CHS’s wrestling program promotes teamwork and encourages a family-like atmosphere between teammates. Competitors not only learn endurance skills, but life lessons they carry with them throughout their lives.

For sophomore Mason Walsh, his drive to wrestle stems from his father’s past. Walsh’s father helped give him the idea to join the sport, and gives him the encouragement to continue.

“My dad definitely was the one who motivated me to wrestle because he wrestled from a young age all the way through college and continues to coach now,” Walsh said.

Wrestling allows competitors to learn skills that help them improve in the sport as well as life lessons. The lessons are unique to wrestling, but provide unexpected benefits in everyday life.

“The things you learn in wrestling stick with you forever and are hard to learn anywhere else,” Walsh said. “It taught me how to lose and then come back from it.”

While everyone joined wrestling for a reason, senior Yessenia Sanchez values her teammates and the relationships they have. The love for both the sport and her team motivates Sanchez to continue.

“For me, I wrestle for the familial bond on the team, my coaches, and all the experiences this sport has offered me,” Sanchez said.

The skills participants learn help them both on and off the mat. Experiences they take from wrestling can be applied in other situations.

“It’s shown me that hard work pays off and it’s taught me discipline,” junior Logan Kelley said. “You can’t be good at this sport by not trying, and it’s the same thing in life.”

Wrestling allows students to enjoy themselves and get into a competitive spirit, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t challenges. Competitors like Walsh sometimes have to push themselves to overcome adversity.

“I keep wrestling because I like to win, but it’s definitely difficult to have to wrestle people who are older and bigger than I am,” Walsh said.

Wrestling might be an individual competition, but the team aspect is not to be overlooked.

“I mean, it’s a great sport,” Kelley said. “It teaches you what being on a team is all about.”