EDWARDSVILLE – Wrestling is one of those sports – while as basic as a sport comes – that demands many things of those who take part in it.
It requires much discipline, sacrifice, hard work and willingness to pay a price to achieve success – and individual success can also mean much for a team's success.
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Chris Prosser understands the meaning of what it takes to be a successful wrestler, going 44-8 on the season and qualifying for the IHSA Class 3A individual state tournament at Champaign's State Farm Center recently in the 170-pound weight class.
Prosser's success also mean much to Edwardsville's wrestling team's success over the just-concluded season, the Tigers going 24-3 in dual meets and winning the Southwestern Conference championship.
“I was pretty excited to make it (to the state individual tournament) for my third time,” Prosser, a senior, said, “especially to win sectionals in that fashion was pretty cool. It was really fun to go through this high school the past four years and having a really successful team for all four years – I couldn't ask for anything better.”
Prosser became interested in wrestling when he brought home an Edwardsville Wrestling Club flyer from the school he was at and mentioned to his dad that he thought he'd like to give wrestling a try. “I just brought home a flyer from school, way back in grade school, and told my dad I wanted to wrestle,” Prosser said.
When many people think of wrestling, however, they may think of the professional “sports entertainment” version of wrestling personified today by the WWE or, for people of a certain age in the St. Louis area, may think of the classic Saturday night-Sunday morning television staple “Wrestling at the Chase”. At the school level, however, the type of wrestling is far, far different than what many people may think of wrestling as.
“People always ask about it; I really don't know how to explain it,” Prosser said. “I tell them it's not what you think it is, it's completely different from what they may see.
“It's very mentally tough and physically tough.”
Wrestling, however, and the lessons learned and what goes into being successful can translate to many other aspects of a person's life as well; the sacrifices, the work and other aspects can help a person face the challenges of life as one goes through it.
“It definitely gives you a lot of life lessons,” Prosser said. “As people say, once you wrestle, nothing else in life will be harder; it's a really cool life experience to be able to go through. There was a lot of sacrifices you have to make to be successful in wrestling.
“It takes a lot of time and effort; it just wears on you, wears on your mind, but it's always worth it.”
Prosser does not plan to wrestle in college, but does plan to go to Southeast Missouri State in Cape Girardeau, Mo., to major in business management, but he will always seem himself as a wrestler, even if he's not actually taking part in the sport.
“I'll always classify myself as a wrestler,” Prosser said. “It's something that I'll carry with myself for the rest of my life.”
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