SLAM! Wrestling is one of the only sports that a person can legally take someone down. A wrestler has three minutes to take that person down and win. Even if a person weighs 260 or 150 pounds, he or she can always wrestle.

Wrestling can be a stressful time, especially at the very beginning of the season.

“This is always an exciting and nerve-racking time of year for any coach,” Head Wrestling Coach Sam Fry said. “I know we put in a lot of work over the off-season, and I have high hopes it will translate to a good season. But, in the back of my mind, I am always worried there is more we should have done.”

For Fry, teaching students to wrestle is not his only duty at the start of the season.

“I am currently working on all the other little things that need to be done before the season starts like ordering equipment, uniforms, getting paperwork together for the season, and reviewing any rule changes that occurred. Overall, I know we were better last year than the year before, and I believe we will be better this year than last year. If we can keep that trend going, then we have great things to come in the future.”

As wrestling starts, there is a demand for female wrestlers. Last year, there were few wrestlers.

“I had first joined wrestling because my dad did wrestling, and he encouraged me to try it out,” sophomore Olivia Gibson said. “Wrestling has not only been a struggle but also an amazing experience.”

While wrestling can be hard, it is an amazing experience for wrestlers when they accomplish their goals.

“I’ve been wrestling since seventh grade, and honestly, I feel like I’ve accomplished a lot,” freshman Chris Knapp said. “Last year, I got 14 pins, which is so much more than my first year with only 4. Last year, I also won first place at M.I.C., which was an invigorating experience. Standing up on that podium while my teammates cheered me on, the feeling was out of this world.”

No matter height or weight, male or female, someone can wrestle. It allows equal opportunity for those who wish to put time and effort into the sport.

“Due to the weight class system, you are guaranteed to compete against people your size,” Fry said. “You may love basketball or football, but if you’re 5 ‘2 ” and 105 pounds, it probably isn’t going to work for you. But in wrestling, you can compete and succeed. You also don’t rely on your team to determine your success. The tournament is an individual sport. You could be a great pitcher, but if your team doesn’t score any runs, you are going to lose.”

The conditioning in wrestling pays off in other sports.

“The skills in wrestling also translate over into so many other sports,” Fry said. “So, wrestling will make you a better athlete, and therefore, better at football, baseball, track or any other sport.”

Wrestling, like other fighting sports, is a way to get wrestlers not only in shape but mentally prepared.

“There is something primal about physically dominating another person in a combat sport,” Fry said. “There are also few things that can make you feel as good about yourself as winning a hard-fought wrestling match.”