Bush Brawl 2010

Perhaps one of the most foreign concepts to me here in Arctic AK, is that kids don't play football in school. It was bad enough in Miami, where middle schools don't have teams and kids wait until they're in high school to play, but NO football...! I don't follow pro or college teams (of any sport for that matter), but having grown up in Central Texas with a dad who refereed a brother who played, and participating myself through band, it's an inherent part of childhood from my perspective.

Well, maybe that's what kids from this area would say about wrestling. It's a big deal here, and they start them early. I'm not sure of the dates that mark wrestling season, but I'm guessing we're well into it. Each fall Kotzebue school hosts the Bush Brawl, a tournament for schools in the whole area including Bethel, Nome, and Barrow. It's a big deal. The gym fills up and everyone goes to watch.


I don't have a clue about wrestling. I just cheered when everyone else did but probably groaned more so as I watched what seemed to me an unforgivable invasion of personal space and impossible movements of appendages and their joints. There aren't many other options for community interaction outside of work, though. The atmosphere is fun.


This tournament included elementary on up. The kids fly in from local villages and other towns - for this and other sporting events - and spend their nights like I do when I go to the villages, on the floor in a sleeping bag.


From what I could tell, Kotzebue kids did well last night. I was hoping to do so well with the raffle! They raffle off a snow machine each year as a fundraiser for wrestling. I've bought a few tickets the last two years from coworkers who have wrestlers, but no such luck. I missed the drawing last night, but I hear it went to a 7th grader.


Let it be known that wrestling is not just for boys here. In this picture, the blue suit is a girl. There were quite a few girl wrestlers involved. I think this was the only one in high school, and she lost quickly, but good for her for trying. I remember being little and telling my parents I was going to find a way to play football...see how that worked out.

I felt bad for some of the kids who left the mat crying. You don't have a whole team to lose with you, and it's not like a race where even if you don't win you might not be last (sorry last person); you're just out there for everyone to watch you lose. I think that could be daunting for a kid. Then again, what do I know about wrestling!
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