Remember the P's

I was on Twitter earlier today (I know, shocking), came across a tweet from Coach Jones at Greenville (SC) High School and immediately heard my old wrestling coach bark “remember the 3 p’s”. I’m certain it was the combination of the image of Bernie Sanders sitting in the cold (which has now become a huge internet meme) and a realization that we, the wrestling community, have worked so hard this year to make wrestling happen.

My coach’s message about the 3 p’s always focused on what we should do, individually, to help keep the right mindset during the season. But in reflection, I have used these p’s throughout my life and maybe no more so than over the last year.

So what are the 3 p’s, you ask? Patience, perseverance, and priorities. I would always mess them up because I thought position should be one of the p’s - given the number of times I was told that I was “out of position”. As a high school student I didn’t realize that he was talking more about the big picture and not just one moment in time. As we enter the final month of the high school season (except for North Carolina, which has yet to start), I am reminded how those 3 p’s have been instrumental to us getting to this point.

Patience

We have waited… and waited… and waited for news to come about “off-season” tournaments. We waited for news to come about whether the high school season would actually happen. We watched with great dismay as NHSCA’s and then Fargo were canceled. We held our breath for Super 32 and then it happened, but not in North Carolina. As the season descended upon us, we waited for state high school associations to decide what (if anything) would be allowed and what wouldn’t. No one has been more patient than the coaches and wrestlers in North Carolina. NCHSAA determined very early to push all sports back to the spring and to push wrestling back to April. But sometimes it’s easier to be patient when a plan has been made. As Coach Jones alludes to above in the tweet - it is the not knowing that really tries our patience.

Perseverance

If there is one attribute that I know every wrestler embodies it is perseverance. It is part of our genetic make-up, our DNA. I don’t know a single wrestler who doesn’t have some measure of it. Some of us thrive on it … others merely survive through adversity, but we all have it. There has been no better of an example of that than 2020 and the lead up to the 2020-2021 season. How do you, as an athlete, continue to train and put your heart and soul into every workout not knowing whether you will have a season or not? How do you, as a coach, continue to motivate and push your team when the uncertainty of tomorrow is just around the corner? We, as wrestlers and coaches, have long dealt with uncertainty, but this season has been a bit different. Usually it is about questioning ourselves - what are we willing to do to get better, etc. Sometimes it is out of our control, like an injury or illness, but nothing compared to the uncertainty we have all faced in 2020. I applaud each of you for continuing to work.

Priorities

None of us expected the pandemic. None of us wants to worry about getting sick and the potential consequences of it. But this is the hand we have all been dealt, and we have been patient and persevered. One of the biggest reasons we have gotten to this point in the season is that coaches everywhere have made it a priority to do the right thing. They have sat their teams when someone on the team has been exposed. They have locked the doors to the wrestling room until everyone has been cleared. For people who aren’t athletes - this is where we get a “no duh” response. “That is what you should do.” And we agree … that is why we have done it. The thing that they may not understand is that this is a process. We train to be able to perform at our peak. We don’t open the door, have a practice, and then go to a tough tournament. If you have ever been on the mat for 6 minutes you would know that it’s not an enjoyable experience if you have no gas. My hat is off to the coaches who have found a way to balance wrestling and the pandemic … keeping their kids motivated while dealing with all of the challenges they’ve faced.

…

We know that there are many in the wrestling community, and certainly beyond, who have been personally affected by COVID-19. To them, we are sorry for your loss and keep you in our thoughts. For others, there’s no doubt that being active, wrestling, is a much needed sense of normalcy. Sports isn’t bigger than life, but it is an important part of who we are and who we become. I am cautious by nature. I wasn’t sure whether we should or shouldn’t have a high school season this year. But being able to watch coaches and wrestlers grapple with the challenges in front of them has been rewarding. My hat is off to them and best of luck as you make a run for a state title.