Wrestling is tough. It demands more from its athletes than most people realize—physically, mentally, and emotionally. But what really sets wrestling apart isn't just what happens on the mat. It's the way this sport builds a family, not just a team.
And truthfully? Other sports could learn a lot from that.
As a coach's wife, I've sat through my fair share of soccer tournaments, baseball games, and, of course, football seasons. I've always been a football girl. I love the game—the strategy, the energy, the community it builds.
But over the years, something unexpected happened. Wrestling, little by little, worked its way into my heart. Today, I can honestly say it's become my favorite sport to watch and to be part of. There's an intimacy to wrestling that's different. It's not just about rooting for 'your team.' It's about respecting the grind every wrestler faces and supporting the people who are in it with you, even your rivals.
One of my favorite memories happened at the State Wrestling Tournament, during a state championship match. My husband, the head varsity coach, was in the corner coaching. Standing right beside him was the young son of our cross-town rival's head coach. That little boy wasn't cheering against us—he was cheering with us.
In that moment, colors didn't matter. Wins and losses didn't matter. What mattered was the shared respect for the fight on the mat and the people behind it. That's the heart of wrestling—it brings people together in ways you don't expect.
In this sport, you'll see families from competing schools swapping snacks between rounds. You'll see rivals offering each other encouragement after a tough match. You'll see coaches and parents from opposite sides of the gym cheering for a kid they don't even know, because they understand what it takes to be out there alone, under the lights.
As a coach's wife, I've seen how different this community feels. In football or baseball, there are large crowds, big lights, and sometimes, a distance between teams and their fans. In wrestling, it's a much smaller, tighter circle. You sit with the same families week after week. You learn each other's stories, celebrate each other's victories, and hurt with each other after the hard losses.
Those connections don't end when the season does. They stick with you.
Unlike team sports, where the spotlight is shared, wrestling strips it all down to one athlete, one opponent, and one outcome. Every mistake is yours to own, every success is yours to earn. That raw accountability builds a different kind of respect, not just for the sport, but for the people who choose to do it.
Other sports could benefit from embracing that level of personal responsibility. Even for us, the coach's wives, it's different. We bond over early mornings, endless tournaments, and the emotional rollercoaster of watching 'our kids' succeed and struggle. We know the sacrifices. We live them, too. And in that, we find a sisterhood that goes beyond school names and mascots.
Wrestling shows that fierce competition and genuine community can exist side by side. That cheering for your kid and someone else's can happen in the same breath. That respect isn't weakened by rivalry—it's strengthened by it.
Imagine if every sport adopted that same sense of community—where opponents cheer for each other's progress, where rivalries end with respect and friendship, and where families unite around the love of the game.
Wrestling shows us it's possible. It reminds us that competition doesn't have to come at the expense of connection. That's a lesson every sport—and every team—could learn from. Because at its heart, wrestling isn't just a sport. It's a family. And that's a lesson worth sharing.