The weather is getting colder, Christmas music is playing and stores are advertising holiday sales. While most are out enjoying the winter, the McKinley High School wrestlers can be found Monday through Friday in the wrestling room where they do drills, condition and practice techniques, moves and escapes – working hard for a successful season.

“The reason I joined wrestling is I love the sport and how intense it is. It also teaches you a lot of life lessons, and the coach is really good,” said Junior Laulii Iosefa.

“I love the bond that we all have and how we all have each others’ backs,” said Iosefa.

Freshman Malachi Kaapa Iaea, who has wrestled for the Boys and Girls Club of Hawaii, joined the team this year and said he appreciates how hard the Tigers work. He also said he looks forward to getting better at his moves and getting wins.

“Wrestling at McKinley is almost the same as wrestling at BGCH, but McKinley takes it a little more seriously. At BGCH you didn’t have to do insane workouts and long runs,” said Iaea.

“[I joined wrestling because] it is a sport that I’m more comfortable with and I wanted to improve more on,” said Iaea.

Junior Elijah Vincent said MHS wrestlers are more than teammates. They are a family.

“Everyone on the team is super close and we all get along well. There aren’t any of the cliques that you would find in other sports. Everyone kind of supports each other and we all have a bond,” said Vincent.

Wrestling is more than just pinning an opponent to a mat. In the process, the team members learn lessons from their teammates, coaches and opponents that will help them now and in the future.

“I know my wrestling coach pushes me to be better. … He coaches the kids and I know he will make me do my best to be the best,” said Iosefa.

“There are many lessons it has taught me. The biggest one I think is that you should never give up. You may be down a couple points or about to get pinned, (but)you can’t give up,” said Vincent.