The Lakes wrestling team teaches many skills to students, most of which have a very big impact on students’ mental health and physical attributes. In order to take a deeper look into the Lakes wrestling, we questioned them on various topics ranging from their schedules in order to adapt to such a competitive sport and the friendships they have made throughout this season.
Wrestling is an opportunity to develop friendships and confidence!
“A moment I really enjoyed with the team was when we went to nationals, our team took third that year, and I got to travel to Oklahoma with the team,” said Aleksia Ramirez, a sophomore at Lakes High School, reflecting on one of her favorite wrestling-related memories. “Since girls wrestling is typically very small, I was able to form stronger relationships with people and experience a higher level of the sport. It was enjoyable to meet other girls my age who were interested in the same thing.”
When asked about injuries sustained during wrestling season, Camille Audas, a sophomore at Lakes High School, responded “There’s a difference between an owie and an injury; we’re all going to get hurt and get bruises, but an injury would be considered having to get surgery. Wrestling is an extremely challenging sport that demands a great deal of dedication and commitment.”
“For a big match I try to think of all the moves I could do in order to not freak out on the mat, I try focusing on myself rather than my opponent,” said Kendall Griffin, a junior at Lakes High School, in response to being asked how to mentally prepare for a match. “I remind and encourage myself to work as hard as I can when I’m struggling because I don’t want to end up with regrets.”
When asked how to psychologically get ready for a game, Grecia Ruiz, a sophomore at Lakes High School, shared “I try to keep myself humble before big matches by telling myself that it’s okay to lose and that there’s still a chance to win next time.”
According to Brissia Barajas, a junior at Lakes High School, when asked how to mentally prepare for a match, “I think the team helps a lot with each other and helping mentally prepare each other for the match, we hype each other up and make sure we are in the right head space as well as asking each other what our goal move is or what we plan to learn from the match in order to not get so stuck in our head.”
Looking forward to the girls wrestling team
Girl’s wrestling is an opportunity for developing endurance, self-assurance, and strong friendships; it’s more than simply a sport. Both opponents and teammates develop a strong sense of unity and respect for one another when they go onto the mat. Girls develop friendships that surpass competition as they exercise, test their limitations, and encourage one another through successes and challenges.
