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Alex Dieringer
Mrs. Davis
ENGL 2
April 17, 2015
Wrestling
Its the oldest sport in the world. A challenge of mental and physical
toughness, wrestling can teach you not only how to wrestling, but how to
manage life. Many people who have no knowledge of, or connection to the
sport do not understand when people say things like this, but anyone
involved in wrestling can tell others for certain, they cannot wrestle without
being tough, and having a sense of self. In the workforce, and business world
especially these are sought after traits. Wrestling may not throw money
around quite like other professional sports, such as baseball or football, but it
can certainly keep you out of poverty, even without competing at high levels.
The job market is a terrifying place, with unemployment rates swaying
between 7% and 8%, having a job is a lucky thing. The job market is filled
with millions of people searching and fighting for the job of their dreams, or
in some cases, just a job at all. The job they spent years and hundreds of
thousands of dollars in college on, betting their future on the diploma they
receive when its all said and done. Often times when people see homeless
citizens on the side of the street asking for food or money, the first thing
they said is Get a job, but it isnt always that simple. Perfect qualified

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people struggle everyday to find a job; some give up on office jobs to work at
a restaurant just to pay their bills. With such a high level of skilled
professionals from all ages searching for the same job, it is important to have
a competitive edge over everyone fighting for the same thing in the
workforce. It is easy for anyone to do community service, anyone can learn
basic computer programs, so what bullet points should an applying employee
use to make his or herself shine brighter than the others? Those who
compete in high-level sports use their athletics. If you really want to
separate two seemingly qualified employees, bring them in for an interview
and ask a simple question, Have you ever participated in sports at an elite
level? (Cooper, 1). Wrestlers experience failure and success, sometimes all
in the same day, their determination and competiveness is something
greatly sought after in the business world. If an employer can count on their
employees to rely on themselves, and get what they need done on their own,
it can take them far.
Wrestling is known to be an extremely mental sport. In wrestling,
competitors cant rely on their teammates to take them to the finish line; it is
all their own person drive, you have to put work in, to get work out; all the
time. Wrestlers have teammates, and they are a family with a bond unlike
any other, but at the end of the day the outcome of their match does nothing
to help the others final score. Wrestling provides an incredible set of soft
skills, that make its competitors tough to beat and hard to discourage. Selfconfidence is a huge factor. Since wrestling forces participants to rely on

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solely on themselves and their own abilities, it is important to have a positive
view of themselves, displaying a strong sense of self-confidence. Discipline is
a strong force in wrestlers. It takes an immeasurable amount of discipline to
wake up early, put on plastic clothes, and run until you lose weight,
sometimes ten pounds worth. The discipline to resist eating, holding out on
everything you want to eat just to get down to the weight you are suppose to
wrestle at in the dual. There is an incredible work ethic that comes with such
extreme measures just to be light enough to compete, and the fluctuating
weight can affect a persons strength, and positive mind-set no doubt.
Wrestling, and life alike, requires mental toughness that can help them in the
work world. They are dedicated, they do the extra running, put on extra
lifting sessions, but one day, their competitor who is putting in the same
work, and at the same weight, will meet up in a circle, and only one will walk
out of the circle as a winner (Mendelson, 1). Strong personal qualities can
greatly help wrestlers stand out above others applying for the same job,
facing tough times just makes those who have lived through wrestling
stronger, and more determined. A job can challenge someone in the same
way. An employee can put in the extra hours, attend the extra meeting, and
spend months chasing that upcoming promotion, but it doesnt go to them,
and all of their hard work is lost. After high levels of work are put in to
anything, and it doesnt payoff, it is hard for anyone to want to keep putting
in that much work, and more to get the results you want, but thats exactly
what wrestlers are taught, if life takes you down, it is your job to get back up

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and take it down when the next opportunity arises. With an unemployment
rate of 7.4% in 2013 (Hunger and Poverty Fact Sheet), the ability to pick
oneself up when down can play a major role in gaining a job, and keeping it.
When preparing for major events, athletes and professionals in the workforce
all the same, often react the same way, with tunnel vision, separating
themselves from the outside world and paying attention only to their one
goal. John Smith was of a similar mind-set during his days as a collegiate
star at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater. He remembers being isolated
to the point that he went long periods without speaking to his parents who
lived just an hours drive away. . . (Chapman, 87). Everyone has a zone
they get in to when preparing for major competitive or high-stress events,
and wrestlers are not stranger to it.
This is not to leave others thinking that wrestling teaches its
competitors to be selfish and self-centered. Many of the wrestling
organizations in Oklahoma and other locations participate in some for of
community fundraiser or volunteer work. In 2013, 45.3millionpeople,or

14.5%ofpeoplewereinpoverty(HungerandPovertyFactSheet),withsuchhigh
numbersofpeopleinneed,itisimportanttoappreciateanythinganyonedoesto
helptheircommunity. Wrestlers have a bond. There is a known respect for
each other. They know how hard they have all worked to be on the podium,
because each individual put in extreme work to get there too. When a
teammate is slacking in practice, or just having an off day, people work to

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encourage that person. They lead by example, years spent with a group of
guys competing, fighting for the same thing, will teach people quickly that
respect comes from those who do what they tell others to do, and not to
those who shout out commands to other people without doing anything
themselves. Even the best competitors lose sometimes. Everyone is breaking
their backs to achieve the same goal, so there is a sense of humility in the
sport, because the second youre on top, all it takes it one slight
misjudgment, or a guy working harder than you for a minute to take your
spot. Steve Cooper, a writer for Forbes reflects on his time as a wrestler, and
compares it to his now real world career, Over the years I learned that
getting knocked down was just part of the process to work even harder and
to improve. I now encourage the success of others because I enjoy the
challenge of meeting those higher expectations. Even during the all-night
programming sessions to launch new features on Hitched, it has never felt
difficult since I know 100 of those nights will never be as hard as a single
wrestling practice (Cooper, 1). It doesnt take much time spent around the
sport to notice that wrestlers seem to push themselves just a little harder
than other athletes, their extreme drive can take a business to that same
next-level zone they have always tirelessly strived for. I swear it upon Zeus
an outstanding runner cannot be the equal of an average wrestler are wise
words from Socrates, as one of the worlds oldest sports, understood in all
languages, competitive in many countries, and constantly fighting to stay as
a sport that is recognized by many, it is hard to debate wrestlings cons.

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Wrestling is prominent in many countries. Major countries compete in
the sport past college careers. This means in the wrestling community alone,
there are thousands of jobs perfect for any wrestling enthusiast. Not just
within the organizations are jobs up for grabs though. To keep the sport
thriving it is also important to have coaches at the lower levels, encouraging
young kids to stay enthused about the sport, and let them know how many
doors it can open for them. There is also an impressive amount of
connections that can be made during time involved with wrestling. The
lifelong connections that can be made by participating in wrestling, or other
activities, can truly be a lifeline if times get hard. Even if someone does not
meet the textbook definition of poverty, they can still struggle day-by-day to
pay bills and buy food. People from all types of backgrounds and professional
fields have played a role in wrestling, and wrestling has played often an
important roll in their life, making them willing and eager to give back, and
help young wrestlers find their spot in the world once their time as a wrestler
has come to an end.
While all activities and sports provide skill sets that would not
necessarily otherwise be present, wrestling emphasizes many of the softskills, and personal attitude qualities that are needed in the world to make it
as a successful anything. Life is constantly trying to knock its players down.
It is important to stay positive and determined when job searching,
struggling to pay bills as a young adult, living in general. What you are active
in can open doors you never thought possible, because everyone has

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connections, and sometimes those connections can be life changing. Poverty
is prominent all over the world, and those in the United State that struggle
are still among the richest people in the world, but that does not mean it
isnt something to take note of. Wrestling can teach you great things and put
its competitors on a steady path to success, as Dan Gables once said, Once
you have wrestled, everything else in life is easy.

Work Cited

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Chapman, Mike. Wrestling Tough. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 2005.
Print.
Cooper, Steve. "Why Wrestlers Make the Best Employees." Forbes. Forbes
Magazine, 31 July 2012. Web. 11 Apr. 2015.
Duronio, Ben. "Why Wrestlers Are The Best Employees." Business Insider.
Business Insider, Inc, 02 Aug. 2012. Web. 11 Apr. 2015.
Freeman, James. "Wrestling, Sport for Our Times." WSJ. Wall Street Journal,
30 Mar. 2011. Web. 12 Apr. 2015.
Hankel, Isaiah. "120 Things Wrestling Taught Me About Business Success |
Dr. Isaiah Hankel | Discover How to Create a Confident and Focused
Life." Dr. Isaiah Hankel. Isaiah Hankel, 29 Sept. 2013. Web. 11 Apr.
2015.
Herbert, Jake. "Jake Herbert: Why I Wrestle : Cliff Keen Wrestling Club." Cliff
Keen Wrestling Club RSS. Cliff Keen Wrestling Club, 2011. Web. 11 Apr.
2015.
"Hunger and Poverty Fact Sheet." Feeding America. Feeding America, 2014.
Web. 14 Apr. 2015.
Mendelson, R. "10 Life Lessons I Learned On A Wrestling Mat." DIO
Consultants Blogspot. DIO Consultants, 09 Apr. 2014. Web. 11 Apr.
2015.
Mughal, Khabir. "Top 10 Oldest Sports in the World." Sporteology.
Sporteology, 06 Aug. 2014. Web. 11 Apr. 2015.

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"The Benefits of Wrestling: Why You Should Wrestle | ISport.com." The
Benefits of Wrestling: Why You Should Wrestle | ISport.com. ISport,
2012. Web. 11 Apr. 2015.