On December 28, I got to talk to one of our senior wrestlers here at Timberline, Benji Martinez (Sr.), and deep dive into his world of wrestling. I asked him a few questions to get to know about his wrestling journey, and these were his responses.
Firstly, I asked him, ¨How did you get into wrestling?¨
Martinez said, ¨I saw that it was a sport and thought it would be fun to try it, and have been doing it ever since.¨
Trying something new never hurts, and clearly, him trying this out changed who he is in a really good way.
Nextly, I asked, ¨What impact have the coaches made on your abilities/mindset?¨
¨My coaches, specifically wrestling ones, have told me to be confident and always think you are gonna win because if you have a bad mindset, then you have already lost. On the abilities part, probably you can always go a little bit further than you think,¨ said Martinez.
Benji Martinez (Sr.) mid match.
Coaches always have a huge impact on how someone sees a sport. Good coaches make good players, and especially in wrestling, having your coach watch your match and shout out the best move to make definitely helps keep you going.
Following that, I asked, ¨What advice would you give someone who wants to join the sport?¨
Martinez said, ¨Just keep an open mind and don’t be afraid to get a couple of bruises or lose, they happen so just be prepared, and eventually you’ll start winning and become better than before.¨
Along with coaching, you need a good mentality. If you don’t believe in yourself, then you have already been defeated.
Lastly, I asked him, ¨What is your favorite memory from wrestling for Timberline/your biggest wrestling achievement?¨
¨Either taking 5th in districts my sophomore year or winning the varsity Wiley Dobbs last year,¨ said Martinez.
Having these big wins really contributes to your mindset and your want to keep going. I’ve watched wrestling, and it is a very physical, tiring, and mental game you need a passion for to participate in.
I had a really good time interviewing Martinez because everything he says has meaning and shows he truly thinks about and cares for the sport.
