Wrestling Meet #1

Today was Carson's very first wrestling meet @ Malad High School. Carson wrestles?, you ask! Well, we signed him up last night (and they had their very first practice), and tonight we drove 30 min. to his first meet. He seriously didn't know what he was doing. He didn't even know how to "pin" someone, or what a "pin" means! I felt horrible for that, but he was also one of the only first grader's who hasn't wrestled since age 3! I am also a very unprepared mother. I thought it would be a small, fun pastime for him to do. Hello! Almost any parent with a child between three years old to sixth grade, from Idaho Falls all the way to the Utah line and back was at the meet (and will be at all the other's!)
Okay, so back to Carson, well, he was all psyched and ready to go! We made it on time to weigh in, I found a Marsh Valley coach who showed him what NOT to do, and then turned him loose. The pre-K and Kindergartner's go first. They put them in groups of four according to their age, and then they wrestle the kids in their group. Carson watched, but soon they called for his grade. There were probably 150 or more first graders! Carson is tall and skinny, so his weight was dead in the middle. He waited about an hour and a half for his turn, and I could tell it was eating at him. The other three kids he was going up against had all wrestled for at least two years, and they knew what they were doing! Poor Carson, as soon as the referee blew his whistle, all of his anxiety let out and he began crying. You can't do anything when you're crying. To make it worse, all of his friends were standing right there to cheer him on. I have to hand it to him, though, he stood his ground. He was never pinned. The other player, or whatever they are called only won by points both times. Carson put moves that I have never seen before on these boys! So, on top of his nerves and crying, and lack of knowledge of the sport, I'm proud of him! I told him that as long as he does his best, I will always know he's a winner. (Great mom talk, hu?!) He told me afterwards in the car that he was so scared he was going to hurt someone (like when he wrestles with Luke and Colton), so I could also see why he had some hesitation there. He did say that the part he didn't like was the waiting. Duh, I could see that on his face the whole hour and a half he waited! Good job, Bubba! You did your best. Sorry I didn't get pictures tonight. I also learned another lesson while I was there. If Luke's working the video camera, don't take Brooklynn so that you can get pictures!