Wrestling is an anxiety-inducing sport. From the second you walk onto the mat, every choice you make is calculated, and can make or break a match. Coaches, teammates, and strangers watch you either win victoriously, or get your face pounded into the mat.
Throughout the season, wrestlers question how to mitigate stress and burnout.
The answer, according to junior LHS wrestler Goldy Stephens, is simply to keep it fun.
In her 4th year of wrestling, Stevens finished with 90 wins, placed 5th at state in her weight category, and made history as the first LHS girls wrestler to win 1st at an individual tournament.
The joint LHS Free State girls’ wrestling team was only created 3 years ago, and Stevens has been there from the beginning. Throughout her years with the team, Stevens has witnessed coaching transitions, increasing numbers, and an overall development of a strong team culture.
“This year our team’s gotten bigger. I feel like the bigger it gets, it gets more fun and the more success we find,” Stevens said.
In addition to bringing home victories for the team, Stevens boosts morale with her positive attitude.
“I think that Goldy definitely brings a lot of joy to the team and she has great humor and she is caring for her teammates,” freshman wrestler Arabella Ackerman said.
Supporting Stevens and the rest of the team this season was new assistant coach Michela Theis, former D1 athlete and a world medalist in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and MMA fighting.
Head coach Carl Springer believes Theis helped the team through the mental side of wrestling, and is an inspiring role model as a passionate female athlete.
“This addition is what I credit a significant increase in the mental health and success of the girls too. She has made an impact that goes well beyond the mats,” Springer said.
After experiencing both victorious wins and brutal losses, Stevens has taken away important life lessons from her time on the mat.
“Wrestling has definitely helped me build my confidence,” Stevens said. “You’re going to look stupid, you’re going to look dumb, you’re going to lose badly and it’s going to be okay.”
During matches, Stevens finds motivation through her teammates, who cheer her on through her highs and lows of the match.
“It makes me do better when I’m getting beat and my face is in the mat and I can see my teammates literally cheering for me and making eye contact,” Stevens said. “The confidence they have in me really helps me have confidence in myself.”
While preparing for state, focusing on the importance of the competition and working hard at practice was imperative for the wrestlers.
“As a team, the week leading up to state was about overall working hard and getting in the mindset of it being the most important tournament,” Ackerman said. “It’s about focusing on how we’ve made it this far and giving practices everything we’ve got.”
For Stevens, the key to success at state was simply taking the pressure off.
“Mentally, how I get ready for state is just trying to have fun,” Stevens said. “I feel like it gets really serious, and then I realize I’m in high school. It’s gonna be fine, it’s not even my senior season, and we’re just gonna have a good time.”
Springer admires Stevens’ outlook on wrestling and sees her as a positive role model for younger athletes on and off the mat.
“Where a lot of girls and boys try to pump themselves up like it’s the championships, Goldy has a calm and more relaxed approach,” Springer said. “She constantly dances and smiles and enjoys the moments where we all tend to be focused and forget to have fun.”
