I didn’t know what to expect. I really didn’t. I was going to walk into Mayser for the Blue and White wrestle-offs without any knowledge of wrestling whatsoever. Having a D1 wrestling team meant I knew that they were good at what they do, whatever that may be. I roped one of my friends into going with me and I was so happy that I did. We got into the gym a little before the match started. There were friends and families scattered throughout the stands and my friend and I found a spot. Soon, the team came running out. They were matched up according to weight to determine the line up for the season. But that was the only bit of information I knew for sure. Two guys approached the mat. They put on ankle pieces with different colors so we knew which one was getting the points as the ref would hold up the arm with the corresponding color on it. My boyfriend’s family was in the stands as well, and his mom kept whispering bits of information to us to try to help us understand. “Look see, he just did that which gives him 2 points.” Meanwhile I kept nodding along, fascinated by this new sport I wandered into. The points and timing were very structured and each move the wrestler made was calculated. At least for the first few matched. A little down the road another match started and the two guys just went at it. There was clearly technique and skill involved but they wanted to win. Sitting and watching all of this unfold was so strange to me. I had been to other sporting events but something about the sheer physical contact each one of the guys were involved in made the stakes seem higher. I felt stressed watching them, worried for them. I knew they knew what they were doing, but still. In the stands it was a hushed atmosphere. A lot of observing and whispering. It felt very different than the loud cheers I was used to from going to football games. While I didn’t understand the real scoring system that was going on, I could tell who was in the lead, or who had the slight advantage. And it was remarkable. I’ll be at the next one and who knows how long it’s going to take me to actually get it but until then, I’m going to keep trying.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at F and M chapter.