What I mean by "wrestling" isn't the RAW WWE smackdown type of wrestling. I mean the real wrestling. The non-eating, singlet wearing, cauliflower ear type of wrestling. Dating an athlete isn't as glamorous as the teen sensation movies make them out to be.
Wrestlers have the hardest practices along with a very strict diet and not a lot of free time outside of school and wrestling. Unlike football, wrestling doesn't have a solid day that they have a dual. Everyone likes Friday night lights but wrestling duals can be on any given day of the week.
I have gone to duals on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays with tournaments on Saturdays. Church Sundays are no exception either.
Wrestling can be a difficult sport to get. Especially with it being so individualized along with all the pins and points to understand. I have always said it takes a special person to date a wrestler. If you have or plan to date a wrestler you’re in for a rollercoaster ride.
1. You’re used to not seeing him during the season.
Practices are long and often times go into the weekends. They are already dealing with school and homework stress but on top of having two practices a day. And when you do see him... the little to no conversation will involve questions like “what’s your weight like?” or “what did you get to eat today?”. So the key is to just enjoy the small talk and hug you might be lucky enough to get.
2. Watching him lose.
Hands down one of the worst parts of being a wrestling girlfriend is watching him lose. As a girlfriend, I can sit there and get frustrated and give you a list of reasons as to why each one of those losses shouldn’t have happened. I’d place blame elsewhere and not on my boyfriend because hey that’s my job. But over the years I’ve watched in awe how gracefully and humbly he has handled defeat each time. You just have to give him space while he needs it and just simply be there for him.
3. Injuries. Lots and lots of injuries.
Some minor some major but either way they aren’t fun. I recently sat in the waiting room of a hospital while my boyfriend had surgery on something that was injured mid-season… yet he still wrestled with it for four months. It’s something you don’t like to get used to but I’ve seen wrestlers get slammed on their backs, necks and everywhere else. I’ve seen my boyfriend get taken off the mat on a stretcher. Sometimes they get up and sometimes they don’t. Even though wrestlers are the toughest athletes, they’re still fragile and at that point, you’ll have to be the tough one.
4. Being “hangry” is a real thing.
So just imagine you haven’t eaten anything in the whole day so you’re all shaky and feel like throwing up then you go to a hard workout that makes you sweat, strain and use every ounce of energy you have left. That’s what wrestlers deal with consistently. There have been times where my boyfriend has taken me to get something to eat but didn’t get anything himself. It’s not something I like to do but it’s definitely happened. There’s a lot of months of not having a lunch or dinner date. That just means you have to bring him his favorite Gatorade and snack for after his next weigh in.
5. Wrestling tournaments suck.
They are long… like eight hours long. I’ve gotten bleacher butt like no other and that just means you’ve sat on that hard gym seat for so long your butt goes numb. It's crowded, hot and the food sucks most of the time. Don’t get me wrong I love going to tourney’s more than anything but your nerves are cranked up over 100%. Because you’re either watching your favorite dude wrestle or you’re waiting for him too. It’s enjoyable to watch everyone else but as soon as his foot hits the mat its game over. So many things go into making a long tournament unbearable.
6. Wrestling terminology.
It’s not baskets, touchdowns or home runs; it’s pins, points, reversals, and takedowns. There’s a difference in Greco, Freestyle, and Collegiate. It can be complicated for some. It’s something you learn over the years after going to hundreds of duals and tournaments. I remember my best friend coming to her first college dual and I had to explain every move and point to her because she was VERY confused. I wouldn’t consider myself an expert like my boyfriend but I do know quite a bit and can definitely talk anyone’s head off about it.
There are several pros and cons to the sport but you eventually immerse yourself in it and never look back. You start loving the sport as much as you love your wrestler. I've built so many friendships from this sport. Just like they say the wrestling world is very small.
