undefeated...spirit

Back when I was in Middle school, I used to play alot of sports. For some reason it was everything back then. People really looked up to you if you were in a sport or had some kind of talent. Even teachers gave you special treatment sometimes. In the fall I played football which I loved but in the winter it was wrestling. Wrestling is a team sport based on individual effort. When the scores are tallied up it is a team thing. When YOU are up it is all you. No one but you and your opponent. This was my first year wrestling. I tried to make the basketball team ( my fav sport), but just wasn't good enough. The whole year I wrestled junior varsity. I tried to move up to varsity but an evil misguided redhead stood in my way. Before every match the coach asked if anyone wanted to challenge for the varsity spot. Other 7th graders declined because they were tired of being humiliated by their 8th grade counterpart. After about 4 or 5 failed attempts most just humbly declined and gladly wrestled jv. Not me. H-ll no, not me! If TE (the redhead) wanted to be varsity another week another match, he would have to go through me again and again and again. He even gasped as the end of the year was near and I was the ONLY one who still challenged the reigning varsity wrestler. Did I win? No, I was pinned. Out of anger and feeling like I didn't respect him, TE even made the match more painful by crossfacing harder and making rougher movements that are hard to notice by the coach. It did not deter me from trying. But I failed yet again. This was the last dual meet and my last chance and I failed. But there was actually one more time. One more chance to wear the nice blue and red singlet and not the crappy sky blue one. It was for the big end of the year 8way match. 8 schools met on a Saturday to compete in a tournament. If I could pull this upset, then I could be in that tournament. My dreams were clear from the start of the season. I want to wrestle varsity. "Give it all you got Jerry" "Everything you've got". I will be faster, stronger, agile, hostile, mobile. And yes, I even prayed. I will succeed. When I played football I didn't even know how to put on the pads and gear. Still I excelled. When other kids told me that I wouldn't play a position, I did. Why would this be any different? Just try as hard as you can and then some I told myself. The Wednesday before the meet was the last day. The coach asked almost half heartedly just because it was a formality. "Why even bother" he must have been thinking. "I want to challenge again", as I jumped up. TE was really pissed now. Why after 8 times, almost everytime being pinned, will this pudgy Korean 7th grader never quit. He looked at me with some serious mean eyes. I tried to look just as southern back. I gave my meanest Mr. T stare. If I could just intimidate him back, maybe I would have a chance. Maybe he would feel the fear of this Korean tiger coming at him, ready to tear him limb from limb. It didn't seem to work. As we both walked on the mat, I noticed almost all the team had left for the locker room. My one true friend on the team John L. stayed behind. He would root for me.
Coach made us shake hands in the center of the mat. I honestly didn't want to so as to not give up my vicious stare. Shreeeeeeek! The whisle blew. It was on like Donkey Kong. Locked posistion jockeying for position and balance. Damn he was strong. Growling as if it might help. Trying to squeeze the back of his neck and give him some pain as he was obviously giving me. All year long you've denied me my quest TE. This one is mine. My father didn't come to this country with 50 bucks to see his son fail at anything. Make your move redhead. I am waiting to counter. Make your move. He did. He went in for a single leg take down. Sprawl I told myself. You know what to do. Just do it. As he went in for the move, something happened. He fell forward and lost his balance. He messed up. Was God answering my prayer? Push his head down and spin around him to collect my 2 points and my red and blue uniform. I even SMILED as I began to spin around him. Just as I was almost behind him a large pipe stopped my impeding progress. It was his freckle laced arm. DAMN IT! He wasn't giving up this point easily. I would have begged him if I could breathe and talk. He held on with lots of pride. This time nature and logic were on my side. My leg was stronger than his arm. Enjoy the feeling of knowing all of you is NOT stronger than ALL of me. I got my 2 points. He immediately tried to escape. Arm bar and ankle. Grab them Jerry. Hold on....don't let him go. We fell out of bounds. 2-0. I chose the down position. I wasn't confident that I could pin him but maybe I could out point him. Shreeeek again! He put a half nelson around my neck and grabbed an ankle. Spiral ride they call this. He pinned me several times with this one. Not today. Everything I had to stop this. How dare you try the same thing? How could you not? Roll with it? Go against it? Not sure. Just stand up! That's it! Stand up. Both grips he had losened. He was shocked. I was free. ESCAPE! 1 point! I glanced over and Coach actually smiled. He was rooting for me! John put both hands in the air and cheered. I couldn't contain myself. I actually smiled at TE. From the beginning to this moment, I am the Champ! You are behind, you must catch up. I am about to realize my season goal and dream. HA! Now he was really pissed. My smile lasted only a sec as now he grabbed the back of my neck again. He really squeezed it hard. It really hurt. I couldn't even hide the pain. Thinking he was going for my legs again, I balanced myself and almost pre sprawled. I was leaning forward too soon! He grabbed my head and one arm and headlocked me, slammed me into the ground with a force of an earthquake. Down just like that. 2 points. He was actually suffocating me with his gross armpit. 2 more points as I barely avoided his first attempt at pinning me. Hold on! Find a way to escape! I gave everything thing I had. As my legs were stronger than his arms, HIS arms were way stronger than mine. He didn't have me yet. But it was clearly melting. I couldn't get out. Try try try. Every effort yielded more exhaustion. Last cry for strength. Last glance at coach and John. Neither one smiling. Last dream to have my Dad watch me on Sat. Last everything.... slowly being rolled on my back. Feeling like a turtle that can't get back to his base. Tear coming out of my eye. BEEP! Slam of the hand on the mat. I was pinned. Again. Both eyes watering as I have to shake his hand again. Don't cry Jerry. Don't give him the satisfaction. Keep it in. No use. As we shook hands, he didn't smile. What? He didn't rub it in? He wasn't mad or annoyed. He hit my back and said, " Good try." Now I had more water. Now it was out of guilt. Guilt for hating him, guilt for wanting to take his head off. I was regretful. I waited there for a minute. Everyone else went downstairs to the locker room. I came in last. Coach spoke," I thought you had it, was a heck of an effort, you'll do well next year. Come on Saturday if you want. A couple JV guys will be there maybe." Ok. I decided that the last gesture of compassion by my nemesis deserved at least my support on Saturday. I didn't have to be there, but I wanted to support the team. I'll come...My season was over. The next few days were happy days. Thursday went by, Friday went by. I guess I wasn't that upset. Sat morning came, I woke up my Mom to give me a ride. I wore my wrestling shoes as a fashion statment.(we all did anyway). I got there early to show support. I went downstairs to see the team even though most of my friends weren't there. When I got there TE the redhead was there with a really down look. ??? Not sure what was going on. Coach's eyes lit up when he saw me. He was glad to see me! He was glad to see me? " Jerry, TE has the flu. I'm glad you're here. You will be VARSITY today."said the coach. "What?" I asked. I heard him clear but I just wanted to hear it again. Again he said," YOU will be varsity at 135lbs". I could have screamed like a girl, but I didn't want to be mean to TE. I know he was the better wrestler, but......I was VARSITY....even for but a day. If I didn't come to support the team we would have forfeited that weight class. Loyalty, respect, and PRAYER did work. I was handed the singlet. Blue, red and white! Where are my shoes? ON me...ok.....Coach laughed at my excitement....he must have felt there was justice for my efforts....I agreed.......to be continued......