The First Tournament of the Season

Today was the seasons first preseason wrestling tournament. It felt good to get back in the groove again. It's been so long since the last time I wrestled in a tournament, and so far it feels great. It was a round robin tournament, and that means that you weigh in and you wrestling people closest to what you weigh in at. For most preseason tournaments there are no weight divisions, usually that is only for regular season tournaments. Anyway, today I wrestled three matches, in the varsity division, against kapolei, farrington, and another kapolei girl, and I won all of them. It was a hard and long day, but I managed to keep my head up.

The first match was against a kapolei girl, and it went by pretty fast. I was pumped up, and being away from "the mat" and my competition, for almost a whole year, just made it worse. I went in there determined for a win, and a win was what I got. I tried to get a cradle on her, but I was trying to swing her around the wrong way. After that, I flipped her over and pinned her in a half nelson in thirty seconds. I was happy that I won, but there is always room for improvement. Then, I sat and waited for a good two and a half hours till my next match. The anticipation of the next match just ate me alive, especially as I saw other wrestlers compete, but I managed to just relax and prepare mentally for what was coming.
They called my name, and I was just raging with determination, determination of another win. I went up, blocked everything out, and set my mind for my next opponent. She wrestled for farrington, and she too won her last match, so even more I wanted to win. The match started. We shook hands, and before I knew it we were on the ground. A pair of two-year-wrestlers head-to-head? It was tough. She got two points, then I did, then she did, and we went back and forth. Then, what seems to be just like a blink of an eye, it was the third period. Both of us, giving it our all we started using that extra push of that "winning mind set." Tired, I managed to roll her over and get her into a wrestling arm bar, and I pinned her in the third period with twenty-three seconds left.
I almost lost!?! Even though I won, I was very disappointed. I wasn't following what my coach was yelling at me during the match, and I was definitely not wrestling at my best. A win is a win though, but the way I won was just sloppy. Mad at myself, I went outside to calm down, and think about what I did wrong so I don't get caught doing it again in the next match. From this match, I learned to always wrestle at my best because just a little less can prevent me that much more from getting to where I want to be at. But while I was thinking about this, it counted down the minutes till I had my last match.
Finally, the time had come, and I was ready. Jumping in place and getting in the zone with my competitor right next to me, I knew this was my last chance to really get everything together and end this tournament in a good note. I walked on the mat, got in my stance, and got ready to give it my all. This girl was from kapolei, she weighed almost eight pounds heavier than me. That might not seem like a lot, but in wrestling just the slightest pound or two makes a huge difference. She forced all her weight on me, and she almost pinned me but I got out. Then, I shot in for a double leg, and got a take down. I tried to get an arm bar almost pinning her, but the first period ended too quick.
The reff flipped a red and green coin, and I got choice and picked down. As soon as the reff blew the whistle, I got up and fought for my escape. I took her down in head lock with a sprawl, and pinned her in a half nelson with exactly one minute and eight seconds left on the clock in the second period. I was happy that I won, but again there is always room for improvement. We shook hands, and the reff held up my hand stating that I won. I hugged my opponent, shook her coaches hands, and walked off the mat happy and proud but with good sportsmanship. Today, was the start of a new season, a new team, a new me, and I'm happy with what I have accomplished today. And even though the endeavors ahead are still yet to be discovered, I know this season will help me grow in all aspects of my life for the future, present, and even the past, and I'm glad I chose to wrestle again this year.