Wrestling, our oldest sport. Created to train ancient Greeks in hand-to-hand combat, now a competitive sport featured at all levels all around the world. Wrestling was first created by the Greeks, then adopted by the Romans, who removed some of its brutality. According to The Olympics, Cave drawings of wrestlers in France and ancient Egypt have been found dating as far back as 3,000 BC.
At its core, wrestling is a combat sport centered on grappling techniques such as takedowns, holds, reversals, and pins. It demands strength, endurance, flexibility, and precise technique. In the Olympic Games, wrestling is divided into two styles: freestyle and Greco-Roman. While the scoring systems are nearly identical, Greco-Roman wrestling prohibits attacks below the waist and the use of legs to execute holds. Freestyle wrestling, by contrast, allows athletes to use both their arms and legs to attack and defend, making it a more open style.
Matches are typically decided by points or pins. Wrestlers earn points for takedowns, throws, reversals, and exposing an opponent’s back to the mat. Moves are scored based on difficulty, with high-risk throws often earning the most points. A match can also end early through a technical fall, which occurs when one wrestler gains a large point advantage, or by pinning both of an opponent’s shoulders to the mat. At the high school level, matches last six minutes and are divided into three two-minute periods.
At Pennridge High School, wrestling continues to grow and succeed. Under head coach Brian Kuhns, the program has expanded to include over 50 male wrestlers and six female wrestlers during the 2023-2024 season. The team finished fourth in the PIAA AAA Team State Championships and earned multiple district, regional, and league titles. In 2023, Pennridge also made history when its girls’ team became the 100th girls’ wrestling program sanctioned by the PIAA, reflecting the sport’s rapid growth nationwide.
For Pennridge wrestlers, the sport is about more than competition. Junior wrestler Cole Meenan said he was drawn to wrestling because it “looked very cool and fun,” but stayed because it made him “stronger physically and mentally.” Teammate Quinn McBride echoed that, calling wrestling “the toughest sport mentally and physically” and emphasizing the discipline it requires.
Both wrestlers highlighted the strong bonds formed through the sport. “It really feels like a second family,” McBride said, noting the long months spent training together. Despite the challenges of weight cutting, soreness, and mental pressure, wrestlers push through by leaning on teammates and coaches.
From ancient battlefields to modern gyms, wrestling remains a test of resilience, discipline, and character. As Meenan put it, “Once you wrestle, everything else in life is easy.”
https://www.pennridgewrestling.com/Default.aspx?tabid=2768889
https://www.flowrestling.org/articles/6752190-how-long-is-a-wrestling-match
https://www.olympics.com/en/sports/wrestling/
https://www.olympics.com/en/sports/wrestling/
https://attftl.com/what-is-the-difference-between-wrestling-and-wwe/
