These last four months have honestly been the busiest of my life, but I’ve also made some great memories. I’ve made bonds with people that I would never have considered to be an important person in my life, and the 2016-2017 wrestling season is one that I will never forget.

I almost didn’t become a mat manager because I made someone who I’m close with very upset with my decision but in the end, I was very happy that I followed through with it. I also met two of the people that I now consider to be among my best friends through being a part of the wrestling team, and the three of us created an unbreakable bond. Throughout the season, we spent each moment of the two, three hour-long practices and the long days spent at tournaments making memories and building bonds. In these hours, we’ve shared things with each other that we probably never thought we would reveal to each other at the beginning of the season.

I also became close with some of the guys who are on the team. Initially, I would go to them because I didn’t exactly know what a “near fall” was or what was considered out-of-bounds, but then we just started asking each other questions about one another’s life in general. Then the other managers, some of the wrestlers, and I would start hanging out outside of wrestling and school. Whether it was going out to dinner at Osaka, a late breakfast after morning practices during the break, or just going to someone’s house to hang out.

Wrestling became something important to me and something I really got into. Also, as brought to attention by the head manager and my best friend Rene Maier, wrestling is extremely underrated. People don’t exactly understand that it’s so much different than other teams. When a wrestler is out on a mat, there is no one else but them against someone else in what is essentially hand-to-hand combat. It’s not just them in the gym, though; there’s a whole team, families, and friends cheering them on too.

Through this season, I have also learned the importance of a team. Together everyone always matters. That is what head coach Brad Anderson considers a team. Everyone supports everyone else, even if people have issues between each other. It’s all set aside when they are on the mat. I’m happy I could be part of this team for these four months and I’d like to thank everyone on the team. Everyone has accepted me as a part of their family and I will hold on to some of the best memories I’ve created with these people forever.