By Valendy Pierre
Wrestling is a combative sport that involves a variety of techniques such as joint locks, pins, and grappling holds. According to our head wrestling coach, Coach Simonelli, it’s actually the best sport in the world. Apopka High School currently has 50 students on the roster for wrestling, boys and girls. The sport may look intimidating– because who likes getting pinned down to the ground–but a few wrestlers explained that once you join, it will be something you’ll love.
Most people would think when it comes to wrestling you have to either be big or strong, but it’s that exact opposite. You can succeed so much in this sport, regardless of your size. “I mean I’ve been wrestling for a month now and I continuously get the ‘you wrestle, but you’re so skinny?” explained Bela Hart, a newcomer on the girl’s wrestling team. With this sport, you will always go against someone your weight or your size, so it does not necessarily matter whether you’re short-tall, big-small.
The team has had a few rough patches during the season, little things that could’ve caused them to lose a match. “When it comes to small stuff, we tend to make small minor mistakes—it costs us a little bit here and there…,” explained Coach Simonelli when asked what some things the team needed to work on were.
One thing that should be recognized by this team is their accomplishments. The team has started the season off strong with a winning streak of 6-0. “We are undefeated as a dual team,” explained Simonelli. “We haven’t even come close to being defeated, so we’re wrestling tough as a team,” he exclaimed. Many of the athletes have placed at tournaments individually. Their goal as a team is to go to states. Senior Kendrick Koller went to states two years ago, but Koller hopes to take himself and his team to states his last year of high school. Wrestling since freshman year, junior Matthew Simms has placed in many tournaments. As a team, they have won districts in the past, but this year they are bound to place in states.
Not many girls wrestle, but why? Yes, the sport can look intimidating, but that is a very reason why more females should wrestle. Luckily enough, we have a few young ladies brave enough to come out and represent our school on the wrestling team. “I do have some girls who practice with us every day—they’re some of the toughest people we got on the team, most disciplined…” explained Coach Simonelli. Rebecca Belizaire has been wrestling for three years, enjoys it, and has accomplished a lot on the team. “I am 132 4th state placer and I wrestle with the boys when we go to Disney…” explained Rebecca, when asked some things she has accomplished in her years of wrestling. Though it may look scary, it really is a fun sport. Even newcomer Hart was afraid to join at first, but once she did she loved it. “He [the coach] told me to just go and observe, but when I got there he just threw me into the mix of things, and I soon realized I really enjoyed it.” Bela only has been wrestling here at Apopka for a month but says she will continue because she enjoys it and does it for herself.
Unlike most sports, Wrestling is a sport that you can achieve goals as an individual. “It’s the only sport in the world where no politics—no one else can dictate what you do or how you do it,” said Coach Simonelli. “If you come in the wrestling room and you work hard and you bust your butt and you try hard, no one can stop you from achieving your goals.”