Family Corner
By Krystle J Bailey
Since the start of the year, I’ve been recognized for two awards.
I am honored to have been selected by the Greater Atlantic City Chamber as one of the Top 20 Under 40 young business leaders in our area. Along with some other phenomenal professionals in Atlantic County, we will be recognized in March for our contributions to the community in our respective fields.
As for the other award, I landed “Mom of the Year” on the side of a wrestling mat as I extended my open hands to catch my son’s throw-up before it hit the ground.
In pure motherly fashion, I saw my nine-year-old son begin to fail at his attempts to keep control over his body and stay in the tough match he was wrestling. Calculating the room, I knew there was a trash can right outside the door, but with a room full of warmed-up wrestlers, I quickly decided to leave the door closed and use the only vessel I could find: my hands. Thankfully, it was the result of him enjoying a little too much sugar and Playstation during the holidays, and the damage was minimal. My son forfeited that match, and we broke the one wrestling rule we have in a wrestling gym by letting him cuddle me on the bleachers until he felt better.
I’m no stranger to the sport of wrestling. As a high school student at Egg Harbor Township, I managed the wrestling team all four years. I said “yes” on a whim when Coach Dilks asked if I would be interested in learning how to work clocks and keep score for a few matches. I fell in love with the sport, the families, and the coaches. Coach Caiazza, a legend at Egg Harbor Township High School, became a mentor and friend to me. The families that I grew up around every winter have attended my wedding, baby showers, kids’ birthday parties, funerals of loved ones, and more. There is something special about the sport that goes beyond the mat.
Last Friday, I worked the clock during my son’s first Varsity Match, during which he was winning against his friend 3-0 until he got pinned with one second left on the clock. The emotions were intense, but as I watched my boy stand up, hug his opponent, and walk off the mat gracefully, I thought, that’s it. That’s what this sport is about. He went on to wrestle and win his next two matches. As we walked out of the gym that night, after he bragged about how he pinned someone using a move he hadn’t tried before, he asked with a quiet and steady voice, “Mommy, was there really only one second left on the clock?”
The duality of being a working parent and juggling all that life throws at you can often feel like catching throw-up or being pinned in the last second. This life is not for the faint of heart either. It takes grit, dedication, and the willingness to walk away from certain things with grace and your head held high, even when the going gets tough.
I read once that prospective employees with a wrestling career on their resume are seen as highly competent individuals. They’re good against the clock, understand work ethic, and know what it feels like to win or lose with honor.
Here are three of the many lessons I’ve witnessed in a wrestling room that can be applied to life:
Win with grace, lose with grace
In the words of Olympic wrestler Jordan Burroughs, “Nobody in the sport of wrestling has ever won every match; you’re going to lose at some point.”
In life, every day isn’t going to feel like a win. There will be days when you want to run off the mat and throw up in your mom’s hands and days when you feel on top of the world after a few good wins. Wrestling reminds us that the only real way to truly win is to keep a steady pace, breathe through the hard moments, and show up the next day to try again. Each new morning brings a fresh opportunity to give life your best – knowing that it may look different than yesterday, and that’s okay.
Who is in your corner matters
If you’ve ever attended a wrestling tournament, you know that a coach’s corner can get a little wild. Coaches are yelling, parents are slamming the mat, and teammates are cheering in support as dozens of people gather around. It’s the wrestler’s job to stay focused and listen for their coach’s voice over the pandemonium. Wrestlers are trained to tune out the noise and tune into the people who have their best interests in mind.
In life and business, who you keep in your corner matters just as much. The world is full of noise and people telling you what to do, how to move, and how they think you could win. A quick glance at social media can feel as noisy as a packed wrestling gym. Build a corner full of people who understand your strengths and weaknesses and want to see you win, who are willing to talk a little louder and stick around after the noise dies down. Choose the people who will celebrate your wins and encourage you after a loss. Then, do the same for them. Be in their corner, too. Life and wrestling are both individual and team sports. We aren’t meant to go at it alone.
A lion lives in all of us
My son is a lover. He’s not a naturally aggressive kid, so when he chose wrestling as a sport, we didn’t know what to expect. He’s strong, smart, and tough, but he’s also sweet, kind, and gentle. His coaches were surprised at the end of last season when he began showing a different level of physical aggression when he stepped onto the mat. Behind the scenes and before tournaments, I had been encouraging him to bellow the loudest lion roar he could muster. With a big inhale and a grumble in his core, he began to audibly “roar” before a match and the little shift in his energy began to make a big difference on the scoreboard.
That lion lives in all of us. Find it, understand it, let it out when needed, and learn to tame it when necessary. Whether you roar before a business meeting or stand in “Superwoman Pose” before a presentation, I encourage you to find your inner lion and call on its energy to bring your A-game to the mat of life.
Krystle J Bailey is a published author, multimedia journalist, copywriter, and content creator. She is a regular Shore Local columnist and digital contributor as well as the booking agent and co-host of the radio show Joe’s Table for Two on WOND. Krystle can be reached at KrystleJBailey@gmail.com
