Hello and welcome back to Tyson’s Thoughts, the column where I get to speak my mind about whatever is on my mind.
I’ve always wanted to use that phrase to open one of these tombs, and this felt like as good a time as any to use it. With that little introduction out of the way, let’s get down to business.
I’ve been downright exhausted since I got home Saturday night from the Island Championships in Duncan so I won't write too much here, but to make a long story short, my wrestling team didn’t end up qualifying for provincials like we had done the previous two seasons.
Auzton got hurt during his first match and had to drop out, Jayden went 1-2, Hunter went 0-2 and Filipe went 0-2.
You could say it was a tough day for the PHSS wrestling team, but I think my squad faced some really strong adversity and still tried their best to win. The reality is, losses are a part of life and you can either learn from them or simply give up and quit.
Me personally, I've always chosen to learn from my losses, because quitting is never the answer. Looking back on my roughly 20 years spent training various forms of grappling, I've probably lost at least a thousand matches between training in the gym and actual competitions, and I feel those losses are what really helped shape me into the man I am today. The losses also made all of the times I actually did win feel much more sweet.
So yeah, to get back on track here, all things considered it was a tough day for us when it came to the official results, but I still found the trip rewarding in the end because I was able to see my young team of wrestlers get out there on the mats and compete to the best of their abilities.
I guess I’ll end this by saying the PHSS wrestling team will be back next season better than ever, and I’m looking forward to continuing to get to coach. I feel like we have a strong core group in place now, and I know we’ll be more than ready to show what we’re capable of when push comes to shove.
The future is bright for all of my students and I hope they continue on with the sport next season.
Tyson Whitney is an award-winning journalist who was born and raised in Port Hardy. His family has lived in Port Hardy for more than 40 years. He graduated with a degree in writing from Vancouver Island University in 2008. Email: editor@northislandgazette.com
