Wrestling senior night: how has this program helped you grow?
“As for the last four years here, I’ve applied it to my classes, my schoolwork—all of my AP classes. The grind, it’s all worth it.”
“This is where I’ve learned grit and learned how to work hard, plain and simple.”
“This year has really shaped just how I work, you know, in and out of the classroom. It has shown me grit and overall made my work ethic a lot better. I’ve been getting better grades, been doing better performance-wise, and it’s just showing off great.”
“It really, it builds a lot of community. You’re with each other for a long time, you’re supporting each other through a lot, especially downstairs during practices and stuff—it’s really, really intense hard work. You kind of build a sort of, like mutual respect for everybody because they’re working so hard down there, just like you. It’s a really nice family.”
“It just kind of changed me as a person. Practice here every single day, just tough, especially weight cutting, like the toughest thing ever, so it’s just helped me, as far as a person physically and mentally.”
“I dislike practice a lot, it puts you through so much: it causes you to be determined, especially in my first year. There are times I thought about quitting, but I have great friends who tell me to stay. I’m glad I joined, and I wish I joined sooner.”
“It’s definitely helped me recognize hard work and how to do it. It showed me a lot of grit on and off the mat.”
“I’ve grown so much this wrestling season for my first year. I’m winning more matches and learning a lot of things as I go into the later weeks, and I’ve just learned a lot from my first match to my last.”
“Being on the wrestling team definitely helped me grow as a person, and helped me focus in school. I think that without the wrestling program, it wouldn’t have made me as determined as I am to pass my classes and to get my work done.”
“It taught me to just work a little harder. Before wrestling, I’m not gonna lie, my grades were horrible, but through wrestling, it’s definitely made me work a little harder in school, like that little push of motivation.”
*In response to the prompt: I would like to thank my parents for. “Supporting me through everything.”
*In response to the prompt: Specific plans after high school. “After high school, I want to become a mechanic.”
“It’s definitely helped a lot in the discipline area. It’s also been a challenge—having to get through practice every single day, you know, tournaments all the time, and especially wrestling during finals. It’s definitely helped me come along with staying disciplined and staying on track.”
It’s helped me to take on more leadership, and kind of give my knowledge back to some new kids, and help people get up to speed. It’s mainly just helped me become a better leader.”
“It made me realize that even though I’m physically strong, it’s nowhere near compared to having experience. You have to learn and know what to do to be able to win.”
“It helps with discipline, you know, you respect other people more. You build relationships, and you learn how to build friendships that last.”