When the topic is about athletics, the conversation leans toward the flashier more mainstream sports, football, basketball, and soccer. However one sport that constantly gets overlooked and is, beyond a doubt, one of the most hardcore on the planet: wrestling. It’s time we finally acknowledge the true demands wrestling places on its participants and the intelligence, ability, and courage it requires to participate at its very best.

Wrestling is not about raw strength, it’s a mental war. As soon as a wrestler steps on the mat, they’re not only battling an opponent, but their own physical and mental human limitations. The sport demands an unreal amount of stamina. Some wrestlers even train year-round, pushing their bodies to the breaking point. Weight cuts, brutal conditioning, and hours of technique practice are only the tip of the iceberg. The actual matches demand explosive strength, speed, and stamina, all in the span of a matter of minutes.

Wrestling is a sport of the mind, a game of chess. Wrestlers have to make split-second decisions under tremendous pressure, thinking through moves, predicting the opponent’s strategy, and responding instinctively, all while withstanding the anxiety of the situation. One mistake and the match is over. And don’t even mention the mental toughness it takes to keep on going when your entire body is screaming for it to be over. 

Then there is the emotional toll. Wrestling is an individual sport for much of the time, and the stress can be overwhelming. When you lose, it’s not a team that gets hurt, it’s you. The self-doubt, anger, and the feeling that you’re not doing enough. But there is also a unique connection between teammates based on mutual suffering.

But for all of its demands, wrestling is often pushed to the back by other popular sports. That must change. Wrestlers are not as recognized as they need to be, in schools, in the media, or even within the general sport culture. 

In general, wrestling needs to be respected due to the enormous expectations that are put on the athletes who compete in it. It’s a sport that needs heart, endurance, and mind bending tactics. The next time you’re watching a wrestling match, admire the amount of preparation, toughness, and dedication it takes to be a wrestler.