From Wrestling to Lacrosse?

Should, I always start with I changed since last time? It’s crazy but I changed again. I hope you guys understand my when I say that. I hope everyone is doing well in their part of globe. A lot changed in my daily schedule. Winter season is over which means wrestling too. There is still off season wrestling which you can have practice everyday but it’s not as hard as in the actual season. I ended my wrestling season pretty well.

The last month of the wrestling season was focused on individual qualifications for the State Championships. For four weekends in a row you have a tournament that only if you place high enough you qualify for the net tournament the next weekend. California is a huge State and it’s difficult to qualify for State. We have 3 tournament that we have to place in high enough to move on the next tournament.

First Tournament is called the “Channel League Championships” you need to place top 3 to move on. All League placers go to the second tournament called the “CIF Championships” from the Southern Section. You need to place fifth or less to move on. All top 5 CIF placers go on the third tournament called “Masters”. This includes 6 CIF tournaments and basically cover the South of California. If you place 9th or better you qualify for the State Championships. Which basically every wrestler dreams to wrestle in the “States”.

The Channel League Championships includes 5 high school from our district which all send their best wrestler from each weight class. I went in the 162 pound class. From the 14 weight classes my school got 7 wrestler who got League Champions (1st placers) including me.
See news for more information: CIF Southern Section

Every wrestler in our school got at least top 3 which means all 14 wrestler could move on the the CIF. It was a first victory but in that moment you look forward to the next tournament. From our 14 wrestlers 5 of ours placed 5th or better. I had a nice run. I wrestled through till the final. I was the only wrestler from DP who went in the final. The finals were under the lights of the gym and the crowd was filling the gym. I was excited to show my wrestling on the mat. The match was tight and we went to overtime. I eventually lost the match. A lot of emotions came up. I kept my focus soon after for the next weekend “The Masters”

Our group got seriously smaller now and it would not be easier. The Masters were in Ontario and 5 of us were prepared to give everything on the mat. It took a huge difference of the level of wrestling and everyone in the stadium was hungry to win. It was all hard for us and only two captains got in the 2nd day. Ryan and me both won two matches and lost one to make the 2nd day. We slept focused on that one match we needed to qualify for State. We wrestled our best and little details made us both lose a close match. He got 12th in the 140 pound weight class and I got 12th in the 160 pound weight class. 
See news for more information: CIF and Masters

The run was over for the school and it was emotional hard for both of us to be so close on our dream. The most important now is to take this experience and make the best of it!

My winning pin for the CIF finals

The season was over then and we went to off season. Practices are shorter and we focus more on freestyle and greco wrestling. Those styles favored my kind of wrestling and I had so much fun.

Off season wasn’t enough sport for me I wanted to try a new sport and I got into lacrosse. Like pair of socks I tell you! The coach welcomed me and all lacrosse players too. I felt like my first day of wrestling but I knew I needed to improve myself for pushing this team forward. Practices were hard in a way because I needed to improve my stick skills. It looks easy to pass and catch but in real it needs hours and hours of practice. Coach put me as a FoGo player which means I would start off the game by fighting for the ball in the middle of the game and sprint out when the ball has a “releaser”. I was excited and nervous on my first game. I didn’t know how connected a team should be and that you need to give everything the time you are on the field. Teammates are relying on you. My first 30 seconds of playtime I got trucked by a player and felt on the ground. I wasn’t prepared of such a contact and all my muscle tight up and I got strangely sore for being 1 min on the field. I learned that this sport had the same intensity of contact like football. Each week I got better with my ball skills and improved my playtime on games. I built it up to be the starting face off guy and be reactive of hits. I got a lot of playtime since and fun was always with me. I wanna tell you my personal highlight of my lacrosse season:

We played against Kate. It was a high school we never beat and played against them a second time in the season. We were down 4 goals and we tried hard to keep a close match. They got a goal so we needed to have a face off before halftime. There was 10sec on the clock which isn’t a lot. I needed to be quick and win the ball forward to potentially do something. On the face off I got a perfect clamp and won the ball forward. I scooped the ball and had it in my stick. I run as fast as I could and when I saw 3sec on the clock I knew there was no time for a pass. So I ran till 15 yards in front of the goal and shoot. I never shoot the ball to the goal in a match before and my technique wasn’t that great. Through the shoot I felt on the ground. So I didn’t see my shot. I heard the clock buzzing which meant the halftime was over. I looked up and I saw the net from the opponent's goal moving! I scored a goal! Even if we were still down in the game my teammates run into the field yelling and raising their stick as we won the game. I run to them and I had goosebumps at the same time. This energy was huge and I can still feel it when I think about it.  My teammates told me it wasn’t a very fast shot but it bounced the floor so it made the goalie harder to know where it would bounce up. Added to that I scored between his legs:P We kept that strong energy throughout the whole game and got a W in our field! That day was huge for us.

Our senior night game at home

After the end of lacrosse season my schedule totally changed. I finish school earlier and there are no mandatory practices anymore. I still go to off season wrestling but it doesn’t push me as hard as a real season sport. I use this free time to spend with my host family and friends.

Prom 2K17

Our class of 2017 had their prom! It was a nice experience to live a prom like that. All students were beautiful dressed up that you sometimes couldn’t even recognize them. We took pictures on the nice courthouse in Santa Barbara and then ate dinner by a friends house. We all were excited for the prom dance. The dance was in a fancy hotel and there was a chocolate fountain and some fruits on the entrance. At the dance everyone was enjoying their live and dancing. I liked how the music changed from American rap songs to rhythmic spanish songs. At Midnight the dance was over but the school organized am “AfterProm” that was in a bowling center. During the whole night you could play poker, bowling and win nice prices. I won a free flight lesson which was nice. At 4AM the party was over and we were all tired. The whole thing seemed passed very fast but on those moments I think we should appreciate live even more so it doesn’t pass through your fingers.

Ready for new Mission 007