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september
october 201 3
not the most popular sport in which
to engage; after all, unitards, face
masks, and grunting are not the
most attractive accoutrements for a
pubescent male. I competed in cross-
country and soccer for years before
joining the wrestling teammy fresh-
man year at McMinn County High
School.Wrestling is a unique sport
because your successes’Äîas well as
your failures’Äîrest solely upon your
own dedication and will.
I could’Äôve picked a more popular
sport, but I was best at wrestling’Äî
at least, wrestling was the most
challenging, and with the greatest
challenge often comes the greatest
reward. I eventually rose to became
captain of my high school wrestling
team’Äîand here I am, years down the
road, and wrestling is still my most-
visited point of personal reference.
Although you compete individually
during wrestlingmatches, you are
a member of a team. This allows for
individual accomplishments to shine
even if your teamdoesn’Äôt perform
well’Äîand vice versa. During a match,
wrestlers are pitted against physi-
cal equals.What makes a successful
wrestler, however, is not necessarily
physical strength’Äîbut experience.
What differentiates one wrestler from
another comes fromwithin. It is the
knowledge gained from toughing it
through practices, learning tactics
and strategies, and losingmatches
that makes a better wrestler’Äînot
necessarily feats of strength.
Wrestling is a bit primitive, but
what sport isn’Äôt? There is sweating
and grunting and the gnashing of
teeth; there is the possibility of severe
personal injury or even death’Äîit’Äôs
really the same as being stuck in rush
hour traffic! One must not neces-
sarily endure the complete physical
torment of wrestling practice to learn
the importance of dedication and
teamwork; recreational sports foster
the same principles with less empha-
sis on peak physical conditioning.
Sports are one of the best ways for
children to learn invaluable lessons
such as accountability and respon-
sibility, and participation in sports
helps to plant the seeds of a physi-
cally fit life. Sports activities also help
curb attention deficit issues, channel
excess energy, and get kids out of the
house for a while. Engaging in sports
can help kids make friends, travel, and
experience recognition. As always, be-
ware of aggression, over-competitive-
ness, cheating, and other unsavory
occurrences that exist in the extreme
of any activity.With appropriate time
spent, sports are just about the best
extra-curricular activity for all kids.
There are more sports activities
available for children than just what’Äôs
going on at school. Recreational
leagues are a great way to keep kids
active and involved. TheAmerican
Youth Soccer Organization
to start. Knoxville Challenger Sports
for disabled youth and young adults
makes certain that everyone can
benefit from the joys of sports.
Now that I have children of my
own, I wanted to instill the same
values that sports taught me; my
kids swim in the Pilot Aquatic Club
ey are
learning vital lessons about team-
work and responsibility’Äîand they’Äôre
now less likely to drown when they’Äôre
swimming elsewhere! I encourage
parents to check out the resources
I’Äôve mentioned. Talk to teachers and
coaches at your child’Äôs school to see
what programs are available. And
most important: Talk to your child!
What are
their
interests? Help them
to develop their innate skills into full-
blown talents.
And what about
you
? It’Äôs never too
late to get involved in sports. Softball
games are just about the most fun
you can legally have on any given
Tuesday after work, and there are
many other activities fromwhich
to choose. Check out the Knox-
ville Sports and Social Club
d City of Knoxville
Rec Leagues
get started.
I can’Äôt forget tomention coaches,
cheerleaders, and fans’Äîbecause being
involved in sports doesn’Äôt necessarily
mean you have to be out on the field
all the time. Sometimes a field doesn’Äôt
even need to be involved! Sports such
as fencing, archery, and disc golf don’Äôt
alwaysmake the headlines of the
sports pages in the local newspapers,
but they are great ways to feel good
and look cool. Martial arts, swimming,
gymnastics’Äîthere is no shortage of
sports to keep you physically fit and
mentally engaged.And, best of all,
withmost sports, youwon’Äôt have to
wear a spandex onesie and grapple
with another person.
Marcos Garza is a
Criminal Defense and
Personal Injury lawyer
and is a graduate of
theNational Criminal
Defense College Trial
Practice Institute.