You're a teacher so you prolly know this already, keep them both in it. Like music and scouting, there are secrets in these activities that help kids be awesome. I think we all understand how music helps the mind, scouting prolly character, but wrestling is the enigma to me. i know it helps kids be as awesome as they can be. Perhaps it's the "no team mates, no time outs, not excuses" way things unfold on the mat, but the room is another place where these kids learn the value and coloration between hard work and success. Conversely the experience, or at least see, how lack of effort, preparation, and commitment leads to poor outcomes. The same can be said of any sport, but wrestling doesn't dilute the blame or accountability factor.
I know my son did band all through high school, earned Eagle scout, went to state as a youth wrestler, played football for five years, baseball for seven, played tennis throughout high school, lived his high school years in the robotics room, took every advanced class they offered in science, English and math, and ended up in S&T. Am I a proud dad? Yes, he's one of the best kids and young men I've ever known. He's everything I wish I ever could have been at those stages in life!
And I credit wrestling with a very unique lesson in all of that - a gut check... He went through his phases, but was awesome because he learned how to channel anger, frustration, pain, and humility into a positive force on the mat.
Keep both of them in it, you won't regret it...
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Originally Posted by NewChief
That's an awesome pic! My boy is actually 7, though (not 10).
My 9 year old developmentally delayed kid is also wrestling, but he's not competing as of now. It's more like physical/occupational therapy for him. So far the coaches have been very cool about it. We just have to rotate his partners, because he doesn't put up much of a fight for his partners, so they don't get as much work as they should. That being said, I was noticing his partner working with him last week, and I thought the other kid was actually learning a ton, because he was having to teach my delayed son how to do some of the moves and such. What's the saying: you remember 10% of you hear and 90% of what you teach (or something like that).
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