Personal Statement
I started wrestling when I was 8 years old. After that it didn't take long for me to realize wrestling was different than other sports. I loved the one on one aspect and the mental/physical toughness it was teaching me at a young age. I felt like I was doing something not many other kids in my class could do or at least would want to do. I attribute a lot of my success to my mental toughness and maturity at a young age, and that's thanks to my coaches. I believed everything they preached to me and it slowly molded me into the man I am today. After a few years of wrestling I decided I wanted to take my wrestling to the next level. Around that time, going into 7th grade, I started to watch more and more wrestling videos and compete in offseason camps/tournaments. Every year I was doing something new and different to evolve and get better. Before I knew it, I wasn't just focused on what I was doing in the wrestling room, but outside the wrestling room as well. In 8th grade I started watching videos on nutrition and how it affects the body. This eventually led to lifting and focusing on getting stronger my freshman year of high school. Then going into my sophomore year, I focused on competing in as many off season events as possible to keep my competitive edge and help build my confidence on the mat. This year, as a junior, I started to realize the importance of recovery after hard training sessions so I put a lot of my focus on that which I believe helped me tremendously. Going into my senior year I know I have what it takes to become a state champion, I just need to be able to make it happen, even on my worst days. The goal this year is not just to be the best in the state in my class, but in every class throughout the state of Illinois. I want to dominate and make statements against each one of my opponents no matter who they are. To do this I am putting a lot focus on the mental side of wrestling. I have been reading books and listening to tons of podcasts that are helping me bring my mental game to the next level. This process of constantly bettering yourself is why I love the sport of wrestling and everything it has to offer. I'm excited to see what new things I discover and can add to my arsenal because my biggest threat is my absolute dedication to constantly evolve.
