Things Wrestling Has Taught Me

I started wrestling in my senior year of high school. I have been wrestling for almost two years now. Despite having little to no experience I felt like I picked up on the sport pretty quickly. As time went on I realized that if you really dedicate all your time and energy to something you can progress exponentially. Wrestling has helped me a lot physically and given me something to
focus on. More importantly, however, it taught me discipline and dedication. It taught me the process of learning. You might not always get things right the first time but if you keep trying day in and day out you will eventually start to see improvement. You might hit plateaus and feel like you’re not progressing sometimes but that’s when discipline comes in. To keep showing up when you’re tired and feel like you’re not improving. That’s when you really develop characteristics that will last you a lifetime. The dedication it takes to keep showing up when you’re at your breaking point from exhaustion, injuries, and mental battles are probably the most challenging parts of any sport, especially wrestling.

I have done various sports growing up, including Soccer, Track & Field, and Kickboxing. I have competed almost my whole life. I love competing and winning. In contrast, I was never good at handling losses growing up. Losing is part of any sport and a part of life. Learning how to deal with it is crucial to succeeding whether it be in sports or in life. None of the sports I have done have taught me how to deal with losses like wrestling has. The mental and physical ability it takes to pick yourself back up after getting beat on the mats in front of your friends, teammates, and coaches is truly humbling. Then picking yourself up and going back to training the next day as if nothing happened. Or getting badly injured and having to undergo months of rehab while still trying to train through the pain. It teaches courage and resilience.

Wrestling is one of those sports that you would use the cliché saying, “it’s not just a sport it’s a way of life”. However, it truly is. The skills and values you develop will last you a lifetime and help you in your personal and professional life. It teaches everyone different things. It taught me that you can learn anything if you put in the time and effort no matter your age, experience, or talent. Now I am not afraid to pursue a new job or a new sport because I know if I take the time to learn it and put in the hours of work, I will eventually start to get it and improve.

Written by: Ali Hammoud