Spent the day in Dundee today. Our middle school team had been invited to their league's tournament (our state sponsored season has been over for nearly two weeks, but today was their finish -- this was one last, unexpected state sanctioned event for us). I was very proud of Steven. He got caught in something called a spladel in his first match, and was pinned (once you get caught in one of those things, that's pretty much it). He came back and won his next match -- then had to face the spladel kid again in the match for third place -- and he beat the kid by more than ten points! How is that for working your way back? In addition, he had a rough day. He got a nose bleed, and the big mat burn on his forehead from last week opened up and started bleeding, so he had bandages and tape on his head like a mummy for his last match.

Dan had entered him in a huge tournament in Ohio for tomorrow, so he will probably wrestle then, but I put my foot down and said no more wrestling (other than tomorrow, since its already paid for) until this thing on his forehead has a chance to heal. He can go to practices, learn things, do drills as long as his forehead does not touch the mat -- but no more live wrestling until he can heal up.

Its been a long season for him -- the staph infections, the concussion, having to wrestle up in weight most of the year -- now this oozing burn on his forehead the size of the palm of my hand. He's getting burned out on the sport. And he's much to good to ruin by burn out. So instead of taking him down to the national tournament in Columbus (Tournament of Champions) we will spend that weekend doing fun things as a family instead.

He had a great year. He placed in some major tournaments, qualified for two different national championships (twice for the Tournament of Champions) -- placed second in our league, third in Dundee's league -- all as a seventh grader. He's only twelve years old...

But it is time, in my opinion to let him play and be a kid. Rest. Relax. Go to the zoo. Ride his bike around the neighborhood.