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Student Union
Allison Kunichika |
Going to the mat
for myself, my teamWrestling is not for sissies. It is the toughest sport anyone can play in high school. Becoming a wrestler starts with a dream that becomes a hunger, and with enough work -- a reality.
Wrestling isn't a sport that just anyone can do. The physical, mental and emotional demands cannot compare to any other sport. There are only a few who are willing to make the sacrifice needed to satisfy the fire that fuels an athlete's desire to succeed as a wrestler. I am one of them.
In my freshman year, I decided to go against my parents' wishes and join the wrestling team. It is an experience I will never forget. Practice was the toughest workout I ever experienced. By the end of the practice, we were worked down to a bunch of sweaty kids who looked like we couldn't take a single step. The worst part was we still had to go home and finish our homework. Every day for four long strenuous months, that's what it was like.
Sacrifice -- that's what I learned from going to all those long practices. Few people are willing to sacrifice to accomplish something for themselves; even fewer will do it for others. It was hard for me to understand this message. As a freshman it was cloudy, but as a junior looking back, it's now clear. I realize that this was what my wrestling teammates were trying to teach me.
You see, I didn't wrestle during my sophomore year because I thought I hated wrestling -- the sport itself. Then when I really thought about it, I figured out that it wasn't the sport I didn't like, it was the atmosphere and the people I didn't understand. I used to not enjoy wrestling at all. But that was my fault, because I didn't put my heart and soul into it like my teammates. To me, I just wanted to finish the season so wrestling would be out of my life. But to them, wrestling was a way of life. It meant so much to them, and they were so upset because I couldn't understand this. Now that I realize my mistake -- my blunder as a naive underclassman -- I want to go back. I want to give wrestling a second chance. I want to give myself a second chance.
Considering my schedule, I know it will be extremely difficult for me to pull this off. But it is something I feel I need to do in order to satisfy my soul. As a person, I need to know if I can sacrifice, for myself and for others. I will never know if I thoroughly comprehend this idea of sacrifice that my teammates taught me unless I give wrestling and myself another chance. This is the only way I will be able to look back at high school and feel truly accomplished.
To many high school athletes like myself, sports are very important. It is something we can excel in outside of academics and it keeps us out of trouble. It's an enjoyment that we choose, but it also may help us get into college and, for some, athletics becomes a lifetime career. In my case, wrestling has tested my commitment and motivation and challenged me to strive for excellence.
Allison Kunichika is a junior at Moanalua High School.
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