Two weeks into my first wrestling season I earned the varsity spot at 140lbs. My very first match was against Pat Payne from Poway HS. He was ranked 4th in the nation at the time, was a senior and went on to wrestle for Arizona State University. The match ended 30 seconds after the opening whistle with me on my back. Interestingly, this short match may be the single most defining moment in my career. From the very first time I put on a singlet, I have known what it is like to wrestle the best.
But the fact remained that in my first year I was younger than every one of my opponents, weaker, less experienced, slower and unconditioned. Any success I found was through pure effort. It seemed the only advantage I could claim when comparing myself to my opponents was that I would try harder than them. This was not always good enough. In fact, I did not win my first varsity match until my first season was nearly finished. That first win was another turning point. It was proof that I was improving. Proof that I had the potential to find success in this sport. I was hungry for more.
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