The gymnasium was electric with energy as wrestlers prepared for their matches, each competitor focused on their journey and challenges. For many, this tournament was not just about winning but about growth, resilience, and learning from every moment on the mat.
After a match wrestlers will ponder back and find what they can improve on, with this Senior Lucas Kaufman, a determined competitor, reflected on the biggest takeaway from his latest match.
“I’m better than he is on our feet,” Kaufman said. However, he also recognized areas for improvement. “I probably just would have stayed more busy and scored more points, and taken him down some more if I could,” Kaufman said.
Despite the intense nature of wrestling, Kaufman found support in the crowd. “All the students that come in support, it’s great,” he said.
Being supported by the peers that you spend most of your time with at school and creating a bond with them to want to come out and support wrestlers and spend their time at sporting events to cheer on the wrestling team is something in sports that can be overlooked.
The challenge, however, was staying calm under the pressure. “The big atmosphere can get you really nervous. I just had to stay calm and relaxed,” Kaufman said.
For Senior Aiden Shields, a seasoned senior wrestler with over a decade of experience, the focus was on the bigger picture. Wresting with an opponent that has been in same weightclass for many years can have pros and cons.
“I’ve been doing this for 13 or 14 years,” Shields said. Looking ahead to the wrestling match, he acknowledged the challenges that awaited him. “My biggest challenge? His tight waist,” Shields said, considering the next level of competition.
His approach to wrestling remained steady, despite facing a familiar opponent. While wrestling Kaufman for many years, reminiscing on past matches and interactions with him can help amp the way Shields may feel for this match.
“We’ve wrestled in high school a couple of times. We’ve always gone back and forth—he has the most recent win,” Shields said of his long-time rivalry. However, his preparation remained the same. “I’m not really conditioning or training for this match differently. I’m just training as if I would for any other match,” he said.
Like many athletes, Kaufman viewed the match as an opportunity for growth. Ending this match Kaufman and Shield’s went 13 and 3 with Kaufman dominating the match.
“It’s about getting more exposure and wrestling more. Videoing it and then studying that will help me,” he explained. His training remained focused on fundamentals. “Just practicing, keeping my head up, and showing something new on my shots,” Kaufman said.
