Wrestling With Shelton

A year ago, Shelton asked if he could participate in Kid Wrestling at Centauri High School. The State Championed team does this as a fundraiser each year for kids ages 2-11, and it is a BIG DEAL here in the San Luis Valley. Very big deal. I couldn't fit it in my schedule last year, and he has asked about it at random times throughout the year, so I knew I had to make it work. I will admit, I was nervous about having him join at age 6, as there are many boys and girls that have done it since toddler hood. I was also nervous about him being a heavier kid, because they wrestle kids their same weight, not age. In addition to those worries, what if he couldn't handle the competitive aspects of it? This is an intense sport. To top it off, most boys train with their Dads close by, and Shane's schedule doesn't work with practice times. All fears aside, I signed him up this week, and he had his first match today, after only 3 practices.

I will admit, when he put that wrestling singlet on, I couldn't believe how cute he looked. It is very tight, and his buff little body is just adorable. He didn't want to take off his uniform at night, and he insists on wearing it to each practice, instead of a t-shirt and shorts. He loved the practices. I got to watch him, and he did very well. He easily follows instructions and catches on to the technique quickly. He loved wrestling his friends, but all of them are smaller than him, and were easy to pin. When we weighed-in, I knew that my 58 lbs. boy had no idea what was in store for him.

At the meet, we found out his schedule for the day. There were 5 boys in his weight class for Division 3 (See! He missed out on division 1 & 2). As his first match neared, Shane and I realized that the (giant) Sanford Indian boy that was lurking nearby would be his first opponent. My heart stopped for a minute. Are you kidding me? True, they were similar in size and weight (obviously) BUT this kid is over a year older, and 2 grades ahead of Shelton. "Oh, crap", I thought to myself. Actually, I thought the other word, but this blog is sensored. I began to contemplate forfeiting the match. I've heard the stories of kids that quit Wrestling after the first match because it is so scary and rough. What if he actually got hurt? My sweet, little boy! But, I am a very good actor. I told Shelton that he should do his best, and that he should look at this as a chance to practice his moves.

As he stepped onto the mat, he looked extremely nervous, and unsure. The other kid did, too, until he saw Shelton, then, a look of relief swept over his face, and I knew that he knew he would easily beat my son. He did. It was over in less than 10 seconds. The kid pinned him, and Shelton just laid there on his back. When he sat down beside me, he said, "I thought I was going to wrestle kids my age". How profound. At this point, I had to explain to him that he is big for his age, and that the boys he would wrestle that day were small for their age. They were also more experienced, so this was going to be hard. Here it was, the moment when he would cry, pout, and quit. But he didn't. He just shook his head and asked to play on my iPhone. He told Shane he would try harder next time.

Shelton, wrestling beastly kid #3

He lost the next 2 matches, but he did try harder, and it took 30-60 seconds for the other beastly kids to pin him. Each time, after he was beat, he smiled and shook his opponents hand, and calmly walked back to his seat next to me, his chubby cheeks shaking slightly with each step. When I pointed out his 4th and final opponent, he excitedly said, "I can take him down!" This kid was also on our team, so Shane broke the ice as he spoke to the kids Dad and said, "No matter what, a Centauri Falcon will win this one, so that's all that matters." Cute, Shane. I was (internally) freaking out.

That match went surprisingly well! Shelton didn't win, but he didn't get pinned, and they must have been evenly matched, as they went back-and-forth for several minutes. The other kid had more experience, and scored a lot more points while wrestling, something that Shelton seemed oblivious of. In his mind, he took that kid down, and he didn't get pinned, so he won! Shane and I realized that we have a lot to learn, and we will try to have him better prepared for the next meet. Shelton didn't cry, wasn't overly emotional, and didn't get hurt too badly, so I think this is a sport that he is well-suited for. I do want to help him slim down, as he is a little chunk. (May be I should bring him to Zumba with me). I'm kidding, but really, I need to be more helpful to my boy so that he can excel in this sport. He was given a participation medal, and he left the meet in extremely good spirits. What a guy!

Shelton, after the meet, with a weird expression on his face. Too cute!