Nikki Hutcherson
Pictures and Content Courtesy of The Hutcherson Family
I guess you could say my son, Logan “Hutch”, was late to the game when it came to wrestling. He didn’t begin wrestling until he was in the 6th grade…..which you learn quickly is a “late” start to a lot of people. We were both so foreign to the sport, but wanted to learn….Logan wanted to learn about being a successful wrestler, and I wanted to learn what it meant to be a supportive Wrestling Mom. So we set off on the journey together. Over the next few years, Logan practiced with some of the best wrestlers in Northern Nevada. Got his butt kicked repeatedly and learned a lot, but it wasn’t just the lessons he learned on the mat. It wasn’t just a wrestling move, how to be offensive or defensive, or how to get out from bottom, or how to live and die on the mat by his nemesis, the Lat Drop. It was how he was off the mat, how he carried himself as a young man, how he handled stressful situations, how he was disciplined in his training, how he interacted with others and since he was a dual sport kid, how he played on the football field.
We loved the traveling we got to do because it meant we got to spend time together. Early mornings heading to tournaments or trainings always meant a sleeping wrestler in the backseat, and lots of caffeine to keep me awake. If we were lucky to go the night before, then it meant making sure he was on weight and then relaxing in the hotel room watching a movie. The drive home meant more caffeine to keep me awake, and yet again a sleeping wrestler in the back seat, only this time he smelled awful! And, we all know that smell! If we stayed out of town an extra day or two, then it meant sightseeing or sleeping in. I was lucky to be able to travel all over Nevada and California with Logan. I was even lucky enough to go to Utah for Kids Nationals with him, and then three summers in a row to Fargo, North Dakota for Cadet/Junior Freestyle and Greco Nationals. He was there for wresting, and I was there to support him and the other wrestlers. Even more importantly, when he traveled to Iowa for Cadet/Junior Folksytle Nationals, Logan was supported by Coaches who he looked to as his second family.
Logan’s freshman year of high school, he ended up hospitalized for ten days due to a staph infection, that was so severe and circulating through his body through his blood. We are fairly certain it go into his body from a little spot of mat burn on his forehead. It was half-way through his wrestling season, and we both thought he wasn’t feeling well because of cutting weight and intense practices. Logan didn’t want to give up or sit out, so he pushed through the pain until it was too much. His teammates at Reno High were so supportive and encouraging. His coaches and teammates visited often to keep his spirits up. They didn’t look at him like some freshman who didn’t mean anything, but rather a family member who needed their support. But it wasn’t just his high school team that showed up for him, it was wrestlers from other clubs and programs that had gotten to know him in the years before that, who showed up with love and support. Logan made a full recovery and made the most of his next three years of high school.
More than the practices or duals or tournaments, it was the comradery the wrestlers have with each other. Logan was fortunate enough to wrestle for the Northwest Knights in Reno, Reno High School and as part of the Team Nevada National Team. As part of those teams, he made a lot of friends from other schools, clubs, groups, weight classes from Reno to Las Vegas, and everywhere in between. That is part of what makes wrestling such a special sport. The style they have that is unique to them. From watching my chunky 6th grader pull the legs of his singlet down as far as they’d go, to watching my senior in high school pull the legs of his singlet up to the middle of his thigh, was a journey all in itself. Being in the stands and hearing your kid’s name called to a mat and watching them jump up, sprint there as they are stripping their multiple layers off, and wondering why they won’t move that fast when you call their name at home. It was all part of learning to be a Wrestling Mom.
Being a Wrestling Mom meant a lot to me. I wanted to make sure I was there to support Logan and show him win or lose, I was ALWAYS in his corner. Being a Wrestling Mom is a stressful job though! We feel their excitement with a win, their sorrow of a loss, the frustration of a bad call and everything in between. But man oh man is it worth it to have your wrestler win a tough match and come give you a big sweaty hug! From learning to letting your wrestler walk away after a tough loss or celebrating with them after a hard fought for win, learning to gauge their emotions becomes second hand. Wrestling Moms are a special elite group that you never fully understand until you are one. Traveling with Logan allowed me to forge friendships and bonds of my own that have been just as important as his.
Being a Wrestling Mom, for me, also meant supporting and volunteering to support his club or team any way I could. It started with always signing up to work a table and helping set-up tournaments at the youth level to taking over hospitality for the Sierra Nevada Classic at the high school level, and even driving wrestlers from Reno to Las Vegas at the National level for training. If help is needed, most likely you’ll see a Wrestling Mom raising her hand to help. And of course, there are just as amazing Wrestling Dads out there too!
From his humble beginnings as a big eyed 6th grader who wanted to learn how to wrestle to a senior in high school with a lot of accolades under his singlet, wrestling taught Logan and I a lot about life, overcoming obstacles and always striving to do better. Wrestling definitely brought us together and allowed us to make memories we will never forget. From a Wrestling Mom’s eyes, the sport helped mold my son into an incredible person. Wrestling taught him to work hard for what he wanted and never back down. Wrestling taught him self-discipline and self-worth. As a Wrestling Mom, I wouldn’t trade in one single moment of the excitement of winning or the heartbreak of defeat, to have another memory take its place. So THANK YOU to every single Coach, Wrestler, Parent, Family Member, Friend who has loved and supported any wrestler…..They’re special people who deserve every bit of the love and support we can give them.