He's 6'3" and wrestles 160 pounds. He's been in this sport since middle school - he was a little league lover for many years - so this is a change of pace. People that don't know him, look at his height and ask if he plays basketball, to which he always replies, no. Yes, he has the height to play basketball, and yes, he might be quite good at it, but here's the thing - it doesn't have his heart.
Sitting in the bleachers a few Saturdays ago, it occurred to me that my son - a "6 minute man" to those who love the sport - is on a team that will never win a tournament. When I say never, it's not because I don't believe in them or their abilities, but it's because the team - a team of FIVE GUYS - will NEVER gain enough points to win due to the sheer lack of their numbers. For every empty weight class, it's six points the other team receives.... Even if our five guys all win by pin, the most they will ever score as a team is 30 points.
How do those boys, and my son in particular, go out to each meet - to each tournament knowing that they will never win? I can't imagine a football or basketball team driving hours away knowing that no matter how hard they play, they'll always lose....I mean, it barely makes sense to me, but these five young men do this each time they step on the cold school bus in the predawn hours of a Saturday.
Perseverance....
Determination....
Heart....
I sit in the loud gymnasium - at any given meet - and hear all sorts of things; cheerleaders beating their hands on the mats in rhythm, coaches yelling pointers, dads yelling encouragement (or sometimes not so much), moms inhaling deeply watching their babies get twisted into unhuman-like positions, wrestlers grunting, bodies slamming onto the mat....
It's almost like a heart-beat.
I watch my son meet his opponent in the center, place the green or red band on his ankle, shake hands, look them in the eye, and then begin the dance.
Thump-thump....thump-thump....thump-thump....
Breathe in - breathe out
Work the moves that have been practiced. Use the mind to maneuver to gain the advantage - and to get out of bad situations. Gain points.
Sweat, sometimes blood, and sometimes tears....and all the while I'm sitting in the crowd watching my son grow.
What my son doesn't know, and what I want to share with all of you, including my son is this:
Colton, I don't need you to win. I care more that YOU want to win, I want you to win for YOU. Every time you step onto the mat I watch you grow - whether you win or lose - you grow. You grow in knowledge, in self-worth, in character, in courage, and in so many ways that matter more than the 6 points on the scoreboard. You are learning life lessons.
It takes courage to step onto that mat. It takes courage to get onto a bus to travel knowing your team will never win a meet. It takes courage to stand next to your teammates and face an opposing team with a full roster. To have courage you have to have heart.
You Have Heart.
Your team has heart.
As you ready yourself for the last regular meet of the season and the impending sectionals and districts, know that you are worth more than 6 points on a scoreboard - your team is worth more than 30 points totaled up. You guys are a team of five courageous, dedicated, determined young men who give everything they have every single time you step onto that mat....and your fans love each one of you.
Wrestling isn't a sport for the faint of heart.
Wrestling is a sport of all heart, and it's where my son's heart lies...
and that's what makes this momma proud.
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