Wrestling off to strong start

By Dimond Calvin 

Reporter/Photographer

With Christmas break here, making weight in wrestling can present a challenge.

Crete's wrestling season is underway.

Even with a break coming up, that does not mean wrestling will stop. Wrestling continues to happen even on break; for wrestlers struggling to keep their required weight or trying to cut it, being on break can be challenging. 

 “I usually eat less to cut down on weight. I have noticed that I had to cut out from my diet, including noodles, and mainly things that I know will put weight on me,” Nowa Cruza said.

With the temptation of all the delicious holiday foods and holiday sweets, there are a lot of foods wrestlers should avoid when trying to cut weight: foods that are high in fat, such as nachos, pizza, burritos, and hamburgers. Being hydrated is a key component to losing weight, too. Your body needs to be hydrated to process those foods you put into your body. 

“Before a match, I would tell my athletes to avoid greasy foods like fries and seafood. Cutting weight is like holding weight above you that you have to hold for a long time despite how much it hurts and how much pain is inflicted,” Coach Lee said.

Cutting and gaining weight are big parts of wrestling, but wrestling is also a mental sport. What you tell yourself before and after you get off the mat is a big part of the mental part of wrestling. 

“Before a match, I always tell myself Macaroni Time. It’s a song I listen to that always puts me in the mood to go out and work hard,” Jason Adams said. 

Of course, eating right is a big part of being a successful wrestler, but other things significantly impact your performance. What you say to yourself can make a big difference and impact your performance while at practice or about to wrestle. 

Listening to your coach give you an inspirational speech before you wrestle can change how you think and give you that extra boost of confidence. Having someone believe in you when you don’t believe in yourself can push you to do better and want more. Making your coaches proud and feeling accomplished at the end of a match can be one of the best feelings and make you feel like all the pain was worth it.