Takedown Report

11 reasons why everyone should wrestle, the sequel

By John Klessinger (former SouthWest Edgecombe coach)
Almost five years ago to the day, I wrote my first article for WIN magazine. The article was entitled “11 Reasons Why Everyone Should Wrestle.” Plenty of things have changed in my life since then. At the time, my daughter was a sophomore in high school. Now, she is a junior in college. My son was in middle school and now he is only a few months away from graduating high school.
The team I coach won its first state dual championship in 2022, which we repeated in 2023. Last year, we lost in the state dual final 33-30. The dual came down to the last match. We were down 33-27. We needed a fall to tie. A fall would give us the win by criteria. My kid pushed around his opponent for six minutes. His opponent did his job. He fought and stayed off his back, securing the match and state title for his team.

This column appeared in the late-November issue of WIN Magazine. Click on the latest cover or call 888-305-0606 to subscribe to WIN Magazine.

I wrote a book, “A Coach’s Manual: Everything You Need to Be a Successful Coach”,  which was published by Championship Productions. Last fall, I was inducted into the Maryland Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.
On a different level, while things were going well professionally as a teacher and coach, both of my kids blew out their knees. In 2020, my daughter tore her ACL. Then, in 2022, my son tore his ACL. That left a few years of constant encouragement and attempts at optimism for them both. Ironically, I ruptured my quad tendon in 2023. The doctor said it was the “old man’s version of a torn ACL.” Subconsciously, I guess I wanted to know what it was like.
On a personal level, the past five years have been very challenging. Beyond injuries, things have been difficult at times. It is a part of life. We go through difficult times. I do. You do. We all do. Which brings me back to the first article I had written for WIN, “Why Everyone Should Wrestle.”
If it wasn’t for wrestling, I am certain the last five years would have been much more difficult. Wrestling has been my anchor. It has and continues to teach me the mental toughness to deal with the challenges and continue to keep getting up over and over.
To commemorate our great sport and to celebrate my five-year anniversary writing for WIN, here is part II of 11 Reasons Why Everyone Should Wrestle.
1. Friendships and Community
Once you’ve wrestled, you become part of a special group of people. All wrestlers know the difficulty of the sport. When you meet a wrestler, you become instant friends. You share similar experiences. It is tough to explain, but wrestlers are good people. Hardworking people. Honest people. The sport teaches you the value of struggling and sacrifice. That is why most walk around with humility.
2. Physical Toughness
In some ways, this reason was in the first article — not explicitly stated but implied. However, I don’t know many wrestlers who shy away from things due to bumps and bruises. Wrestlers are physically tough. We don’t sit out because we aren’t feeling great. We do things when we are hurt and sick. Most people I know who aren’t wrestlers are quick to “find a soft place to land.” … more at … https://www.win-magazine.com/2024/12/03/11-reasons-why-everyone-should-wrestle-the-sequel/

December 7, 2024 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | sports, wrestling