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"Under DOG"
(story
updated July 30, 2006)
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From: "Under DOG"
To: wiwrestling.com
Subject: Living a dream By Jeff Prins
Date: Thu 06/10/04 03:12 PM
Hello, my name is Jeff Prins and I have been involved in
wrestling for 10 years and this is my story of Living a dream.
I started wrestling in 1994 (age 8) for the Mighty Knights
Wrestling Club in Beloit Wisconsin. This was my first experience
in wrestling. This experience was remarkable because I learned
that amateur wrestling isn't like the Pro Wrestling on TV and
Discrimination is a part of life. Likewise, Imp not your
average, normal built wrestler. I wrestle with a physical
handicap. One of my legs is shorter then the other and I walk
with a limp. Anyways, when I was wrestling, people would look at
me and laugh and say That cripple has no chance in wrestling.
Likewise, I also learned that one the most respectable coaches
in the Mighty Knights Wrestling Club didn't believe in me.
Secondly, that wrestling experience in 1994 taught me to keep
fighting and to prove the opposition wrong and show them you are
a wrestler. I wrestled for the Mighty Knights Wrestling Club
from 1994-1996. During those two experimental years I learned
the basics of wrestling and I met some of remarkable people like
Joe Gestrich and Joe Oberneder.
Where were you from 1997-2000? I was starting Middle School at
Aldrich Middle School in Beloit Wisconsin. I didn't wrestle much
in 1997 due to the fact that 6th graders could not do an extra
curricular sport. I wrestled for the Aldrich Warriors from
1998-2000. I was the lightest wrestler on the team during that
two-year stint. I only weighted around 80-85 pounds. My
wrestling record wasn't the greatest at the time it was
horrible. I didn't win any matches during those two-year
campaigns in Middle School. The main factor I learned during my
middle school years was to keep fighting because good things
will come your way sooner or later. The two beneficial factors I
gained during those two years was I GAINED RESPECT from my peers
and experience is everything.
Everyday is a great day to get better. That was the
team-wrestling motto of my first wrestling season in High School
at Beloit Memorial High School in Beloit Wisconsin. My freshman
year in wrestling at the High School level was disappointing for
me because I didn't win any matches. I wrestled at the JV level
I wrestled 103. During my freshman year I weighted around 90
pounds. The only Personal Award I received was THE HARDEST
LIFTER wrestling award for 2001. The Hardest Lifter award is
given to the wrestler that works the hardest in the weight room
during the off and in season.
Despite my record, I gained three personal achievements. The
first personal achievement was I was one of FIRST people to
wrestle in the SOUTHERN BIG 8 with a handicap and the second
personal achievement was being the Hardest Lifter of 2001. The
third and most remember able achievement was when I was a
student wrestling coach at my Ala mater Aldrich Middle.
Likewise, coaching at the Middle school level was amazing and
learning tool for me because I learned that every individual
wrestler is different and it was amazing because I got to help
produce six Middle School Wrestling Conference Champions.
Likewise, I was a Student Middle School Wrestling Coach form
2001-2002.
My Sophomore year for the Beloit Knights was my stepping stone
because I had more confidence then last year and my wrestling
movements were a little bit faster. Likewise, I had the same
song of victories as I did the year before NONE. At this point
in my wrestling career I was ticked because I could taste
victory. Furthermore, my sophomore year in wrestling was an
improvement and the only thing I gained was persistence to keep
moving forward.
When the doctor told me I would have to have hip and knee
surgery after my junior year of wrestling, my mouth dropped to
the floor because this would be my seventh surgery in my entire
life. I needed this surgery because my left hip was dislocated
and my left knee needed to be fixed for flexibility.
Furthermore, my junior year in wrestling started off a bang due
to the fact that a surgery lay ahead of me after my wrestling
season. Likewise, my junior year in wrestling was the most
Extravagant for me personally and physically because
I WON MY FIRST WRESTLING MATCH OF MY HIGH SCHOOL CAREER
That moment I will never forget because I had been waiting for
that moment forever. I won by a pin in the last period against
the 103 JV wrestler from Madison Lafollette. Likewise, during my
junior year I wrestled the whole JV wrestling season with a left
dislocated hip. Another important factor about my Junior
Wrestling season is I repeated as the HARDEST LIFTER IN
WRESTLING IN 2003. Furthermore, my junior year of wrestling was
amazing and will never be forgotten. The two main goals I
achieved during my junior were I got the monkey off my back of
not winning a wrestling match and I gained respect form THE
SOUTHERN BIG 8.
Patience and Fortitude Conquers all things That was the team
motto for my senior season of wrestling. My senior year in
wrestling was great because as a team we went 6-2 (Third in
Conference) and I won another match. Likewise, some of the other
accomplishments I gained in my senior year was I was a Varsity
Wrestling Captain, I had winning record of 1-1 (1 pin), took 2nd
place at the JV conference Meet and I had
GAINED RESPECT FROM THE PEOPLE THAT SAID I WOULD NEVER BE A
WRESTLER.
In conclusion, wrestling for me has been Living a dream because
not everyone gets to wrestle and if you ever get the chance to
do something that people may dislike or have misbelieving
thoughts about do it anyway because you only live once and you
may never get that chance again.
Another important fact is without wrestling I would not be the
person I'm today. Wrestling has taught me work ethic,
persistence, and mental toughness. Lastly, I would like to thank
everyone that has supported me though my years in wrestling and
the people who doubted me
THANK YOU for giving me the intrinsic/ extrinsic motivation to
PROVE YOU WRONG
Sincerely,
Jeff Prins |
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