I Would Have Done Things Differently

This past Wednesday I was both surprised and excited to find out that I can wrestle again.  It was too good to be true.  I wasn't counting on it, and so I went to the doctor prepared for the possibility of bad news.  To say I was pumped to I get one more year of college wrestling was an understatement.

The doctor said I have no restrictions at all and that I have the same amount of risk as anyone with a normal eye, but I've still been playing it safe and wearing a face mask attached to my headgear.  Another option my coach and I have discussed is a special set of protective goggles like the one that Jon Trenge, 3x All-American from Lehigh, wore after he detached his retina.  In fact, my coach knows former Lehigh head coach Greg Strobel, and so he got in contact with Trenge and found out exactly how his custom goggles were made!  For a peek at what I might be wearing this season, watch the movie Veritas, a documentary of Trenge's final season.

Knowing there was a very real probability that I would never wrestle again, I had looked back on my wrestling career countless times during the past several months, and each time I couldn't help but feel a little bit of regret.  I wrestled well in my last tournament, beating someone in overtime who I'd never beaten before, but I lost my match in the finals, and I lost badly.  I pride myself on being well-conditioned, but in that match I was out-hustled, plain and simple.  It was humiliating to get teched in the second period.  People noticed, and one of my teammates even pointed out to me that I looked tired.  I kept thinking to myself, "If I had known my wrestling career was going to end then I would've done some things differently." 

I once heard from a sports psychologist that: "You'll always regret the things you didn't do."  For example, you'll likely regret not trying a little bit harder, not taking more risks (calculated risks, not reckless ones), or not developing your potential.  Even if you feel that wrestling can be a drag at times, practices are rough, and weight cutting stinks, let me tell you, you'll miss it once it's gone.  Now that I have tasted what it's like to be at the end of your wrestling career, I have a new perspective on how I want my career to end and how I approach each day.

As an activity, try to imagine that you are at the end of your wrestling career (or whatever endeavor you are pursuing).  What do you want to have accomplished?  How do you want to be remembered?  What legacy do you want to leave behind?  Then ask yourself, what did you do today to help you on that path?  Because when it comes down to it, today + today + today + ... = your wrestling career.  Today is a terrible thing to waste.

Have no regrets,
Jeff