Teen Ink: 'Cutting Weight'

Football, baseball, cheerleading, and soccer seem to be the most popular sports to participate in at school. They are usually the most participated in because they are the most popular among people.

But how many of you are really familiar with wrestling? We aren't talking about professional wrestling where people slam one another with chairs but more like high school wrestling. You know the kind where two people on a mat go one -on- one and try to pin one another? Today's Teen Ink article is by Saige in Loma, Co who describes what it takes to be an awesome wrestler...and you might be surprised by what all they have to do!

His heart races to the sound of the clock ticking in the background. Twenty more seconds and he has this match won. All he needs to do is hold on. His opponent meets his eyes with a look of defeat. Thump, thump ... 15 ... 14 ... the clock ticks down the final seconds. The wrestler thinks of the final 40 minutes he ran to shed that extra half pound. A match easily won. Then he's thrust into the air and, dumbfounded, he finds himself on the mat. The ­referee pounds his hand on the ground and he's down for the count in a ­moment of weakness. The defeated wrestler watches his opponent raise his arm with the grin of a champion.

Read more at TeenInk.com