The Sacrifices Parents Make For Your Success

The NCHSAA State Wrestling tournament will be held in Winston Salem this weekend. Some dreams will come true and others will be just out of reach. With an event like this it is important for the athletes to remember that although they are on the mat alone they have gotten to this moment thanks to the sacrifices of many. It is hard to imagine a kid getting to this point without the support of their parents or parent type figure.

The example that I know the most closely would be that of my own parents. Our father was a successful high school and college wrestling coach when we were young. He gave up coaching college to coach us in high school. Our mother is a college administrator. They never took a vacation. They traveled but not for vacations. They went where we were wrestling or in my sister’s case playing soccer. When we were in high school we were driven across the state everyday to get a workout. On trips to wrestle they would split meals to save money but made sure that we had plenty after we made weight. They were always there to watch us and make everything easier for us to compete.

The other example that I am very familiar with is that of the parents of our club members. Many of our club members’ parents drive several hours every Sunday, sometimes after having driven on Saturday to a tournament, to have their kids in our practices. One family would drive to a tournament through the night and sleep the last few hours in the parking lot in their car. All so they could have their son wrestle better competition in Virginia. Their sacrifices helped their son earn a college wrestling scholarship.

Some sacrifices may seem small such as being at every match or even every home match. Maybe the help comes in the form of encouraging words like “I know you can do it”. Some help may come in the form of discipline to keep you on track in school or with your weight. Whatever the case may be it is hard to imagine that you could have gotten to this point alone. You may be on the mat alone but someone is right behind you.