And so it begins...: Mitchel Wrestling

Wrestling season just wrapped up last night.

The older the boys are the more I get to witness the masculine drive at these sports events.

The way that parents are so critical of their children and expect them to win...

It is very hard to watch.

Mitch had wrestled when he was in third grade, but did not really enjoy it. It took a lot to get him to join the team this year. He is in eighth grade after all, so I knew if he wanted to do it in high school he should really have this middle school experience. He really started to enjoy it. This was a great lesson in why we cannot generalize any of our experiences.

Mitch won both of the matches this day, but at the districts he got pinned once and then lost by points in his last match. He was so upset he cried very hard. Mostly from all the adrenaline and excitement, but still he was sobbing and coughing, while all the while trying to act like it was no big deal.

My heart was breaking watching him. I know he needs to experience these things. All I could do was remind him how amazing he is. I asked him what he was feeling and thinking. I agreed with him that winning feels a lot better. I mean of all the sports...in wrestling you not only lose. You lose by being held down while fighting to get out of a hold. You are dominated into a submissive position. Not a good feeling. We sat on the bleachers for a long time and I tried to assure him that the experience is worth it. That in the grand scheme of things there will be a lot that he wins at, and a lot that he fails at. The point is to keep trying and having these experiences taking everything he can from them.

I am so proud of him.

So this is mainly for Him.

Documenting two of his matches.