You’ve probably been inside the wrestling room with your gym class, to take the dreaded pull up test. But chances are, you’ve most likely never seen what goes on inside that padded room during the actual wrestling team practices!
Even though the wrestling season doesn’t officially start until November 15th, many of the wrestlers have already been hard at work, attending informal practices after school to work on refining their moves and technique before tryouts. There is a wide range of students, from those that have been wrestling for years and have many victories under their belts, to those that are just trying wrestling for the first time.
Head Coach Jeff Mye has also been working hard to prepare for the upcoming season. Since this is his first year coaching the Langley wrestling team, he’s been spending time getting to know the athletes, working out the budget, and planning fundraisers. The team will need to raise money to travel to tournaments in Portsmouth, Woodbridge, Virginia Beach, and even New York!
During practice, the wrestlers watch Head Coach Mye and assistant coaches Mike Sullivan and Terry O’Grady demonstrate a move or technique, then pair up to practice the move on their own. During a recent practice, sophomores Michael Osgood and Chris Hyatt slammed each other to the ground over and over, but always rebounded instantly with smiles on their faces.
“It’s tough but exhilarating! I love my partner,” said Hyatt.
Nearby, seniors Griffin Dulany and Will Baird worked on perfecting their technique as well. Both hope to advance to regionals this year. “Wrestling does hurt a lot, but we fight through the pain!” exclaimed Baird. “We do it because we’re Saxons.”
As the wrestlers practiced their moves, Coach Mye worked his way around the room, jumping in and fixing the wrestlers’ mistakes. His favorite part of being a coach is seeing athletes achieve their goals, and his biggest challenge is keeping the wrestlers motivated. He hopes to send at least a few wrestlers to the state competition, which will be held in February