November … among the most wonderful times of the year

Photo: WIN Magazine editor Tristan Warner (right) shares a moment with his brother, T.C., during their wrestling careers at Old Dominion University. Looking back more than a decade later, Warner reflects on the importance of enjoying the journey rather than becoming consumed by the pressure to win.

Editor’s Note: This article appeared in WIN’s Volume 33 Issue 2, which printed on Nov. 3, 2026. 

By Tristan Warner

Admittedly, I’ve never been much of a November guy.

October? My favorite. The changing leaves in the Northeast, the crisp fall air, football, Halloween, my birthday. December? The Christmas season, holiday traditions and excitement in the air.

But November? For most of my life, November was simply the awkward middle child of the calendar, a seemingly long, 30-day waiting room between two of my favorite times of year.

The Halloween decorations come down, Christmas decorations aren’t quite up yet, and the clocks turn back, leaving us with less daylight and more ice to scrape off the windshield each morning. There aren’t too many Thanksgiving-themed movies to watch, either, I might add.

And for most of my life, November also meant one other thing: Wrestling season was starting.

Which, to be frank, wasn’t always something to celebrate, regrettably.

Don’t get me wrong … wrestling has given me more than I could ever repay. The friendships, opportunities, lessons and experiences that came from competing in this sport helped shape the person I am today. I wouldn’t trade those years for anything. But if I’m being completely candid, I didn’t always enjoy them as much as I should have.

As a wrestler, the arrival of November meant the beginning of another long season. Early mornings, grueling practices, conditioning, managing weight and the seemingly endless pressure to win. While I now recognize that the focus should have been on improving, my mindset was almost exclusively centered on trying to win.

I felt immense pressure to try to earn a scholarship in high school. Or in college, to live up to said scholarship.

Somewhere along the way, I think I became so consumed with trying to win wrestling matches that I largely forgot to enjoy being a wrestler.

Looking back, some of my fondest memories have little to do with wins or losses, but rather the friendships, shared experiences and opportunity to compete alongside my own brother at Old Dominion.

That’s a strange thing to admit, particularly for someone who has spent most of his life around the sport and now covers it for a living. But looking back, I wonder how much more I might have appreciated the experience if I had approached each season with more excitement and a little less dread.

It’s not that I didn’t love wrestling. I did. I loved the competition, the camaraderie and the satisfaction of seeing hard work pay off. I’ve also been a lifelong fan of the sport. What I didn’t always love was the stress tied to winning.

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve wondered what that perspective might have cost me.

Today, I have the privilege of watching some of the best wrestlers in the world compete, often from just a few feet away. In recent weeks, I’ve covered the U23 World Championships in Las Vegas and the Super 32 Challenge in Greensboro, N.C., while following the Senior World Championships in Kazakhstan.

Now, with another college wrestling season beginning, I find myself genuinely excited for the first whistle.

The matchups, emerging stars, upsets and anticipation of seeing how everything unfolds between November and March are exhilarating. All the things that once signaled the beginning of another grueling season now represent some of my favorite parts of the year.

Of course, there’s one fairly significant difference: I’m no longer the one who has to make weight, survive a two-hour practice or have no one to blame but myself for a painful loss.

It’s amazing how much more enjoyable wrestling becomes when someone else is doing the heavy lifting.

But beyond that admittedly convenient change in circumstances, I’ve also developed a greater appreciation for athletes who genuinely seem to enjoy the experience. Not just the victories or championships, but the opportunity to compete in the first place.

Think Bo Bassett running on to the mat beaming from ear to ear or Everest Leydecker in the mixed zone explaining that she chose to wrestle at U17, U20 and Senior Worlds because she simply loves it.

That’s not to suggest every practice is enjoyable or that successful wrestlers never experience frustration. Wrestling is hard, and it is supposed to be hard.

But there’s something to be said for approaching the sport as an opportunity rather than an obligation. As coaches often remind their athletes, it’s “I get to do this,” not “I have to do this.”

For those still competing, enjoy it while you can. Embrace all of it, even the challenging times.

Work hard and set ambitious goals,  but don’t become so fixated on what you hope to accomplish that you forget to appreciate the experience along the way.

There will come a day when it all comes to an end, and that day approaches quickly. And you might be surprised by how much you miss the very things you once dreaded.

As for me, I’ve learned to appreciate November in a way I never did growing up. The college wrestling season is underway, the holidays are approaching and that once-dreaded stretch between Halloween and Christmas doesn’t seem nearly as long anymore.

Maybe November hasn’t changed all that much. Maybe I have.

And perhaps it took hanging up my wrestling shoes to realize that November might just be one of the most wonderful times of the year after all.

Bo Bassett’s enthusiasm for competition reflects a perspective that can sometimes get lost amid the pressures of wrestling: The sport is meant to be enjoyed. Photo by Tony Rotundo.