Ava Stone

Wrestling, despite being physically taxing and mentally arduous, has numerous benefits for those that participate in it.

There are risks and rewards in every sport, but wrestling pushes these risks to another level. As a wrestler in a combat sport, injuries are inevitable and athletes have to consider the fact that they may have to cut weight every week. 

Athletes cutting weight to compete in a certain weight class isn’t new; it has been happening for the majority of the combat world scene whether it is boxing, wrestling, or mixed martial arts (MMA). Junior wrestler Matthew Shaw knows all about cutting weight the correct way. 

“Cutting [weight] really isn’t that hard if you do it correctly. There are right and wrong ways to do it,” Shaw said. “[It involves] watching what you eat and constantly drinking water.”

One of the major issues when it comes to cutting weight is when people try taking things to the extreme. Another big risk of wrestling is suffering major injuries to any part of the body, especially concussions. 

“I ended up tearing my ACL two seasons ago in sophomore year and then ended up being out all my junior year,” senior Jayden Amin said. 

The risks in the sport of wrestling have proven to be more severe compared to other sports. Even the most preparation from a wrestler can still result in a major health concern. 

“Risk is part of the sport and it’s something you have to be ready for,” Amin said. 

Shaw explains a major injury he has had was a concussion during last season. Football is known for concussions and has been talked about a lot throughout the years. But according to concussion.org wrestling has the highest concussion rate of all college-level sports. 

Although wrestling offers a lot of dangers, some believe the positives outweigh the negatives. 

Wrestling helps build confidence and it teaches life lessons. Concussion.org also states that wrestling can be a great way for children and teenagers to stay in shape while bonding with their classmates and peers. 

Wrestling coach Tecuanhuehue is a big believer that wrestling has a lot of benefits as he has been wrestling since he was 11 years old.

“Wrestling has a lot of life lessons you can learn. With determination you can overcome a lot of different things because wrestling might be one of the hardest things you ever faced in life,” Tecuanhuehue said. 

Joining the team helps boost confidence and can be a great way to make connections with peers going through similar adversities. 

“The benefit of joining wrestling is the magnitude of things you will learn about yourself. We are also a family when you join the team,” Shaw said.