I'm not the fastest kid. Actually, I'm slow. I rely more on strength and maintaining position. Koll, a national champion at the University of North Carolina who later won three world championships, notes that there are few sports as grueling as wrestling. In soccer or lacrosse, he says, those on the bench practice against the first team, suit up for games, and may get to play a bit.
Wrestling is much more personal.
Getting hammered, day after day, is brutal. To tell you the truth, I'm not sure I could do it. The others, including several state champions, left because of injuries, frustration, or because they just didn't want to warm the bench anymore. He worked out in Ithaca last summer and prepared to enter his final season an even stronger 184 pounds. It is about being a dedicated, determined person.