By Isaac Dickinson, Junior at Hurricane High School

I have always loved wrestling. I have been wrestling year-round since I was six years old. Not too long ago, I moved from northern Utah to Hurricane, leaving behind the neighborhood that I had grown up in since I was born. The move was really difficult for me from a mental standpoint, mostly because I didn’t have friends immediately, so I felt that the only thing I could count on was my performance in wrestling. I placed my self-worth on winning. My fear of losing would consume me even before a match would start, negatively affecting my performance. By the end of the year, my mental state of mind had spiraled downward to the point where I wanted to quit wrestling.

I have always loved wrestling. I have been wrestling year-round since I was six years old. Not too long ago, I moved from northern Utah to Hurricane, leaving behind the neighborhood that I had grown up in since I was born. The move was really difficult for me from a mental standpoint, mostly because I didn’t have friends immediately, so I felt that the only thing I could count on was my performance in wrestling. I placed my self-worth on winning. My fear of losing would consume me even before a match would start, negatively affecting my performance. By the end of the year, my mental state of mind had spiraled downward to the point where I wanted to quit wrestling.

I really struggled with the decision of whether or not to quit wrestling until I attended a tournament in the summer of 2023 called the Black Hawk with the Hurricane High School wrestling team. It was in that tournament that my mindset began to change. The tournament did not count towards my high school wrestling record, which took the pressure off of me so I could just wrestle. I began to feel calm, cool, collected, and extremely grateful, making the sport fun for me again. 

Soon, I was able to approach every match in the same calm and steady way, whether the wrestling match counted or not. I have also been able to maintain an attitude of gratitude throughout this year’s wrestling season and my mantra “I’ve got this!” has instilled in me a quiet confidence that I didn’t have last season.

As I reflect back on this past season of wrestling, I can pinpoint a few stand-out moments that reinforced the quiet confidence I felt. First, during a tournament at Dixie High School, another wrestler asked me whether I was ready to beat the opponent I was scheduled to wrestle. I looked him in the eye and with total confidence said, “I got this.” Before and during the match, I remained focused on the win. I felt secure in my ability to perform at a high level. This feeling continued throughout the tournament.

Another highlight of the season occurred at a tournament in Nephi, Utah. I noticed that my dad was getting a bit frustrated with a referee after one of my matches. I calmly stepped over, looked my dad in the eyes, and said, “Dad, I’ve got this.” And I certainly did, placing fifth in one of the top tournaments in the state. 

A third stand-out moment took place at a tournament called the Rumble. Even when things didn’t go my way at this tournament, I quickly got over it by choosing to have an attitude of gratitude. I told my Dad, “I’m already over it. There is still so much good that will come out of the season, so I’m just looking ahead. I can’t do anything about what happened at this tournament; it’s out of my control. So I’m not worrying about it. I’m doing good.” This was huge for me because a year earlier, I would have been really hard on myself and tied my self-worth to my performance.

The other day, as I was looking back on all that I had experienced, I found a quote by Tara Brach. She said, “There is something wonderfully bold and liberating about saying yes to our entire imperfect and messy life.” Life is hard. There are ups and downs, but I have learned to be grateful in its messiness and to remain calm, cool, and collected despite what happens to me. Elder Joseph P. Worthlin, a leader for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, once gave a talk titled “Come What May and Love It.” That is what I have chosen to do. An attitude of gratitude is worth a thousand state championships!