By Josie Davis

I believe that leaving is ok, but you should never forget where you came from.

I spent my childhood in gymnasiums watching my older brothers, Beau and Cody, wrestle. I had already been to close to a hundred wrestling meets by the time I turned eight years old. I remember thinking that this was totally something I could do. I was eight years old when I decided I wanted to try wrestling. I have never been afraid of wrestling a boy, but I do have to admit, convincing my mom that this was a good idea was more of a challenge than I intended.

The year I started wrestling I was one of the only girls on the mat. I won three matches in a row at my first tournament and after that my mom didn’t need any more convincing. I wrestled my way through grade school. By the time I was in junior high I was wrestling other girls at the national level. During high school I wrestled on the SHS boys’ wrestling team, but also competed at the State Wrestling Tournament for girls. My freshman year, I made it to districts for the boys’ team and won a state championship in girls’ wrestling. I’ve been wrestling successfully with both populations for the last four years. Throughout my journey I have always admired the older kids in high school or even college who came back to help out at practices or tournaments. I looked up to them because they were bigger and smarter and knew more than me. Rather than judge me, they encouraged me. Rather than take it easy on me, they were harder on me to prepare me for the next tournament. They didn’t make a big deal about being there. They were just laser focused on helping the next group of wrestlers get better. When I was at a tournament in grade school, one of the older wrestlers who helped me came back just to watch. I was so giddy and excited. I thought it was so cool she came to help out and give the wrestlers advice that day. My dad pulled me aside and said “That will be you when you are older.”

Now that I am older, I realize the importance of what my dad meant. I believe that people who are successful in high school sports and move on to college sports should always come back home and help the next group get better. Being a state champion and signing with college means nothing if I forget where I came from. I realize how important it is to show up. Even now when I go to help at youth wrestling tournaments and kids ask for advice or a picture, I am filled with gratitude.

I want to be a role model who kids can look up to. I want to be someone that they can rely on.

Leaving Sidney, Ohio, is ok because sometimes your dreams are bigger than the town you grew up in. I believe in leaving to grow, to meet new people, and to experience the world. However, I will never forget where I came from. I’ll always remember to come back and give back. When I return home to help, I hope to bring a whole new world of experiences with me. I plan to continue wrestling with the world and winning- both literally and figuratively.

Josie Davis is a senior at Sidney High School. She is the daughter of Dawn and Jeff Davis. She plans to attend Campbellsville University to study sports management and continue wrestling. She is looking forward to moving to Kentucky at the end of summer to start this new chapter in her life. She is a formidable wrestler who has competed at the State Championships four year in a row.