If you have had a sibling who has wrestled, you understand that it is not just a sport, but a lifestyle. For us sisters who had brothers that wrestled, we spent most of our childhoods in a crowded, loud gym watching "Timmy's" dad lose his temper at a ref and countless tiny tikes throw their headgear across the room in anger. (Some of those moments are hysterical)
But for all us wrestling sisters, there is so much more we have lived through:
1. When they lose-
It's a toss up. They are either going to start bawling or get mad. If they get mad, chances are they are going to throw their head gear (in any manner), and proceed to not speak to anyone for an unknown amount of time.
If they go for the crying option, it's usually really dramatic. Some prefer to throw themselves down on the matt or cry in the bleacher.
For wrestling sisters, these are usually times where we are supposed to act calm, but most of us couldn't (and still can't) help but get in a little laugh at the Oscar worthy dramatic performances we have seen over the years.
2. The hours you have spent in a car-
If your brother was a hard core wrestler, you have traveled to more high schools than the average American ever will in their entire lifetime. You have mastered the ability to sleep in any position, in any vehicle.
3. FOOD is a touchy subject-
If they are cutting weight, your entire house turns into a desert and suddenly you are starving too because the only food in your house is carrots and jello. Every meal out must include options that "the wrestler" can eat and you get to hear them complain every three minutes that they are hungry.
Not only that, but wrestlers prefer to do the "I am going to open the fridge knowing I can't eat anything" and then walk away about 100 times a day. I think just looking at it makes them less hungry (I am not sure what the real philosophy is behind that). We enjoy our ability to watch them do this, while eating a stack of syrup smothered pancakes.
We are sorry you didn't pick sumo wrestling.
4. The coaches are pretty much your second family-
Things have gotten serious when your wrestling coach has been to your house more times then some of your relatives.
5. The pain of waiting around for brackets and trophy pictures-
So the tournament that you have been at since 7am has finally ended, but now you get to wait around for 2 hours for the bracket to be updated with a sharpie marker and for pictures to be taken.
For a sister, these hours are brutally long and your ability to complain to your parents reaches an all time high during this time period.
6. You eat mostly candy and hotdogs on the weekends-
With wrestling tournaments every weekend, your diet mostly consists of the candy you managed to smuggle in your purse and the mediocre hot dog from the parent run concession stand. Yeah, it's good. But eating two packs of Twizzlers just doesn't cut it and by the end of the day you feel like you could eat more than all the wrestlers in the room combined. Sitting on bleachers makes you hungry for sure.
7. Packing enough stuff to "Entertain Yourself"-
Every sister, or sibling for that matter, knows that wrestling matches ARE THE MOST BORING EVENT IN THE ENTIRE WORLD (especially when you are little). Wrestling sisters all over the country spend a great deal of time planning the various toys, books, games, and activities they are going to bring along to entertain themselves for the 12 hours. But no matter what, it's never enough.
8. "What's that on your skin??!!!!"-
Have you ever been in a wrestling household when the word, "Ring worm" is spoken. It usually results in the wrestling mom freaking out and booking an appointment with the doctor right away.
For any wrestling sister, they have learned that ringworm, cauliflower ear, and any other gross wrestling side effect means instant panic in the household. Then you are sat down and instructed not to make a scene about it or tell anyone at school.
No worries, I am just a 4th grader whose brother has worms growing in him (or so we think at that age).
9. There is no wrestling "season"-
You think, "Oh, wrestling is only from November to March. It won't be that bad". Whelp, you are wrong. Every year your brother is in it, miraculously it goes from a 5 month thing to a 12 month thing. If they aren't wrestling on a team, they are wrestling at a summer camp. If they aren't wrestling at a summer camp, they are wrestling at a tournament. If they aren't wrestling at a tournament, they are at a wrestling duals.
You get the picture. Wrestling is never over. So sisters learn to just celebrate the season all year long (or pray that it goes away).
10. The many people you met-
As much as you hate the times when you slept on bonny bleachers or had to miss a sleepover with a friend to go to your brother's wrestling match, you did have some great moment's yourself. Whether it was playing with another wrestling sister, watching someone's cute baby for the day, or going out to eat with another family afterwards, these definitely were some great memories with people you would have never met had your parents not dragged you along to every wrestling event.
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