February

I've always enjoyed February, as it brings with it what most high school wrestling fans in Wisconsin refer to as the tournament series: that being conference, regional, sectional, state individual and finally state team tournaments. This time of the year also gets me reflecting on my own experiences in the sport. It (wrestling) really does get a bad rap. Just about everybody has probably heard the "gay-comments" associated with the sport. But I've gotta tell ya, in all the matches I competed in, I don't recall ever wanting to spend anymore time out on the mat than was absolutely necessary.

I'm only now, for the first time, seeing how the lessons I learned 10, 11, & 12 years ago are applicable in my life right now. It does teach a person lessons about discipline, resiliency, and the benefits of hard work. After you've wrestled in front of thousands of spectators at a state tournament, many of the challenges met later in life seem manageable.

Unfortunately, I can't say that those times in high school wrestling were the best of my life, because they weren't. In fact, between the constant drive to be at or maintain a certain weight (and one which probably wasn't all that healthy), the bouts of asthma & dealing with a coach who probably suffered from undiagnosed bi-polar disorder, I spent most of my time feeling depressed and as though I were on an island.

However, I've been spending the last decade since trying to find a feeling as good as winning a match and still haven't found it.