I'm grateful that I've had the opportunity to wrestle in high school and never regretted it for a second. The experiences and people I've befriended in the wrestling room were real special, but some on my team or more the coaches seemed toxic. There were times where the coaches had that Cobra Kai "No mercy" mentality towards their own athletes.

For instance, at the end of practice while the whole team was cooling down, there was this one guy who stopped at the corner of the room hands on his knees looking like he was about to pass out. My teammates including me stared at him as we jogged by, but the coach told us to leave him and bring it in. Coach was discussing a review and I couldn't help to look at the poor dude again sitting alone at the corner. I shook my head and ran to check on him. Turns out he didn't eat anything for lunch to lose weight. Teammates gathered after to tend to him and the coach told me I was a good team player.

There was another time after I graduated and came to visit my former team. It was after a hellish practice when a girl started sobbing and the new assistant coach, another woman snapped at her yelling "Hey! Stop crying! STOP THAT!" It instantly made me pissed/disgusted and I didn't even know the girl or anyone in the room except the head coach.

When I was on the team, I thought coaches were like that to "toughen us up" but now I see they can go too far at the point of being dicks. This isn't the military and they're just kids. I know the practices we have are supposed to be grueling, but I think a bit of positivity and encouragement goes a long way, something I feel my team lacked. Maybe a reason the team seemed smaller now than when I was on. My team seemed different or idk, it could be the same for others. Am I wrong for thinking this way?

All I say is whether you're a wrestler or coach, try not to be a dick and have a heart. Positivity makes champs and creates that toughness to push through, not apathy. Wrestling is already tough as it is, but compassion doesn't mean weakness. It means we're human.