GHS Wrestling Team Rolls into First Practice of the Season
Approximately 30 guys and a couple of girls begin jogging in a circle around the mats. As the weather outside starts to get colder, the wrestling room starts to warm. A captain yells to start shuffling side to side. The 2023-2024 wrestling season has started up with three to four months to improve, get better and grow.
The first meet for the GHS wrestling team is Dec. 2nd and a Grizzly Brawl hosted by GHS is planned for the 3rd of December. Wrestling is recognized as one of the world’s oldest competitive sports. It dates as far back as 3000 BC.
For Brody Reeves who’s been wrestling for eight years, “The practices are relatively easy,” just depends on the day.
As the warm ups end the wrestlers try to catch their breaths while the coaches tell them to find a partner. The team launches into drilling without much time for a breather. The pace picks up, and wrestlers are still hanging in.
According to wrestling coach Josh Devriendt the sport is a great outlook and “teaches you how to get what you want.”
Since 2011 the GHS wrestling team has not placed 1st as a team, that was when coach Devriendt was still in high school on the team.
Devriendt yells to circle up and look in. He’s showing a move which could be new to some but others have been perfecting it for the past couple years. Everyone breaks up into their partners and starts drilling the move the coaches showed.
Reeves says “wrestling has made me tougher and physically a better athlete, and helped with my mind body coordination.”
Wrestling is a martial arts sport that involves grappling which used to be an olympic sport, until 10 years ago when it was dropped. Since then it has been added back and the 2024 olympics have a roster of about 288 people and 18 weight classes. In order to wrestle wrestlers would have to be entered in a weight class, and be at that weight by the event.
Towards the end of practice everyone’s spirit and fire is starting to go out, this is where the real work starts. The team is weathered and tired. Coaches are yelling to push through. Teammates encourage the wrestlers falling behind. The air is hot and gross, the smell of sweat lingering everywhere.
Wrestling changes people. Devriendt has seen “kids who just took a lot for granted and changed or evolved and better themselves” because of the sport of wrestling. It’s the hardest sport and has the best discipline in his eyes.
High school’s form of wrestling is Folkstyle. Folkstyle has three positions: neutral/on feet, top, or bottom in referee position. This style of wrestling involves all body parts. After that it is Freestyle and Greco Roman in college. Folkstyle was developed in America. In Greco Roman wrestlers aren’t allowed to attack the legs; it must be above the waist. Freestyle allows use of all body parts and permits holds above and below the waist. After a high school level women and men can enter freestyle wrestling while men are only allowed in Greco Roman. Folkstyle is more commonly used internationally and is the style in the olympics as well as Greco Roman.
Coach yells get on the wall, athletes’ physical and mental strength are being tested. With the remaining time conditioning is being enforced. Running back and forth tired and hurt, trying to be the first one back. Having to push through.
The first practice of the Goffstown Wrestling team has finished, ready to take first at 2023/2024 States.
To be a good wrestler “mental toughness, consistent discipline, and a little bit of athleticism would help,” Devriendt says while laughing. Reeves believes a good wrestler “knows technique, does not give up, pushes through, and does it consistently.”
