Watching Your Kid Win!

Last week was Parker's second wrestlig tournament of the season. He has had a great season with a better than 500 record. I am completely enjoying his wrestling as this by far is one of my favorite memories of high school. Wrestling unlike any sport teaches so many life lessons - discipline, respect, commitment, a desire to win and most of all self-confidence. It's just you and your opponent. There's no teammate or extenuating factors. You either win or lose. It's simple.

He started the tournament with a pin in the first round. In the second round he lost to a highly technical wrestler 5-2 who had great hand control.

Parker's third match of the day was a highlight of the entire tournament. The whole gym seemed to ignore the 4 other concurrent matches and watch his. His opponent came to the matt with a total attitude and opened the first period not wrestling but trying to intimidate and push Parker around. Off the matt they went and the attidude of his opponent intensified and only served to provoke a whole new level of self-confidence and tenacity in Parker. First period ended with a slight bloody nose of his opponent and two time outs due to 'injury'. His opponent was sure to make this a melodramatic match and proceeded to call time out and tell both his coach and parents to shut-up. At the end of the second period Parker was down 2-0 but his focus increased. More drama in the third period due to his opponents injury. The match seemed to go on forever. Parker started the third period on bottom. He quickly did a Hazel roll and reversed his opponent and put him on his back winning near fall back points. His opponent was so frustrated he tapped out the match which allows the ref to stop the match and award one penalty point. Now it's 6-2 Parker. He held tight and not only won this match but went on to pin his final opponent to win 3rd place in a qualifying state tournament!

Parker's confidence in himself is at an all time high and wrestling played a key part in that self awareness and development. I absolutely love watching him wrestle!