Yay! It’s finally the beginning of winter sports, and today I will be telling you about girls wrestling.

I interviewed a returning girls’ wrestler, Brittley Braithwait. She is looking forward to “ having a new team and getting to know my team better.” I also asked what her expectations are, and she said, “My expectations for my team this year are for them to give their all and show up every day with an I can get better this year’ mindset.”  Sounds like she is ready and prepared for her sophomore season and can’t wait to see what her season will look like. 

I also asked the head coach of wrestling, Mr. Keiswetter. One question I asked was what he was looking forward to in this season, and he said, “I’m always looking forward to seeing the hard work pay off for those who invest so much time into wrestling. Unlike other sports, wrestling is one-on-one, and they have to compete all alone. This gives you a certain amount of control over what happens in the competitions, but it can also make some people really nervous. To overcome those fears is always my favorite part of watching the progression of a wrestler’s career. For example, having a come-from-behind victory or upsetting an opponent some people say you should lose to are things that can help build a wrestler’s confidence, and that is the stuff that pays off in other areas of life-not just in sports. Using hard work to develop skills and then to use them in competition is so fun to watch!” 

I also asked him what his favorite part about being a wrestling coach is, and she said, “My favorite part of coaching wrestling is seeing the progress of the athletes from being beginners with big goals to achieving those goals. It could be something small, like using a specific technique to score in a match for the first time, or something bigger, like becoming a state medalist or state champion. It feels really good to be a small part of the process of the wrestlers committing themselves to doing all of the things it takes to accomplish their goals.” 

Come back tomorrow for more winter sports!