Rivaled only by the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the holy trinity of Ra’leih Chew’s (10) life is wrestling, football, and rugby. Each is physical and demanding, requiring hours of practice, which results in a schedule where he practices at least six days a week, sometimes going to multiple teams’ practices a day.
“[Coordinating] with football and wrestling is probably the hardest,” Chew said. “The seasons go on at the same time [in] the fall like November, and the football coaches are pretty strict about missing practice. The wrestling coaches are more understanding, the tournaments are less [competitive] at the time.”
All of Chew’s sports involve contact; tackling or hitting the opponent, whether on the wrestling mat or the field. Though the training is physically tiring and heightens his risk of injury, each sports’ unique techniques complement the other, making him an all-around better athlete.
“It definitely helps [to play all three sports], especially with strength and speed,” Chew said. “Lifting [weights] at football can make me a lot stronger which can help with certain takedowns.”
Chew has achieved success in all three sports, demonstrated by his placement on varsity in each team. However, he has achieved the most significant success in wrestling, where he has qualified for state and placed regionally twice and won the state championship.
“I was able to win state [last year] and came close to top four this year,” Chew said.
Wrestling is also regarded by Chew to be the hardest sport of the three. Notably, it’s the only sport he plays that doesn’t require coordination with a team during competition. The lonelier and more psychological nature of wrestling invites mental challenges that may not be as prevalent in team sports. On the wrestling mat, there is only one person to blame for mistakes, and only one person to take the fall for them.
“Yeah, [mental challenge] is probably the hardest part,” Chew said. “You just get in your head during matches because it’s kind of like, less chaotic than being out on a field and it’s just you and the enemy.”
Being part of three different teams gives Chew various social outlets and many opportunities to make friends out of teammates. Practicing for hours on end and competing, sometimes from 12 hours on end during wrestling tournaments, assists him in building bonds with fellow athletes.
“Probably the social aspect, talking with friends [is my favorite part],” Chew said. “It’s cool having friends on all the teams, I’ve got a lot of extra brothers now.”
Chew has dreams of playing in college in any of the three sports if he has the chance, preferably for football or wrestling.
“I’ve played [football] pretty much all my life, started wrestling freshman year,” Chew said. “I’m excited to keep playing in the future, if I get the chance.”
