Wrestling on the junior varsity team at Birmingham Community Charter High School (BCCHS) allows freshman Angelina Alonso to deal with the new experiences of high school by reconnecting with something similar to what she used to love.

“My brother and I did Brazilian jiu-jitsu when I was younger and I really enjoyed it until I couldn’t go as often, so I thought wrestling was something similar towards it,” Alonso said.

Alonso did not intend to try out for wrestling when she thought of coming to high school. But once she did, she found a passion for it and hopes to continue wrestling throughout her high school career.

“I am really into the sport. It’s just something I feel like I can do,” Alonso said. “I tried other sports but never really caught on until I tried wrestling.”

Since Alonso is the only girl wrestler from Daniel Pearl Magnet High School (DPMHS)  playing for Birmingham, it gives her opportunities to make new friends and feel more comfortable with her surroundings.

“I never knew that I was the only girl until about a month ago. I was pretty surprised at first and happy that I could be the first girl to represent our school,” Alonso said.

Managing time when playing a sport can be difficult for Alonso, but she is keeping her grades up and keeping her skills sharp. Though her dedication to wrestling is a priority, Alonso still needs to keep up her schedule and make sure she is eligible to play for the sport she is growing to love.

Alonso hopes this season will turn out well and give her the experience she wants, which is a fun, skill-building freshman year.

“My goal for this season is just to get better and not be as scared as I was before,” Alonso said.