I got involved in coaching. Varsity, Junior Varsity, Junior High and Youth. Many of our teams and athletes enjoyed a lot of good times, great successes and great friendships. We also had some humiliating defeats, frustrating efforts and painful injuries.
As a parent, all four of my sons wrestled. The hardest role to play by far! The boys enjoyed a lot of good times, great successes and great friendships. They all brought home a lot of hardware! They also had some humiliating defeats, frustrating efforts and painful injuries. A few surgeries as well.
My sons are grown now, but I’m still coaching. This Saturday I was with some junior varsity athletes getting them some match experience. We enjoyed a lot of good times, great successes and great friendships. Three of our wrestlers took 1st place. We also had some humiliating defeats, frustrating efforts and painful injuries. One young man got pinned 5 times. All in one day!
I love this sport. I’ve learned that is a microcosm of life. In my life personally and professionally I have enjoyed a lot of good times, great successes and great friendships. I also had some humiliating defeats, frustrating efforts and painful injuries. But what I’ve learned in the wrestling room generally works in life.
I’ve learned to be graceful in victory as well as defeat, although I prefer one over the other!
If you don’t like losing, work hard and get better. A little sweat goes a long way.
Be grateful for your success in life.
Enjoy the friendships you make along the way; life is meant to be done in relationship.
Humiliating defeats will happen. Take them in stride and be ready to dust yourself off and try again.
Pain and injuries are real and inevitable. Take the time to heal and seek expert help if necessary.
No matter how today goes down, wake up tomorrow with joy in your heart and a renewed energy to start the day! I never had a wrestling season that ended in a victory. In my career, every season ended in one final loss and me coming up a little short of my goal. I guess I could have quit. Instead I chose to get up the next day with a grateful heart and a renewed energy to start the chase again! May that be true in my life every day, regardless of what season it is!