Worried.

[Eldora]

Well, there's this guy I've liked since I was a little kid. Honestly, we used to play football and wrestle and run races on his family's old farm when I was a kid, and had a little kiddy crush on him at the time. He's two grades behind me, but as I'm the age of an average eighth grader, it's not too much of an age gap (he's probably about a year younger, actually).

Today, I saw him (let's call him B) at my aunt's, just for a little while. My aunt was having a little slumber party for some of us girls (most of them fourth graders and going down the scale from there), and B was coming with his stepdad (coincidentally, my aunt; I'm not related to him at all) to pick up my cousin Kayla (B's step-sister) from the party before it got too late, as my uncle had to take her back to her mom in Ohio (a long trip) the next day and she was unable to stay. (Lol, catch all that?)

He came in, and I immediately realized something was wrong with him. He looked deathly pale, his lips were like chalk, and every once in a while, he'd give this little jerking shiver. He sat down in a chair at the table we were all gathered around (my aunt, his mom, my mom, my cousins, et cetera), and sat still, shivering madly. It got so bad that his step-sister got up and got a blanket for him. He's getting taller every time I see him (almost as tall as I am, which is saying something), and he's not getting enough to eat, thanks to this wrestling thing. He's tall enough that if he weighed what he was supposed to, he could make varsity, but he won't move up a weight class (tell you about that in the next paragraph), and from what I can gather, B has to drink less before a wrestling thing to weigh the right weight for the weight class they want him in.

Tomorrow, he has a big match (if that's what they're called), so he's not drinking as much. But it's worse than what it usually is, from what I can gather. He was just too pale, like the walking dead. He looked like he was going to faint, or go into shock, or something. They told my mom and I that he had forgotten his hoodie, and had went out in the 30-something weather hot from practice, which isn't good for anybody, much less someone who is trying to be in a weight class he doesn't belong in. My parents, his stepdad, his mom, and my aunt were all trying to convince him to move up a weight class, but he just sat there in silence and looked uncomfortable; I'm pretty certain he won't try to move up, because there're still a few important matches he wants to go to, and if he tries to gain weight now, he won't be able to get ready in time for the next match, and he'll have to start from the ground up again. He walked away when the adults started debating what he did and did not need to do.

So. I guess you could just say I'm worried about him. He was a good friend of my earlier days, and now he's the first boy (boy being the key word, here; I've been falling for girls right and left the rest of the year) that I've liked since somewhere toward the end of last summer. He's sweeter than any guy I've ever met, honest to goodness, and he can sing, and I believe he also used to play the guitar. I don't really talk to him much, but every time I do, he's a little taller, a little stronger, and getting cuter, or even (dare I say it) this time around, he actually looked a little hot.

But weak.

I don't know what to think of it. I'm worried he'll stress his body too much with this. I guess I just needed to vent some of my feelings somewhere, but you're welcome to offer any advice you can give me. I'll try to pass it onto him.

[ShadowDancing]

He sounds like a sweet guy.

Try sitting down and talking with him, or your parents if he won't. Explain to him, or them, that you're really worried. His lack of eating and energy is really concerning you, and he doesn't seem healthy. Ask him why he's so insistent on staying in the weight class, and say it would be more healthy for him to eat right and go into the class where he belongs.

Guys can sometimes get a little too competitive with sports, just made it clear that you're worried. Good luck ♥

[OMFG!You'reActuallySmart!]

Some sports are like that and there's not much you can do right now because he has no time to move up the weights. Don't be critical on him, others seem to be doing a good enough job at that already. Instead, talk to him about the match, what he plans to do against opponents, any new techniques he learned, etc... . You could ask why he's not moving up but with the others being so critical on him, he'll probably view you as being just as critical, not giving any support. He's determined so instead of opposing him, engage with him after all, he cant physically feel good at all and when he comes to family, he gets no mental support, only intrusive questions and people debating about him.

As a martial artist and someone who competed provincially, nationally and internationally winning awards in a non-martial art sport, the training can be utterly brutal. When I was preparing for some national tournaments, I'd be hitting the gym, working out with other members (i.e. was on the provincial team also), and at the end of the day, you're dead tired. Physical training went on for hours before we practiced any techniques and strategies, and those took a few more hours. There weren't weight divisions but matches were long and you had to be both very fast and have a decent amount of strength.

Ontop of all that, going to such tournaments, they're huge and some were televised (I don't think any of mine were) and on your first time, it's scary as hell. You're with your team, each of you are warming up and once your name is called it's scary and exciting. For these tournaments I didn't bring much of my own clothes as we got sponsored clothing and equipment, it's pretty shitty when you're given hundreds of dollars worth of gear, some of which hasn't hit the markets and you lose terribly. It sucks and the sponsor guys give you looks of "you're shit, I'll find someone else".

anyway, even if he's not at such high-level tournaments, he's still putting a shitload of time and energy in, the last thing he wants before the tournament is family bickering over him.