Wrestling can be considered one of the hidden gems of athletics. The teams are often small, the programs are often underfunded and the country greatly lacks in programs at the middle school level. The sport has been largely disrespected by global community, even though wrestling will be included in the 2016 Olympics it has been cut from the 2020 Olympics. As Dan Gable said, we need "to have wrestling — the world's oldest sport — remain a part of the most prestigious athletic competition in the world, the Olympics." The sport of wrestling isn't for everyone, but those who dedicate their time to its practice have an unrivaled strength of character which helps them pin what's important in life. Wrestlers make great workers and on a personal level they make great friends.

1. They are good at dealing with stress.

Wrestling is an individual sport; you have a team and a coach to support you in your endeavors, but at the end of the day it's all on you. The individuality of the sport amplifies the pressure. During a match, all eyes are on you in the center of a mat with your opponent, in attire that doesn't hide your identity in the slightest. Due to weight class requirements, you never really have the opportunity for downtime during the season. This translates to maintaining a high focus level for months at a time. But, despite all these stresses, wrestlers still manage to thrive and (for the most part) maintain a positive attitude — even if they're 5 pounds over for their match tonight, all they can think about is gorging themselves on food, and in short, their day is just going pretty crappy.Wrestlers have a capacity to push themselves harder than most and display an unrivaled mental toughness — that and a deep desire to eat. Everyone needs to surround themselves with positive, mentally strong people, hence why wrestlers are good people to hang around.

2. They have some pretty sweet dance moves.

Maybe this comes from the high levels of stress they're under. Maybe it is influenced by the wrestling drills they do. Heck, it may just be a reflection of creativity spurred by the need to come up with a way to warm up before a match. Regardless, I think it is safe to say wrestlers have some of the most creative moves out there. They have achieved a level of interpretive dance rivaled by Broadway professionals. It makes them fun people to be around, even if it can be scary sometimes.

3. They understand humility.

As Gable said (if you haven't figured it out by this point in the article, Gable is a pretty important figure for the sport) “More enduringly than any other sport, wrestling teaches self-control and pride. Some have wrestled without great skill — none have wrestled without pride.” It is a modest view of one's importance coupled with acknowledgement of one's accomplishments that makes it possible to find the necessary strength to recover from a loss.

4. They are a walking pharmacy.

If none of the above reasons make you want to befriend a wrestler, it is worth noting that due to the various skin funk that wrestlers are exposed to, they are usually a walking pharmacy of skin cremes that are sure to cure any mysterious rash or bumps you may have. Hey, its a very practical reason to seek these guys out.

Part 1 in the Why Jocks Make Good Friends series