_____Wrestling has been called the one true "pure sport" that exists today. This is one of the most physically demanding and mentally toughest of the individual self-motivation that is required of each wrestler far exceeds many other sports. The athletes for the rest of their lives.
Successful wrestling requires the "Four C's". They are: Courage, Commitment, Character and Class.
Courage: is defined as the quality of mind or spirit that enables one to face danger with confidence, resolution and firm control of oneself; bravery, valor. In an individual sport such as this, each athlete must have the confidence and courage to step on the mat and face his opponent and give it his all.
__________Courage in not how a man stands or falls, but how he gets back up __________again. (John Lewis)
__________Courage is the first of human qualities, because it is the quality which __________guarantees all others. (Winston Churchill)
Commitment: is defined as the state of being emotionally or intellectually to the same course of action. Each must make a commitment to be the very best that they can be to work hard and never give up. "Winners never quit, and quitters never win." In order to be accomplished and skillful takes extreme dedication to the sport.
_______________
The important thing in life is to try to be your best. Be honest with
_______________yourself,
your family,
your friends and your community. An honest
_______________commitment
means 100 percent. It means loyalty, and it means
_______________being
able to be counted on in the
clutch. (Joe
Paterno)
_______________ A man can be as great as he wants to be. If you believe in ________________yourself and have the courage, the determination, the dedication, ________________the competitive drive and, if you are willing, to sacrifice the little ________________things that are worthwhile, it can be done. Once a man has made ________________a commitment to a way of life, he puts the greatest strength in the ________________world behind him. It's something we call heart power. Once a ________________man has made his commitment, nothing will stop him short of ________________success. (Vince Lombardi)
Character: is defined as the combination of qualities that makes one person or group different from another; the moral or ethical strength, integrity and fortitude of the person or group.
_______________Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, _______________because your character is what you really are, while reputation is _______________merely what others think you are. (John Wooden)
_______________A wrestler must be dependable and consistent, regardless of the _______________time or place. Be it the opening whistle or the final 30 seconds _______________...character, as much as physical ability, is vital. (Calvin Hill)
Class: that which would be exhibited by a gentleman at all times. A level of competition that does not accept temper tantrums or storming off the mat after a defeat, not boasting and taunting the opponent after a victory. A wrestler with class shows respect for his opponent before and after the match.
If he has won, he will be greeted by the coaches and each member of the team. He will accept it and learn from it. If he has been defeated, he will be greeted and counseled by the coaches, consoled by his teammates and he will accept it. That does not mean that he has to like it. No one likes to lose, but they must learn that it is part of the sport. They must learn how to accept that defeat and then put it behind them.
_______________Class is being honest - both with others and with yourself. Class is _______________treating other as you would like them to treat you. (Jack Nicklaus)
_______________There is no mat space for malcontents or dissenters. One must _______________neither celebrate insanely when he wins, nor sulk when he loses. _______________He accepts victory professionally and humbly - he hates defeat, _______________but makes no poor display of it. (Dan Gable)
Heart: is the culmination of all the others. The maturity that develops when all of these factors come together. A wrestler with heart can win a match even when his body can't take anymore pain; when his mind wants to quit and get it over with; when the average person would just quit.
As the wrestling season progresses we all become a little closer. Driving to away matches, sitting on hard bleachers, eating fast food and other "inconveniences" have helped us all to become a closer FAMILY. Families care about each other, they hurt when you hurt and they are happy when you are happy. There isn't anything that happens to one of the wrestlers on the mat that is not felt by all. Think of a very large family with lots of mothers, fathers and children. That's the wrestling family.
There is nothing, that can describe the pride that we feel for the team, each and every member. We are proud of the way they handle themselves during adversities and how each one of them exhibit the qualities of courage, commitment, character and class - but most of all HEART!