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1 16
september
october 201 3
commun i t y re source gu i de
Pl ay to L i ve
High schoolwrestling is avaluablewaynot only to stayfit, but to
learn the value of toughness, accountability, anddedication.
W
hat do singlets and
suits, mats and
witness stands, and
referees and judges
all have in common? For me, these
seemingly unrelated uniforms, arenas,
and officials define and shapemy
existence.Although it’Äôs been decades
since I first stepped into thewrestling
ring, I carrywithme the things I
learned during high school wrestling’Äî
both in and out of the courtroom.
High school wrestling practice is
beyond tough. Military Basic Training
may be the only parallel’Äîand I write
this as someone who spent four years
in the Marine Corps. Basic Training
was just as tough as high school
wrestling practice’Äîbut not tougher.
High school wrestling
season
lasted
fromOctober through February, but
practices
ran throughout the year.
Each practice consisted of constant
motion: running drills, polishing
moves, sparring against teammates.
The end of every practice would find
me completely exhausted, but it was
all in preparation for a competitive
meet. During a wrestlingmatch, each
opponent is in the same weight class:
physically the same but mentally
different.Wrestlers practice for hours
alongside their teammates, but once
the whistle blows, you are alone on
the mat. You are the master of your
own destiny; this is true in the ring
and continues to be true to this day in
every facet of my life.
What is it about the physically and
mentally grueling challenges of high
school wrestling practice that makes
it worthwhile?Wrestling is certainly
By Marcos Garza