2/12/11: Formerly known as the PCL

There's my dad in the right corner. Still doesn't sit in his chair. No wonder your knees are bad!

I have very many fond memories of wrestling. In particular the PCL tournament.  The league has since expanded and is now know as the PTC.  I've been going to wrestling matches since before I was born.  My dad was a coach before I was born and still is to this day. I spent many Thursday and Saturday nights sleeping in the bleachers as an infant.  My mom trotted all 3 of us to all these matches.  Now that I'm older and take my own kids, I think she was nuts. Also?  I see why she had my brother and sister on leashes. Once I hit Junior High I started keeping stats with my friend Sarah. We kept stats together for 5 or 6 years. We weren't ALWAYS on top of the actual stat keeping though. Like that one time we let a JV match go into a 4th period until Mr. Sigworth brought it to the attention of the ref.  Oops! (In case you don't know there is no "4th" period unless you are in overtime and this match was not.)

I can't tell you the last time I missed an entire weekend of the PCL/PTC tournament.  I've at least made it to the finals every year. Actually I get told the story every year of how when I was 2 I ran into the middle of the mats right before finals by myself.  I was pretty impressed with myself apparently and starting clapping.  This in turn caused every one in attendance to cheer.  What can I say? I was pretty cute:

My mom, however, was embarrassed and made the Athletic Director (Dick Young for you SE-ers) go grab me. He was booed. Serves them right, I rule!

 Some of the best times I had at this tournament were when I was in HS myself. During the era of the PCL, Southeast (my former stomping grounds) won 15 league titles in a row.  I think we were up to around 10 by my senior year and it was pretty much a no brainer at that point. By the time finals rolled around the stands were packed with SE fans. There would be TONS of students there and the environment was awesome.  Plus, winning and watching your friends win titles is always a bonus! I miss those days but every year I get to reminisce when I walk into that gym.

In 2006 we watched my brother win the 119 lb PTC title in that gym:

These days I'm exposing my own children to the world of wrestling.  Morgan is learning to yell "2!" (and sometimes "9!") and "stalling!" Here she is during the parade of champions.  She likes to clap and always wants to know where Grandpa is.

Rylee is super pumped for her first league wrestling tournament!

She later became victim to the hot gym:

I hope they grow up to enjoy it as much as I did!  Who knows? Maybe they will be wrestlers themselves!