Anger

My second season of wrestling had barely begun when life threw my family a curve ball. My step-father was asked to step down as the head football coach. He is a man of honor and integrity. Unfortunately, there is a great deal of politics in California high school sports. These politics are filled with the type of people who take advantage of honorable people. They scheme in a language that my father refuses to speak.

He first announced the news to the football team before calling my mother. Teammates hugged me and sympathetically patted my back as I entered the locker room. I was steaming over what had happened but was managing to hold it in.

During wrestling practice that night we decided to play a game. It was Friday and we often ended the week by trying to have some fun. I was still holding in my anger. For one reason or another I found myself struggling against our senior heavyweight. I felt a sharp pain on my leg and realized he had either pinched me or bitten me. As if a switch had been pulled, I unleashed my frustration. I began throwing punches as hard and as fast as I could. Everyone of them connected with his head until another teammate pulled me away. The heavyweight stood up, shaking his head. He looked me in the eyes and stared apologizing profusely. I can only imagine the expression my face held to make this larger and older athlete apologize to me when it was I who was throwing the punches.

I later apologized and we remained friends the rest of the season but I somehow knew that night that it would be the last year I spent at that school. I would show them what kind of competitor they were going to lose.