Last night was parent's night at wrestling. It was great to be there as the night couldn't have been much better for the Fletchers. Both Leon and Ricardo pinned their opponents during the first period.
It gave them a sentence in the paper.
But here's the story behind the story.
Neither of these boys ever wrestled one match before last fall. As a 7th grader, Ricardo earned the varsity spot at 112 while Leon wrestled Jr. High. However, this year, as 8th graders, they earned the 103 and 119 spots and have wrestled a grueling season.
in Minnesota, wrestling begins for 3 or 4 year olds. For years parents take their children to meet after meet, weekend after weekend (I know, I did it for years. Kyle wrestled. Mike and John wrestled. Tony, Jimmy, and Dominyk each had their season (Dominyk quit after a year -- he was convinced it was rigged and that they determined ahead of time he would always get fourth). But I have watched these kids and parents for what seems like a lifetime of Saturdays as the kids have been drilled, coached, and prodded on by parents and coaches alike.
Enter my boys. Never having wrestled into this arena as seventh graders -- one from an orphanage in Guatemala, the other from the Hood in Dallas. The character and self-discipline they have both displayed over the past two years as young men and wrestlers astounds me.
So the newspaper gave them two lines. But there is sure a story behind this story. And it's a good one.
1 comment:
As a parent in the third year of hauling....I mean accompanying there son to numerous matches for 3 years now....the accomplishments of your sons is indeed admirable!
WAY TO GO FLETCHERS!!!!
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