3/23/2020 other sports Edit

The Harsh Reality of an Abrupt Ending to a Wrestling Career

Lex Knapp • TheKnightReport

Wrestling Analyst

Coming to terms with a loss is never easy, but it is doable. Whether it was a blowout or an overtime barn-burner, if an athlete did everything they possibly could in their preparation leading up to that moment, they have the ability to look themselves in the mirror and say “there is nothing more I could have done”.

Of course, hindsight will come into play. The “could have, should have, would have” questions will come about while reflecting on what mistakes were made. Despite falling short of your goals, it is much easier to accept that failure when you are certain there is nothing more you could have given. On that day, in that match, the opponent was just the better man.

What is much more difficult to come to terms with are the opportunities that never happen. One’s that were earned, but stolen due to whatever circumstance. That is exactly what happened to 330 division one wrestlers who were looking to accomplish their goals of becoming NCAA All-Americans and/or National Champions.

SIGN UP FOR PREMIUM AND GET A FREE $50 GIFT CARD — CLICK HERE FOR MORE!!

CLICK THE PHOTO TO ACCESS THE PROMO TODAY!

On March 12, 2020, NCAA President, Mark Emmert, announced the cancellation of the post-season for winter sports and the entire NCAA spring season due to the spread of the COVID-19 virus. It was an announcement that the world knew was bound to come, but the slightest bit of hope had fans and athletes praying the news would never break. The statement by Emmert on behalf of the NCAA ended the seasons of all, and the careers of some.

The hope to avenge a loss from earlier in the year, stand on the NCAA podium, or maybe even be the Cinderella story that won the whole tournament was taken from these wrestlers. Each one of them was coming into the NCAA tournament with their own personal goal, and the opportunity was stolen from them. The worst part of it all, there was not a single thing that any one of them could do about it.

Of course, Mark Emmert’s decision was the right decision. At the end of the day, the safety of our general public, coaches, and student-athletes is much more important than any sporting event could ever be. That does not mean it makes it any easier for these athletes to swallow the news.

For myself, this really hit home. It was not so much the cancellation of the NCAA tournament, but the unjust ending to a number of careers.

During the first wrestling practice of my redshirt-freshman year, I went down with a shoulder injury. Unfortunately, I was already all-too familiar with shoulder issues. I could tell from the pain in my arm that this was not good. Fast forwarding past an MRI, my third career shoulder surgery, and three weeks of rest, I went for a follow up with my orthopedic where I faced some difficult news.

He, along with five other doctors I went to see for second opinions, told me that I could not be cleared to return to compete, and any additional damage to my shoulder would risk the inability to ever have use of my right arm. It was a numbing feeling that I will never forget.

Sixteen years of hard work went right down the drain. Every goal I had sought out to accomplish, every dream I ever had of standing on the NCAA podium was gone. And the most difficult part of this was not that it was due to my failure, but due to the fact I would not even have the opportunity to fail.

Those “could have, should have, would have” thoughts become so much stronger in those moments. When it is no longer about what I did wrong, but what I did not even get to do, that is the pill that seems impossible to swallow. There are a lot of negative emotions that come and go with this, but the most prevalent one is helplessness. No matter what anyone says or does, that opportunity is never coming back again.

For these athletes, time will heel these wounds. However, it will take a whole hell of a lot of time. It will not happen today, it will not happen tomorrow, it will probably take a year or more. Eventually, though, it will no longer be about the trophy that was never won.

These wrestlers will reflect on the butterflies they felt before a match and the roar of the crowd that helped propel them to victory. They will miss spending every day with 29 of their closest friends, day-in and day-out, all working for the same common goal. Their thoughts will no longer be about “what could have been”, and about the memories they made throughout their journey.

They will use the life lessons learned on the mat in their everyday life as they head out into the real world. The mindset and character developed throughout their wrestling careers will help them get jobs, be great husbands and fathers, and maybe even great coaches.

And as I preach to the wrestlers I coach, they will express the importance of never taking a sprint, a lift, a drill, a practice, or a match off; as this week has proven to all of us that there is truly no telling when your last time lacing up a pair of wrestling shoes will be.

Despite the fact that they are no longer wrestling, no matter what they did or did not accomplish, they will always be wrestlers.