Love it or Hate it, wrestling season is here.....

The kids watch as the Coach demonstrates...

Brock has decided he is the champ at the monkey bars...

Casey also coaches the team, here he is giving a few words of wisdom to Brock.

Every year I whine and complain. Wrestling take up so much time, we never have family time during wrestling season. Its SO expensive, the practices are too long, its too hard on the kids...the reasons to hate it are endless...

Every year Jaysen wins his first match and the smile on his face is priceless. Brock takes home another trophy and his pride in himself grows. Those moments are life long experiences and remind me why we do this every year.

The kids started wrestling when they were 4 years old, this is the 4th year they have competed. We travel to Bayard NE, Casper WY, Sheridan WY and several others that are hours away from home. We get up before dawn to be to the tournaments before weigh-ins, and often dont get home until well after night fall. Other times we stay in a hotel for a night or two to cut down on road time. Wrestling starts in late January and goes on until early May. Four months of the four day a week practices with 2 day tournaments on almost every weekend.

Yes the sport is extreamly demanding. Yes it takes a lot of dedication from the kids and the families. Sometimes I find myself wondering who it is harder on, us or the kids.

Brock is last years State Champion. He fought hard all season and won at the state tournament. That is something he will NEVER forget, He went undefeated the first year he wrestled, he won't forget how that felt either.

Jaysen has always struggled, he has to fight hard for ever win, and occasionally gets a bronze medal. Last year he got 3rd at the Torrington Tournament-he got a trophy and was so proud of himself. He will have that to look at and remind him of how that felt forever.

I am so proud of my boys for dedicating themselves to something so challenging, something so demanding, and something that takes more inner strength than it does actual strength.

It teaches them so many life lessons about sportsmenship, losing and winning, working to get what you want and making life long friendships.

In the end, its hard to say if I really enjoy wrestling season, but I know that my kids do, and I know that what they get from it is worth more than my happiness. I know that there isn't a moment that I am prouder than my kids then when they are out there giving their all at something whether they win OR lose. It makes me so proud to see them win, but honestly even prouder to see them give their opponent a hug or high five and tell them "good job" when they lose.

They are both wrestling Bantam(7-8 year old) and Brock is weighin in at around 45lbs, Jaysen will wrestle probably 60lbs. I look forward to seeing what this season brings and what new memories we can make...there will be many more pictures to follow!