Wrestling is arguably one of the most unique and exciting extracurricular school opportunities, the intense and passionate meeting of two athletes in front of a crowd — one leaving the mat victorious and the other left to hone their abilities for next time.
Unfortunately, those unfamiliar with the sport may have a much more myopic view of its best aspects, and this has given way to numerous myths and misconceptions, some damaging to the sport’s reputation as a longstanding and noble athletic pursuit.
To help separate wrestling fact from fiction, I will now address several of these myths and explain why they are unfounded.
Myth: “Early success will always lead to future success”
This myth is not necessarily confined to wrestling; in many cases, a young star in any sport is wrongly predicted to be the next big thing at that sport’s pro level. However, wrestling represents one area where this notion is often proven false. For example, a high school state champion may go on to achieve tepid success at the collegiate level, thus bringing his or her journey to an end right there — and this is not even considering the everlasting threat of season (and career) ending injury and general physical regression. Absolutely nothing is guaranteed.
Myth: “I am too small to wrestle”
While some wrestling myths may be grounded in reality, others are simply not true at all. This myth helps comprise the latter group. There are few cases where someone is “too small” to wrestle. Thanks to numerous weight classes spanning a variety of body types, the sport is comparatively accessible and open to many different kinds of athletes. The best first step is to determine where you would fall on this spectrum. Then, take your interest to your school’s coach and determine what it will take to secure a spot on the team at that weight.
Myth: “Wrestling is all brawn and no brains”
This is another myth that is blatantly untrue. Yes, physical endurance, strength, and agility make up a large component of wrestling, but in reality the sport is deeply rooted in strategic thinking — sometimes very quick, reactionary strategic thinking. Successful wrestlers tend to bring a select array of moves to each match, and a key part of this process is identifying — and ultimately exploiting — the scenarios in which these moves will lead to points or a pin. Whether the wrestler is running legs or throwing a headlock, victory is typically unattainable off sheer force alone.
