I’m in the car eating an apple and was thinking of how close my time was.  My grandma and grandpa were in the front, and I was the back with my dad.  I was shaky, and all I could think about is how close I was to wrestling.  My family told me what to do and how to hit my moves fast.  When we pulled up to the new Bowling Green Seth Center, which is the school’s new building for basketball practice, I took a deep breath and put my headphones on.  I turned my music on to clear my head, and my nerves were starting to get to me a little.  As I walked in the door, my dad took out the tickets, but I walked right in when the workers saw I’m a wrestler.  I waited for my family, and we walked up the huge stairs. 
When I get to the top, I saw mats with kids all over them.  I saw people I know and people I have never met before.  The place was filled with people, and my dad told me, “Go get changed.”  After I come back out, he asked, “Are you ready?” Of course, I tell him, “Yes.”  At this point all I only think about how I didn’t practice all week.  My dad lets me sit down for a little bit, but then he tells me, “Go warm up.”  I walked down the stairs and into the tunnel that lets me out to the mats.  As I walked out, I saw everything and how loud it is with all the people in it.  It didn’t bother me, and I start to run some laps on the outside of the soft new mats.  When I’m done with my run, I practice some moves by myself.  I make sure I hit them fast and to the best of my abilities.  After awhile I found some kids I know, and we practice some moves.  I saw my dad watching me practice.   When they tell us to clear the mats, I walk off slowly and put my headphones back on.  When I made it back to my seat, my dad told me, “Just do your best.”   We listen to the announced rules, which say we can’t be on the floor till we’re on deck.  They seem to stress that rule a lot at wrestling tournaments.  I sit with my dad, grandma, and grandpa and think about all the moves I know I can hit.
After I see I’m up on the board, I start to warm up.  When I was warming up, my heart beats like a rabbit’s.  When I saw that I was on deck at mat four, I walked out and down to the mat.  The mat was one of the last ones at the end, but it had a nice open area around it.  After I get there, I saw the kid I was about to wrestle.  He is taller than I but also much skinner.  I watched the match on mat four and jumped around to get my body ready.  When the other kids were done, I walked up to the table and said my name.  After they check me in, I walked out to the mat and grabbed the green leg band.  When I put it on, I looked over at my dad in the coach’s chair, and he gave me thumbs up.  I readied myself and put my foot on the line while the other kid puts his band on.  We shook hands, and the referee blew the whistle.  The first thing I did was tie up the kid, and I could tell I was stronger than he was.  I push him away, and we both take a shot at the same time and went flying by one another.  Luckily, I turned around before he did and threw him to the ground.  After I threw him to the ground, I did a power half and turned him on his back.  The kid was lucky and time ran out before I pinned him.  When we started the second match, he started in his base.  I threw him in a tilt and held him till I had my five count.  After awhile I finely had the kid to his back and pinned him in the last eight seconds.  I decided to be kind and help the kid up.  The only reason I did that was because I felt sorry for him losing in front of his crazy mother. 
After I left the mat, I was ecstatic and could not calm down.  When I made it up to my seat, my grandma told me, “Good job!” and gave me a high five.  I went to get something to drink and eat to get my energy back.  My dad told me he could tell I was using all of strength to hold the kid in the pin.  I laughed and said I didn’t want him to get out when I had him in the pin.  About thirty minutes later my number was on the board, and we walked down to the tunnel.  I was in the tunnel talking to my dad about what moves I had in mind, I was on deck.  I had the same mat as before. 
When I walked by the kid I was wrestling, I was alarmed by the smell.  He smelled like a cow paddy.  It was my turn to wrestle again, the kid got out to the mat first.  When I looked over at my dad, I pointed at the kid and made a nasty face.  When the match started, the kid tried to take a shot, but I blocked it.  Then I took a horrible, shot and the kid spiraled and ended up behind me.  After that he didn’t get anymore point on me, and it was time for the second period.  I chose down, and when I tried to stand up, I made a big mistake.  I put my leg right next to my head and the kid put me in a cradle.  I was stuck, and he ended up pinning me.  A little bit of me felt destroyed after that.  When I made it to my seat, my grandma asked, “What happened?” I was speechless. I said, “I don’t know.”  I didn’t eat anything this time.  I just sat there with my headphones on and drank my water.  My number was on the board again.  My dad tapped me on the shoulder and said, “Let’s go.”  When we made it to the tunnel, he told me to forget about the last match and focus on this one.  I was on deck, and I was still thinking about my last match.  Before it was my turn, I stopped thinking about that match and started to focus on this one.   I got ready.  I saw the kid I had to wrestle.  He looked like a seventy year old.  He was much bigger than I am and had a beard. 
When we started the match, he took me down with a nice shoot and had his two points.  He almost pinned me twice, but I fought back to my stomach.  When it was the second period, he picked neutral.  He took me down again, and I landed on my back and was pinned.   When I stood up, I was crushed and could feel the tears coming on.  I tried not to cry when I was out on the mat, but when I shook his coach’s hand, I lost it.  I threw my headgear at my dad and ran back through the tunnel.  The worst part was two good looking girls saw me crying like a baby.  When my dad found me, he told me, “You have nothing do be ashamed of.”  I told him, “I’m just ticked off I lost already.”  I was so ticked off I could fell flames coming off my body.  He bought me some dipping dots and a sweatshirt before we left. We all jumped in the car.  I put my headphones on and closed my eyes.  I was very disappointed in myself, but and my dad could tell.  I was disappointed that I didn’t prepare for this, and I knew I could have done better.