Wrestling, the natural sport

OK, this is really a stretch, I know. But every other sport needs SOMETHING, a ball, a stick, a horse, a team...wrestling just takes two people, and strength. I didn't really know too much about the sport, so I checked out a great resource I found online about youth wrestling. It talked about EVERYTHING a parent new to wrestling might need to know (did I mention that this season my oldest started wrestling?). There was one quote in particular that I really liked..."One of the factors that makes wrestling so different from most other sports is that wrestling
involves head-to-head competition. Each wrestler's efforts work in direct opposite from each
other as in a tug-of-war contest. Success in wrestling requires the ability to attack, as well as
the ability to stop your opponent's attack. The same factors apply with boxing and martial
arts, but an attack in wrestling is nonviolent. Wrestling does not permit opponents to strike
one another, and imposes strict penalties or disqualification for violent behavior. In essence,
wrestling is unique in the fact that it can be very aggressive without being violent. The
objective is not to destroy or harm one's opponent, but to out-maneuver them and to gain
control."
I LOVE this about the sport, for my son. Because that's him...aggressive but not violent. As a preschool he was always getting in trouble for man-handling the other kids in his class. He wasn't trying to hurt them. He wasn't angry or doing violent, he's just very physical. This sport has been the ONLY thing that he's been able to stick with without a battle every practice...and there are 6 hours of them a week!
I know this seems kind of random, but I decided that I liked the post I did a few days ago, focusing on family as well as greenness. And for our family, this wrestling season has really been unifying. We ALL (2 grandmas and 2 grandpas included) spend HOURS at the High School on Sundays supporting my son (well, his sister and brother are just waiting for those smoothies in the flashing cups, but we'll call it support.) I watched soccer, dance recitals, baseball, gymnastics, swimming...nothing makes me as tense as watching him wrestle. It's just him out there. If he loses, it's his loss. There's no team to share it with. It's all him. And for the last three weeks, I've watched him lose and it's been awful. He cried last week (and it's hard to make him cry, especially in public) because he really thought he beat his opponent. But this week the tide turned. HE WON! And I cried. I didn't know I was that wrapped up in it, until the ref raised his skinny little arm (he weighed in at 52.5 lbs this week) and his face lit up. I've never seen him so proud of himself and so happy with his efforts. THAT is the best Christmas present I could get.