Wildcat wrestlers host home match
The Richmond Hill Wrestling Team had its first home match of the season yesterday, and it was hard not to notice the excitement growing in both the team and the student body in the days leading up to the meet.
While wrestling, in my opinion, remains one of our school’s less broadcasted sports, announcements ran all week long promoting anyone listening to come and support the team. Though the meet was Junior Varsity the competition was without doubt rigorous.
The Wildcats met Savannah Country Day School Friday who, interestingly enough, are in a situation identical to our own last year.
They are a first year program and have only a Junior Varsity team.
Though I’m sure Country Day has plenty of ability, they will be hard pressed to come up with as good a premier JV season as we did. The first home meet came in the middle of the Wildcats season, and will unfortunately be the last this year. I however, encourage everyone to continue to follow the team, who will be at the South Effingham Region Duels today.
Student spotlight: Justin Peacock
I spoke with Justin Peacock, a returning wrestler from last year’s premier season about his views on the first home match, his motives for wrestling, and his thoughts on the sport as a whole. During our interview it was easy to hear the gusto in Justin’s voice that comes from talking about something you sincerely love doing.
Q: Why do you wrestle?
A: I wrestle because it’s fun. It’s different than any other sport. You bond a lot closer to the guys, and it’s not a team sport, it’s one on one. There’s no one else out there but you and the other guy.
Q: What has wrestling taught you?
A: Some moves that hurt people, discipline, and conditioning, I’m in the best shape I’ve ever been in.
Q: Have you ever wrestled before joining the Wildcats?
A: Last year was my first year, but no. No other team but the Wildcats.
Q: What are your thoughts on competing for the first time at home this season?
A: I want to do good, but I’m just gonna do my best. If I lose I lose, that happens in sports. You lose, and you win.
Q: Do you see wrestling at home as a source for more pressure or more inspiration?
A: Inspiration and pressure. Inspiration because I want to do good in front of everyone. Pressure because everyone’s watching.
Meet the faculty: Coach Rick Bond
This week I was able to speak briefly with Coach Rick Bond concerning the current wrestling season, his hopes for the rest of the year, and his views on the team’s first, and only, home match of the year.
Coach’s experience and collected personality really shone through.
Q: How long have you been coaching?
A: 13 years.
Q: What are your thoughts on the season so far?
A: I have been very enlightened at times, and very disheartened at times.
Q: Do you think wrestling at home will have a psychological effect on the athletes?
A: I think that since we have never had one that it will. Now that wears of after a certain amount of time. But yes, I think they will be more prepared than usual.
Q: Do you feel any pressure about the home meet?
A: No, I’m not wrestling.
Q: I know one of your goals for the season is to send someone to the State Tournament. How’s that coming thus far?
A: It’s a little difficult to tell. As I told you at the beginning I’m a little disheartened on something’s. Over the Christmas vacation we had a large number of student/athletes who, for one reason or another, didn’t attend practice. Some were excused, obviously, but not all of them. So it’s a matter of them missing almost two weeks of practice, how much did they miss, how quickly can they pick it up, and only time will tell that. I don’t have the answer, and that’s one of the reasons I’ve put my foot down on missing practice.
'We really don't have all the time in the world'
The holidays have not only been a time of joy for my family, but also a time of grief. The recent loss of my grandmother has been a blow felt by the entire family, both sides. When my father’s mother passed I had made it up in my mind to try to be the strong one. I don’t really think the loss hit me until we received our annual Christmas present from Grand, my grandmother. She always sends my family these really interesting Christmas ornaments. Everyone always gets their own special decoration to put on the tree, hers were always my favorite. This year, in commemoration of Grand, we decorated the tree with only the ornaments she had given us over the years. Some were given to us so long ago I scarcely remember receiving them, but all of them spectacular. And as I watched them all hanging there glistening on our tree, little reincarnations of Grand and the time I spent with her I had an epiphany. A crazed idea ran through my head that told me that I too would be old one day, and that I too would die. Life’s too short to be self destructive, life’s too short to waste, life’s too short not to be happy.
Not much of an epiphany I suppose.
The truth is I probably could have had the same thing handed to me on a silver platter by any given Hallmark card. The sad thing is it doesn’t really work that way, and it took the loss of Grand for me to realize that we really don’t have all the time in the world.
Stephen asked Richmond Hill High students;What was your New Year's resolution and how's it coming thus far?
My New Year's resolution is to live in the moment. I spend too much time living in the past. Life is too short to miss out on little moments that will always be remembered, and worry about things out of my control. I am trying really hard, but sometimes it gets a little tough." - Caitlyn Kelly
"My New Year's resolution is not to eat fast food. But then I went to the new McDonald's by Publix ..." - Ruding Tang
"My New Year's resolution is to stay more focused in all my classes and try not to get behind in anything. So far it's going really well although it's still early. " -Tanzie Nelson