Finn Bedell

Calla Hardison poses for a photo in Room 151 Oct. 23.

Three years ago, junior Calla Hardison heard crying as she walked into the bathroom at wrestling regionals.

Looking around, confused, her eyes finally landed on the scattered chunks of blonde hair. 

And straight ahead was the girl they belonged to, whose distraught, tear stained face was turned to a sympathetic coach. Her hands were clutching a pair of red handled scissors. 

Six inches, maybe seven.

Gone just like that.

Hardison knew what it was about. 

Hardison offered to feather out her ends without taking much more off. She knew that weigh-ins were already over and the chance to compete had already passed, so it was all for nothing.

Afterward, she gave her a hug and said the length looked really cute, despite it being sort of lopsided. The girl thanked her and Hardison left to tell her teammates what happened in vivid detail but, to her surprise, they didn’t feel sorry.

It’s common knowledge that high school wrestlers will sacrifice a lot for the sport.

Whether that means losing weight.

Losing sleep.

Or, in that case, losing six inches of hair. 

But head coach Zach Davies tries to nurture a positive environment for these athletes and stray away from the negative body images and extreme measures it takes to preserve them that wrestling is known for.

“Freshman and sophomores, younger kids, we’re not even focused on them losing weight,” Davies said. “I don’t promote it. Your weight is another battle to fight and we try to manage it with nutrition.”

Last year, he purchased a mindset training program to promote goal setting and boost self-esteem. At the start of each week the wrestlers have “Motivational Mondays.”

“We’re not only training our bodies to get in better shape,” Davies said. “It’s preparing your mind for the season’s ups and downs.”

The season officially starts on Nov. 18, which means they’re back to three hours of practicing moves, lifting weights and lots of sweating after school. That also means Saturday meets, apples for breakfast, treadmill runs and anxious mothers.

“It gets grueling,” Davies said. “So the first couple days I tell kids ‘this is gonna be the hardest thing you’ll ever do in your life.’” 

Senior Cash Woods has been wrestling for eight years, and this will be his fourth spent on the varsity team at Shawnee Mission Northwest. By now he understands discipline, hard work and control.

“The hardest time of year for me is Thanksgiving and Christmas,” Woods said. “You just see people eating the best food ever, and you gotta stick to chicken and rice. I usually give myself one cheat and have, like, mashed potatoes.”

Hardison wanted to quit during her first year. She recalls the practice where her partner was out, so she wrestled girls in a higher weight class for 30 minutes straight. No stopping. Her throat started to close up. She had a panic attack.

“It was embarrassing,” Hardison said. 

Junior Cadence Dearing struggles most during peak season. She’ll turn down hangouts with friends, avoid school pizza, cram homework and sometimes miss band events. 

At 42 years old, Davies can still remember his losses as a high school wrestler. He remembers how physically demanding and mentally draining the sport can be. But he also remembers the friendships and lessons it taught him, and the intoxication of having your hand raised, of knowing you won. 

Dearing, Woods, and Hardison have all admitted to feeling the immense weight of self imposed pressure, doubt and frustration.

So why do they eat chicken and rice on Thanksgiving instead of pumpkin pie?

Why do they take steaming baths and sleep in cool temperatures to burn calories?

Why do they brush off their mothers’ concerned comments? 

Why do they come back after wanting to quit in the first season? 

Not many people would, but yet they chose to.

“Because I see how much progress I’ve made,” Dearing said.

“Because the mental toughness and work ethic it gives me is like nothing else,” Woods said.

“Because there’s no better feeling than winning,” Hardison said.