Swimming in the deep end...

This past weekend Conor competed in his first freestyle competition.  He has practiced the style before, but this is the first year he has had time to actually enter some competitions on weekends.  Although this tournament was a big one for freestyle, it is still offseason so the competitors are limited.  In order to get some matches in Con wrestles up an age group, which may help him a bit as he prepares for varsity competition next year.

He gets to the mat for his first match and sees his first opponent.  "Oh crap, he's jacked," Conor mumbles as he slips up the straps on his red singlet.  Not sure if "crap" was the exact word that came out of his mouth or not.  After a few meager words of encouragement, I pat him on the rear and send him out to earn his fate.


He wrestles pretty tentatively.  The tournament director has cut down the matches to one minute periods because the event was is crowded and the two grapplers dance the heavyweight waltz for the entire sixty seconds.  Conor wins the flip which means he gets choice in the "clinch."  I know he is in trouble when the ref starts to show Con how to get in position for this - guess we should have went over that before.  No rolling start, no movement on the whistle, no takedown or pushout for Con.  First period to Blue.

2nd period went better.  Conor pushes the action and finds himself with a nice body lock on his opponent as the period end draws to an end.  But a little hesitation, time ticking down, a forced throw and Blue ends up on top.  1-0 Blue, period Blue, match to Blue.  No problem, the first match is out of the way.  I've seen the other six kids in the bracket and there is only one kid that is going to be a problem for Conor.  He should get a couple matches which is all he is here for.  Spring wrestling is for mat time, not trophies.

As I wait for the brackets to be reposted, I notice the "big dog" of Conor's weight class near by.  A high school sophomore who qualified for states and won a match up at Hershey, the kid looks like he has descended from Mount Olympus for the occasion.  He makes the first kid look like PeeWee Herman.  Con's day is going to end when he runs into this kid.  At 13 he is not ready to beat an opponent of this quality, and privately I'm worried that he might get his arms ripped out of his sockets in the match.  The later he meets this kid today the better.

The brackets get put up and Conor gets mini-Hercules next.  As I'm trying to figure out the intricacies of the freestyle vertical bracketing system to see how he got such a bad draw, Con approaches, looks at the bracket, shrugs his shoulders and puts his earphones back in without a word.  Twenty minutes later we're in the warmup area and he passively goes about his business as I'm shuffling back on forth on my feet.  This is the first time he has wrestled a high school state qualifier AFTER the kid has been to states (if you get what I mean - Conor has wrestled a couple of kids who later went to states in high school in youth tournaments).  And I seem to be the only one intimidated.  I guess my kid has figured out exactly how important a match in a spring freestyle qualifier is approximately a few hours before his dad does.

Conor is blue this match.  Maybe this is a good omen??  Maybe not, on the opening whistle Red hits a sweet outside single and takes Con to the mat.  One point red, I guess the rout has begun.  Red tries to turn Con, but my boy is tough on bottom.  No points and they go back on their feet.  Another quick single attempt by red, but this time Conor is ready.  A good sprawl and he's got the other boy in a front head.  Conor goes head in the hole, but can't really move the kid.  He's just too strong.  Period ends, 1-0, first period to Red.

I'm feeling better now.  Con just made it a period with this kid and after the first five seconds actually looked to be in the match.  I'm feeling even better now that Conor has him in a front headlock again.  Con is real good in this position.  I know how he wrestles and he's probably going to try to hit something big here.  Who knows maybe an upset is in the making??  A couple of small position adjustments and a good setup later and here comes the gator roll.  I'm thinking he's going to get two out of it at least, and possibly a pin - he's good at turning that move into a pinning combination.  I'm thinking wrong.  Connor rolls under and Schwarzenegger  goes nowhere.  Ball game, Red wins and we go home early.

After the match we sit in the stands and talk which is somewhat out of the ordinary.  Conor is unusually upbeat after the loss and I ask him how he thinks he did.  "I can wrestle with him, Dad," Con says with quiet confidence.  "If I get a little stronger, I'm going to beat him next year."

It might have been the best wrestling day of the year for me and my son went 0-2.  Where else can you get this feeling?