in

If I Could Do It All Over Again

If I could do it all over again, I would  take advantage of every practice. I would push myself to the limit…and then further each day.

If I could do it all over again, I wouldn’t worry so much about winning but instead about enforcing my will upon my opponent, and let the winning take care of itself.

If I could do it all over again, I would refuse to feel sorry for myself whenever I experienced failure or defeat. Instead, I would use it as motivation to move forward, work harder, and gain perspective. And I would always remind myself that failure is not something to be feared but something to learn from.

If I could do it all over again, I would pursue veterans of the sport, listen to them, learn from them, and take full advantage of their knowledge and experience.

If I could do it all over again, I wouldn’t dread encounters with tough opponents, I would desire them. I would seek out the best and set a course to defeat and conquer.

If I could do it all over again, I would fight through pain and fatigue when my body yearns to shut down. For the greatest sorrow in losing a wrestling match might just be “giving up” rather than merely losing. (If I’m going down, I’m going down swinging).

If I could do it all over again, I would avoid thinking about wrestling as something to extract my own glory or self-worth, and view it instead as a gift to be engaged.

If I could do it all over again, I would always resort to humility as opposed to arrogance. There’s a difference between confidence and arrogance, and one’s ego should never take precedence

If I could do it all over again, I would soak in the atmosphere of big tournaments – state and national – and thank God for the experience. .

If I could do it all over again, I would try and have fun. Life is short, and a wrestling career even shorter. I wouldn’t want to miss a single opportunity to compete.

If I could do it all over again, I would put on my wrestling shoes and tie them a little slower; because the day will come when I am not afforded the opportunity to put on a pair of wrestling shoes again.

If I could do it all over again, I would dream a little bigger, set goals that appear unlikely or impossible, and then pursue them as if the  “impossible”  is a foreign concept

If I could do it all over again, I would smile a little brighter and walk a little taller, because I would be a part of the oldest and greatest sport on earth.

But the truth is…I can’t do it all over again. The time is gone and the regrets are plenty. But perhaps my regrets will lose their sting  as I encourage  current wrestlers to learn from my mistakes and take advantage of the time they have.

If I could do it all over again, I would…and in a heartbeat. Don’t let my regrets be yours. This sport is just too great to not enjoy all that is available within it. As the famous Dan Gable has said, “Once you’ve wrestled, everything else in life is easy.”

What do you think?

64 points
Upvote Downvote

Leave a Reply