The following was a letter that many Walsh parents received by a former wrestling mother. I am sure everyone will agree it is great advice for any parent.
Dear Parents,
As your season winds down to the final weekend, and your ultimate emotional rollercoaster ride is yet ahead of you, I just wanted to take a moment to wish all of you, and your sons, good luck.
As a parent of two wrestlers, I have definitely been thru the ringer. I was fortunate enough to take this trip last year with Dillon, and will forever cherish the memories from it. It was, without a doubt, the most difficult of all of his matches to be wrestled, for it is high, low, high, low, and nothing inbetween. I always said, thru all the years I lived this sport, that I would write a book from a parent's perspective, and hopefully someday I will.
There is no one that truly carries the load as much as that wrestler himself. Whether he is a "seasoned veteran" of the pressure of states, or a "rookie" to the experience, one thing Dillon said was walking thru the tunnel to come onto the mat gets everyone's nerves on end. The emotions they go thru don't compare to ours, and I think that we often get caught up in our own nerves, that we forget what is going on with them. As tough or "bad ---" as they think they are, this weekend, brings them back to the scared little boys we all raised. Not to sound disrespectful to them, but they, deep down, are counting on us to be there when the dust settles.
So, I just wanted to say, having gone thru it, and now looking at it from the other side, it really makes me see things for what they were and what they are, far better than I could when I was caught up in the moment. Please, if nothing else, at the end of the weekend, please make sure to tell your boys how proud you are of who they are, and what they have done, regardless if they win or lose. To me, in this sport, they have accomplished far more, when it comes to commitment, hardwork, and dedication than most kids will do in a lifetime. Wrestling is not for everyone, but for those who do choose to take it on, it definitely sets them up with the best foundation for life....proving to themselves that anything is possible, when you put your mind to it, and they did all themselves!
It is not about who they should have been, or what they should have done, because, next week, when all the hoopla of the weekend has finished, they will truly remember what you said to them. After all, they are still your little boys who cherish the love their parents give them. Big bad wrestlers, are still little boys at heart.
Good luck to all.
Dear Parents,
As your season winds down to the final weekend, and your ultimate emotional rollercoaster ride is yet ahead of you, I just wanted to take a moment to wish all of you, and your sons, good luck.
As a parent of two wrestlers, I have definitely been thru the ringer. I was fortunate enough to take this trip last year with Dillon, and will forever cherish the memories from it. It was, without a doubt, the most difficult of all of his matches to be wrestled, for it is high, low, high, low, and nothing inbetween. I always said, thru all the years I lived this sport, that I would write a book from a parent's perspective, and hopefully someday I will.
There is no one that truly carries the load as much as that wrestler himself. Whether he is a "seasoned veteran" of the pressure of states, or a "rookie" to the experience, one thing Dillon said was walking thru the tunnel to come onto the mat gets everyone's nerves on end. The emotions they go thru don't compare to ours, and I think that we often get caught up in our own nerves, that we forget what is going on with them. As tough or "bad ---" as they think they are, this weekend, brings them back to the scared little boys we all raised. Not to sound disrespectful to them, but they, deep down, are counting on us to be there when the dust settles.
So, I just wanted to say, having gone thru it, and now looking at it from the other side, it really makes me see things for what they were and what they are, far better than I could when I was caught up in the moment. Please, if nothing else, at the end of the weekend, please make sure to tell your boys how proud you are of who they are, and what they have done, regardless if they win or lose. To me, in this sport, they have accomplished far more, when it comes to commitment, hardwork, and dedication than most kids will do in a lifetime. Wrestling is not for everyone, but for those who do choose to take it on, it definitely sets them up with the best foundation for life....proving to themselves that anything is possible, when you put your mind to it, and they did all themselves!
It is not about who they should have been, or what they should have done, because, next week, when all the hoopla of the weekend has finished, they will truly remember what you said to them. After all, they are still your little boys who cherish the love their parents give them. Big bad wrestlers, are still little boys at heart.
Good luck to all.
arty: