Winter sports at East are starting and the Bellevue East boys wrestling team has already been working throughout the fall to prepare for the fast approaching season. 

“I think boys wrestling is going to be one of the most successful programs here coming pretty quick and I’m really excited to see how these guys work together and become a great team,” head coach Jake Nieman said. 

The team officially started their season on Monday, November 18 with their first practice, but the team has been preparing throughout the fall for twelve weeks. During their preseason conditioning, the team worked in the weight room to improve their strength performance and endurance through lifting. 

“These last couple weeks we’ve also been doing a lot of open mats in the mornings so that kids are sharp on their skills and technique and are ready to go when November 18 comes along,” Nieman said. 

This year the wrestling team has a new head coach, head coach Jake Nieman. With this change, the team and Nieman get to build a new team dynamic and relationships. 

“The whole wrestling community here in Nebraska has been super welcoming and being with this team is going to be really fun to learn their styles, learn what they want to do, and really implement my touch on the technique so that we can all be successful in our own right,”  Nieman said.

Wrestling, like many high school sports, can have numerous impacts on different student athletes for various reasons. According to Cael Sanderson in his article “Why My Kids Will Wrestle” on the U.S. Wrestling Foundation’s website, wrestling teaches the values of hard work, self-improvement, teamwork, and self-defense. He believes these qualities promote self-worth, respect, and confidence, all of which are important skills and traits for teens to learn. 

“I think it’s made me a stronger person, made me a better person, and I think more mature,” senior Lucas Perrin said.

Additionally wrestling allows athletes to stay active and social during the confining winter months. According to Brandi Sweiter in her article “Winter Sports for Children: Why They’re Important” winter sports, like wrestling, can help reduce stress, increase socialization, build teamwork skills, and maintain a healthy way to burn calories during the winter months. In a sport that requires strength, nutrition, discipline, and commitment, wrestling helps student athletes maintain both physical and mental health throughout the winter. 

“I started wrestling in seventh grade because one of my buddies dragged me out to the first practices and it just kind of snowballed from there,” sophomore Ian Stec said. “It got me to meet new people, it got me active, got me fit, a lot of good things, and a lot of positives.”

Wrestling can also help some student athletes maintain their academics. The winter months can bring students a lot of academic related stress, especially as finals draw near and the semesters change. Participating in a winter sport such as wrestling can allow students to feel less stressed. Eligibility to play can also motivate students to strive for better grades in their academics. 

“A lot of times students in high school can become easily distracted by outside things that are unnecessary, and I think wrestling can really help athletes focus on their academics, their commitment to something, and really just important peer relationships,” Neiman said. 

Wrestling may be thought of as an individual sport, but it is often a team sport that relies on the support of teammates. Peer relationships can allow athletes to feel welcomed, receive constructive feedback that can help them improve, and have the support to fuel their drive to win. 

“We are serious when we need to be, but any other time we’re all joking around  laughing with each other,” senior Taegan McCormick said.

The team’s first competition is scheduled for December 6 and will be held in Kearney. At wrestling tournaments, athletes participate in one on one wrestling matches that consist of two three minute periods making for a challenging six minute battle. 

“Wrestling tournaments can be long, twelve hours long,” Perrin said, “It’s definitely not easy, it’s probably one of the harder sports to do.” 

Many athletes are excited to get back into the swing of things. The new season is an opportunity for them to be better than they were last year and make new memories  with the team. 

“We’ve got some pretty interesting matches coming up, so I’m pretty excited for that,” Stec said.