Ukiah High athletes juggle a lot — from practices and competitions to homework and school life. Freshman wrestler Gavin Oglesby shared how he manages the challenges of being both a student and an athlete.
Oglesby said the key to staying on top of school is to do his work right away. “After school I have wrestling practice, and when I get home I start my homework so I don’t fall behind,” he explained.
His passion for wrestling started back in middle school. “I’ve always just loved to wrestle, and when I found out I could wrestle for my school, Pomolita, I signed up and fell in love,” Oglesby said.
When asked about role models, Oglesby said he doesn’t really have one person he looks up to, but added, “I do look up to the Lord, Jesus Christ.”
Since he’s too young for a job, Oglesby’s schedule mainly includes school, practice, and homework. He manages it by creating a plan. “I think about how I’m going to get it all done with a plan and then execute the plan,” he explained.
A typical day for Oglesby looks like this: get ready for school, go to classes, head to practice, then shower and finish homework.
Losing is never easy, Oglesby admitted. “I don’t handle losing well. No one likes to lose, especially if you have a big ego. But the best way to go about it is knowing it’s not the end of the world — there will be other chances.”
Being a student athlete, he says, has changed how he approaches learning. “It’s showed me that learning is the key to becoming successful, no matter what it is that you are doing. And it’s always OK to ask for help.”
The hardest part of balancing school and sports, Oglesby said, is staying motivated. “I get unmotivated very easily when it comes to this sort of stuff,” he admitted.
Stress is another challenge. Oglesby said that before matches his mind races. “I don’t do well with all the stress and pressure. My mind will race through all the possible outcomes of the match and how good my opponent is and how bad I am. But to get over it, I pray and pray.”
Still, wrestling has taught him important lessons. “Being a student athlete has showed me I am a lot more capable of things than I thought I was. It’s showed me strengths and weaknesses for both sides.”
To succeed, Oglesby has had to make sacrifices. “I’ve had to sacrifice my own enjoyment and health for wrestling, and I’ve sacrificed having fun for academics,” he said.
Through it all, Oglesby is discovering not only what it takes to be a Wildcat athlete, but also what it takes to grow as a student and a person.
Francisco Silva
Francisco Silva is a freshmen at Ukiah high. Francisco Silva has lived in Ukiah his whole life. Outside of school, he is an amateur kickboxer. Francisco's favorite food is original hot, bone-in chicken wings