mom4,

Very good post. I would add that burnout from wrestling is a combination of things. I love watching wrestling, and I loved to wrestle. My mom hated to watch wrestling (a little too rough for her I guess), and still doesn't like seeing my son wrestle. Whether you enjoy the sport or not as a spectator, the truth of the matter is that wrestling is brutal.

When I watch kids wrestle, I am amazed at the skill, finesse, strength, power, flexibility, balance, agility and sheer determination of these miniature "gladiators" (stole the term from my older brother). Yet, I still have to fall back on the term brutal to describe wrestling best. It is not easy, it is not pleasant, and it is not always fun. Don't get me wrong, kids should always have fun in youth sports. That being said, if any child has fun getting pulverized by a superior opponent, whether in practice or in a tournament, then they have something special going on that most kids don't.

I have watched my twelve year old wrestle since he was six. I have seen him have a lot of success, and I have seen him lose more than his fair share along the way as well. I have seen his arms, legs, neck and back get put in positions that are not natural. I have seen his lips and nose bleed and his face, knees and elbows get mat burns. When he was ten he missed three weeks of the season due to a shoulder injury. Sounds like a lot of fun to me.

Every year around September, after soccer and baseball are over and the school year is well under way, I get the nerve up to ask him if he wants to wrestle again this year and if he still enjoys the sport. Every year, I hope and pray that his resounding answer is "yes". If he ever loses his interest and love for the sport, I don't want it to be because of something I did. His competition is already trying to give him a reason to quit every time he steps out on the mat.

The hardest thing for young wrestlers to do is to continue wrestling. Its not just when they are six, seven or eight, but all the way up until they start Jr High and High School. The easiest thing for these kids to do would be to pick up a basketball, run up and down the court, and try to put it in the hoop.