Wrestling

This past Saturday I went to my nephews very first wrestling match. It was fun, sad, violent, exciting, and skillful all rolled into one. Granted, these were 5 year old boys wrestling, so the skill level is still developing, but still. There were several little kids that were just good at wrestling and you could tell they had a natural ability for it.

But do you know how sad it is when a little boy loses, or knows he's losing, and he starts to cry! Oh that made me want to cry.

My husband and his brother wrestled in highschool and they both loved it. Loyd told me how it is harder to lose when you wrestle as opposed to team sports because it is just you that lost. So I felt even worse for those cute little kids.

When I mentioned how violent the sport was, Chris said "Yeah...well, these kids aren't as suave as highschool students". And that is true. I remember watching wrestling during the Olympics and thinking it was really cool. I don't remember thinking it was violent. Ofcourse I was in highschool.

And wrestling is one of the oldest sports around...I suppose if it has lasted this long it must be ok. I also think that it can help focus a hyper and aggressive kids energy, and teach them the correct places and ways to use that aggressiveness. Because its not like it is cage fighting or just free for all scrapping. There are rules and techniques to follow.

Even though I see the benefits I can not help but be concerned with the unhealthy habits that also come along with the sport. Making weight for instance. I have heard from more than one source about making weight. Starving and sweating yourself, trying to get every ounce of water out of you so you can be the heaviest in a lower weight class. And then after wards binge eating. Not healthy habits. And I have to say, a little unfair and unethical as well.

Also, RINGWORM! That is sick. Those mats are germ invested fungus farms. Kid after kid rubs his sweat and spit up and down that mat and then the next kid laps it up. UGH! That is sooooooo nasty.

My final qualm...the unitards. They are not attractive.

So I still don't know what I think about my kids wrestling. I won't stop them, and if they want to do it I will be there biggest and most supportive fan. But I really hope they will want to do something else.

*Loyd edit*

Here is the video of our nephew's matches. He won all three with pins.