Finally. After the hours of practice, all of your hard work, it’s all about to pay off. You step onto the mat and can feel all of your thoughts and anxiety vanish from your mind. It’s just you and your opponent. With sweat dripping down your face, fighting for control, you blast through your opponent and hear their body slam onto the mat. The whistle blows! The referee comes over and raises your hand as you breathe in your victory. This is the best you’ve felt in your entire life. 

Girls’ wrestling is the best sport, hands down.

There’s a reason why it’s one of the fastest-growing sports in America. There’s no better feeling than knowing that all of your hard work has paid off and you’re one step closer to being a champion. There are 17 Patriots on the girls’ wrestling team this season.

There is nothing in comparison, and there is no way that whatever sport you play is even on the same playing field. As a female wrestler myself, I can say firsthand the countless reasons why it’s above all else. I’ve played a ton of other sports, too! I’ve played softball, soccer, and basketball, but there’s really nothing like wrestling, especially as a girl. 

And of course, it’s not just me. Every wrestler you meet will have plenty of reasons why they love it. 

“It’s a little community that’s so incredible. It’s the family you need,” said senior Kadance Coffin.

A huge part of the love for the sport is just the connection to the team, according to senior Janiah Jones.

“One of my favorite memories is when we had to cut Faye (Ullom)’s hair so she could make weight. Seriously haven’t laughed that hard in a while,” said senior Janiah Jones

And of course, traveling together is so much fun, according to junior Taya Stanford.

“I love when we have out-of-town tournaments and get to mess around in the hotels. Hanging out with all the girls is my favorite thing to do,” said Stanford.

And of course, the coaches share the same love and drive for the sport like nobody else.

“There’s many reasons why it’s the best sport. It teaches self discipline and confidence, and you really get to self asses on a realistic level. At the end of the day, you can’t blame anyone but yourself. And being a female coach is so empowering and breaks stereotypes. It’s so cool seeing how tough and relentless the girls are on the mat, but then how sweet and girly they are anywhere else,” said Coach Jori Prater. 

And even the new girls like junior Skylyn Jones can feel the spark for it.

“I love it so much so far. It’s very new since it’s my first year, but I’m so glad I ended up trying it out. Everybody is so funny and supportive and they all made me feel so welcome on my first day,” said Skylyn Jones. 

But why? Why love it so much? I’m sure people have heard some of the “horrors” surrounding the sport, but is it really what it’s made out to be? Isn’t the conditioning too hard? Why would you want to get beat around all day? Coffin disagrees with plenty of the stereotypes surrounding girls’ wrestling.

“I hear people say that women just aren’t built for combat sports, and if you think that, you’re for sure just as bad,” said Coffin. 

But then what do we think about all the conditioning it takes? Well, as tough as it is, it’s such a great thing about the sport. You feel like you’re invincible. You know for absolute certainty that you can accomplish things that most people wouldn’t even dream of attempting. It’s not just a lesson about athletics, but the mindset bleeds into every other aspect of your life. 

“Yes, the conditioning is tough, but I wouldn’t be as good without it. It makes the actual matches so much easier because you work so hard,” said Stanford. 

And trust me, the work pays off. A common thing we wrestlers hear is people asking about how tough the coaches are on us.

“One of the big things that surprised me was how intense it can get,” said Skylyn Jones. 

But really, the coaches aren’t pushing you just to be mean, it’s because they see your potential and know you can do better. It’s really such a lovely and supportive environment.  Countless of our girls started as complete beginners but turned out to be a champion.

“I won 5th at state last year!” said Janiah Jones, who started wrestling just as a freshman. “I couldn’t have done it without all of everyone’s love and support.” 

And this support wasn’t just from the team.

“After my first time at state, the school heard about it. People I didn’t even know would come up and high five me in the hallways,” said Janiah Jones.

And plenty of the girls are on their way.

 “When I started out I was fairly decent I guess. Not good but not bad. But now, I’m a unit on the mat. I’m huge. God! I really am good now, I even went to state last year,” said Coffin.

The love and drive that we girls have for the sport is the confidence and drive it gives us. Sure we might have had a tough day, but in the end, we know that we accomplished what used to seem impossible. As corny as it sounds, it really shows you that you’re able to do tough things most can’t do, and there isn’t a more powerful feeling. I recommend every girl out there to try out wrestling because it really is the sport above all.