School selects most difficult sport

Senior+Marcus+Terry+wrestles+in+the+4A+state+meet+Feb.+25%2C+2022.+Terry+competed+and+won+the+state+championship+for+the+second+year+in+a+row.

File photo by Aspen Magruder

Senior Marcus Terry wrestles in the 4A state meet Feb. 25, 2022. Terry competed and won the state championship for the second year in a row.

With the mats laid out on the gym floor, two athletes take their positions to begin the first round of the meet. The last 14 seconds tick off the clock as the Augusta wrestler pins his opponent to win the match.

In the poll, athletes, non-athletes, and teachers voted wrestling as the most difficult high school sport with 37.5 percent (80 votes) of the votes.

“It takes a good mental mentality,” junior Isaiah Blackwell said. “You have to be in it to win it.

Not only is wrestling a mentally challenging sport, senior Weston Bratton believes it is also a physically challenging sport

“It is the most physically demanding sport that we have. It also takes a certain mentality to wrestle,” Bratton said.

Wrestling takes a series of tactics mentally and physically to win a duel. According to Sportsrec.com, to succeed at the highest levels in wrestling, wrestlers need a combination of physical power, speed, technical skill, mental toughness and endurance.

Golf came in second with 17 percent (36) of the votes. 

“You have to be precise with all your hits and everything you need to do in the game,” sophomore William Morales said. “Everything in the game is minutely detailed.”

While golf may seem like a simple game, there is really more to it than just hitting a ball.

According to AECinfo, players will hit poor shots every time they go out to play. However, only the ones with a strong mental game can pull off the recovery shots.

Almost every school sport got a vote, and almost everyone had different opinions on this topic.

During a lunch survey Sept. 22 and Sept. 26, 213 random students and staff members responded to a survey about what they thought was the most difficult school sport. Wrestling earned the most votes. (Chart by Dalton Pankratz)