Personal Narrative-A Day At The Gwinnett Center

This day started out like any other Saturday. I woke up to my dad shaking me, telling me that he let me sleep in as long as possible but we needed to get on the road. I looked at the alarm clock and in big, red letters it read “6:30”. Nonchalantly, I slid out of bed and began my Saturday morning routine. As I ate breakfast, I talked to my dad about strategy, opponents, and if I was confident going into the day. I admitted I was a little nervous, but my dad assured me that it was going to be a good day. So, with a little pep in my step and warm waffles in my belly, I headed out the door into the cool winter morning, loaded my stuff in the car, and buckled in for the ride. Today was the Southeastern Regional tournament for wrestling. This year the Southeast Regional was held in Atlanta, Georgia, at the Gwinnett Center. The tournament features hundreds of kids from eleven different states. The kids are divided into six different age groups and fifteen different weight classes. Each wrestling match is divided into three periods and whoever wins two out of three wins the match. The periods are two minutes each. I knew going into the tournament that it was not going to be easy but that I was determined to win. We arrived at the center with a …show more content…
He told me keep alligator arms, have a strong neck, and to keep my balance. He then prayed with me and told me it was going to be alright and that win or lose I was still his favorite wrestler. By this time the match before me had ended. As I stepped out onto the mat I saw my opponent up close for the first time. He was a Hispanic kid from near Orlando, Florida. He was a little thicker than I was, but I was taller than him by at least an inch or two. I walked up, put my toe on the line, and he lined up across from me. All I can hear is my dad, the crowd, and my opponents coach. Then I hear the whistle and everything goes quiet as I zone it out. It is just me and