Kids, sports are hard. The competition can be fierce. You're out there trying to stay strong, get your head in the game, keep clear eyes and a full heart, and other such sports-isms — all while attempting not to trip over your own feet and face-plant in front of your coach and grandma.
That shit is stressful; we get it. Sometimes you need to take a break. Sometimes you need to take a knee. And sometimes you need to take a couple of frantic laps around the wrestling circle-thing while being chased by a 5-year-old girl. Thus begins the dramatic tale of Isaiah Lineberry.
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Actually, this particular sporting play-by-play begins when Lineberry, age 4, faced off with his 5-year-old wrestling opponent. The pair shook hands, put their dukes up, and the referee blew the whistle. That's when little Lineberry pulled an audible (see, because this is a story about Sports I clearly need to use all three Sports Phrases I know of) and simply turned and ran. Dude, we feel you.
"I asked him afterwards, 'So why did you run?'" Isaiah's mom told ABC News. "And he said, 'I don’t know, Mommy, but it was silly'... He knows what to do. He just let loose and the entire crowd started busting out laughing." She added that Isaiah has "wrestled in several tournaments since then and has been in the top four placements in them. It was just that one fluke match." Hey, you never know when you'll be overcome by the need to run free.
Isaiah's pink-clad opponent, who seemed unwilling to give up the game so easily, took off in hot pursuit. Judging by a video taken by Isaiah's grandmother and shared by his mom (and later featured on Good Morning America), the girl chased Isaiah for a couple of laps around the mat while he showed no signs of stopping; she even threw up her hands mid-run, doing her best shrug-emoji impression for the crowd. We're pretty sure you won this one, little gal.
Watch Isaiah's great escape below.