- Wrestling
Wrestling, the world’s oldest sport, has become underrated.Once admired as a display of strength and control, it has lost its heat, But what some people can’t see is the true heart of the sport and what it can do to wrestlers, like me.
The sport isn't just about taking down your opponent and pinning them on their back. It’s more than that. When my opponent and I make it to the third period, it’s no longer about who’s stronger, but who wants to win the most. By the third period, I’m starting to feel sluggish. Staying in my stance gets harder as my knees tremble. My arms start to feel limp and not very strong. Taking shots and trying to take down my opponent requires more energy to finish, but third period isn't the time to slow down. It’s when you have to push the pace for the match.
Some will just give up, others will keep fighting. It all depends on how much effort you put into the practices. There’s a common phrase in the sport, which is “leave it on the mat.” This means that during practice I give everything I've got, and just walk away feeling good that I worked hard. It’s a sport that tests your abilities as an individual. To win and lose a match is all on me. I always thought of joining the football team, but I was always nervous about the thought of failing my other teammates.The idea of everyone thinking of me as a failure really scares me. I’m the kind of person that tries really hard to preserve the impression that I make on other people. In wrestling however, I rely on nobody but myself.
This is a very demanding sport. That’s why I understand the pain that other wrestlers go through with each match, practice, and lifting session that they do. I know how hard it is to manage weight. This includes losing water weight and eating small portions during the day. I remember having to lose 5 pounds with only 2 hours before our match. This meant using the exercise bike in the hot shower with full sweats on to lose the water weight.Wrestling isn't just about sacrifices either, but how hard you want to work. If my coach believes that we aren't wrestling to our full potential during practice, then he’ll just drill us harder. This negative reinforcement is an encouragement to keep working hard and is meant to make us better.
I’m glad to say that I've improved since I started wrestling two years ago. From winning only two matches my first year, to winning almost all my JV matches as well as three varsity matches in my second year, I have high hopes that I’ll do even better on my third! I even went to Cornell Wrestling Camp for 19 days to learn from the best in collegiate wrestling. I might not be county or state champion, but just being able to put effort towards earning that title brings me so much joy. I’m always looking for insight on how I can get better. I like to apply this to my studies. Wrestling has helped me to feel motivated to get work done and excel. I owe a lot of who I am today to this sport. I've learned to stop talking back to my parents, I’m always trying to give a helping hand, and my overall mood stays positive. I also think that losing a lot of my fat helped me be more confident in my social life. It’s unbelievable how wrestling changed the way I act, the way I eat, and the way I tackle every obstacle I come across in life. I can personally confirm that there’s no way getting around hard work. My only regret is that I didn't start wrestling earlier.
Title: Wrestling
Genre: Common Application Essay
Purpose: The purpose of this essay was to talk about a sport that over time has become one of my favorite sports and what it has done for me and how it influenced my life.
The sport isn't just about taking down your opponent and pinning them on their back. It’s more than that. When my opponent and I make it to the third period, it’s no longer about who’s stronger, but who wants to win the most. By the third period, I’m starting to feel sluggish. Staying in my stance gets harder as my knees tremble. My arms start to feel limp and not very strong. Taking shots and trying to take down my opponent requires more energy to finish, but third period isn't the time to slow down. It’s when you have to push the pace for the match.
Some will just give up, others will keep fighting. It all depends on how much effort you put into the practices. There’s a common phrase in the sport, which is “leave it on the mat.” This means that during practice I give everything I've got, and just walk away feeling good that I worked hard. It’s a sport that tests your abilities as an individual. To win and lose a match is all on me. I always thought of joining the football team, but I was always nervous about the thought of failing my other teammates.The idea of everyone thinking of me as a failure really scares me. I’m the kind of person that tries really hard to preserve the impression that I make on other people. In wrestling however, I rely on nobody but myself.
This is a very demanding sport. That’s why I understand the pain that other wrestlers go through with each match, practice, and lifting session that they do. I know how hard it is to manage weight. This includes losing water weight and eating small portions during the day. I remember having to lose 5 pounds with only 2 hours before our match. This meant using the exercise bike in the hot shower with full sweats on to lose the water weight.Wrestling isn't just about sacrifices either, but how hard you want to work. If my coach believes that we aren't wrestling to our full potential during practice, then he’ll just drill us harder. This negative reinforcement is an encouragement to keep working hard and is meant to make us better.
I’m glad to say that I've improved since I started wrestling two years ago. From winning only two matches my first year, to winning almost all my JV matches as well as three varsity matches in my second year, I have high hopes that I’ll do even better on my third! I even went to Cornell Wrestling Camp for 19 days to learn from the best in collegiate wrestling. I might not be county or state champion, but just being able to put effort towards earning that title brings me so much joy. I’m always looking for insight on how I can get better. I like to apply this to my studies. Wrestling has helped me to feel motivated to get work done and excel. I owe a lot of who I am today to this sport. I've learned to stop talking back to my parents, I’m always trying to give a helping hand, and my overall mood stays positive. I also think that losing a lot of my fat helped me be more confident in my social life. It’s unbelievable how wrestling changed the way I act, the way I eat, and the way I tackle every obstacle I come across in life. I can personally confirm that there’s no way getting around hard work. My only regret is that I didn't start wrestling earlier.
Title: Wrestling
Genre: Common Application Essay
Purpose: The purpose of this essay was to talk about a sport that over time has become one of my favorite sports and what it has done for me and how it influenced my life.