People, people, people, from every direction it’s people.
People are standing, people are sitting, and people are meandering. Most of
them with their eyes, their thoughts, and their hearts fixated on a basketball
court that’s divided into six sections…
It’s Bayard’s annual Federated Wrestling Meet.
My wrestling experience consists of once watching Verne
Gagne, a professional wrestler going back over six decades, when I was in grade
school. Back then wrestling was not part of most public schools, so,
fast-forwarding over those six decades, my next experience with wrestling is
watching three of my grandsons perform in Federation wrestling.
All said and done, what I know is that my grandsons who
wrestle know a lot about it and do well…without me. So, between their matches I
have all sorts of time to sit and enjoy my favorite hobby…watching people. Watching
people at wrestling matches is a gem because fans move around more than other
sporting attractions and are less inhibited.
At wrestling matches, the most mobile and vocal parents are
on display. They’re animated and they grimace, contort, and vocalize. They
holler instructions to their child as the child is wrestling, as if in the heat
of the battle the child can concentrate on what their parent is yelling at
them.
This is also assuming that even if the child heard them they’d
pay attention to what the parent says. But that’s another story.
The next segment is the vocal parent/grandparent seated in
the bleachers. (Few grandparents are in the vocal/mobile group because we’re
too old. Once we’re sitting we’re not gonna move.) Anyway, the
vocal-in-the-stands-group explodes like a thunder-clap when their
child/grandchild wins.
The third group is also in the bleachers, and maybe like me
don’t fully comprehend the ins and outs of wrestling. We intently watch but may
not holler because we don’t know what to holler about, and if our child/grandchild
wins we politely clap, once we realize they’ve won.
However, believe me, that doesn’t mean we’re any less
involved.
Wrestling matches are an entity unto themselves, and with
children/ grandchildren participating I understand why they’re addictive and
emotional. If properly handled, though, I believe wrestling is a bonding sport
while other sports are more spectator oriented. Wrestling is a sport where
parents and child can grow together over an extended period of time, whether or
not the child hears the parent during the match, or if they win.
How neat is that?
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