Entering its second season as a sport at Northwest, the girls’ wrestling team welcomes new head coach Kendrick Latchman. Sophomore Ava Pulliam, who began wrestling when the sport was first introduced at the school, said Latchman has brought a focus on technique that was absent last year. 

“Last year, we basically learned what the boys were learning,” Pulliam said. “But this year, my coach has been teaching us new things and different things [than] what the boys are doing, and I have the chance to learn new moves.”

One of those moves is the leg-riding technique, which she said is a rare move she is learning, something opponents find difficult to defend. Latchman, who used the technique in high school and college, has introduced it but said this year he has to focus on the fundamentals for the new girls on the team, such as maintaining weight and how to escape.

“We have a lot of new people for this [being] their first time, but they’ve done extremely well for it being their first year and being a sport that’s entirely new to them,” Latchman said.

During practices, the team not only learns the basics but also improves by correcting mistakes. If a wrestler fails to spring back to the center of the mat after a match, for example, Latchman assigns punishment workouts to the team, which include workouts like sprints and push-ups. Despite the intensity of punishment workouts, Pulliam said the ab workouts are the worst, with unique inventions such as the “Crucifix,” which she described as a reverse Superman ab workout on your back. 

Latchman said his main expectations for the girls are punctuality and completing the workouts, but beyond that, he wants to create a playful environment where everyone feels safe. According to Pulliam, the team is closer this year despite being larger with new girls on the team. 

“It (wrestling) makes a team closer than any other sport because it is the hardest sport here in the high school,” Latchman said. “You guys are doing it together, so it makes [your] bond a lot stronger.”

“He tries to push us as much as possible,” she said. “Whenever he sees that we’re down [and]we’re about to give up, he tries to get us back up and push us even more.” 

One of the ways Latchman tries to get the girls out of their comfort zone is by encouraging “meanness” on the mat. He said to get two shy girls on the team out of their comfort zone, he offered an out to the punishment workout if they barked at their opponent during a meet— a plan that succeeded.

“I was like, ‘You can get out of it (a punishment), but the crowd [has] got to hear you bark,’” Latchman said.

When he started coaching at Northwest, he was prepared for the possibility of a few lazy athletes who complained about the workouts, however, he said he was pleasantly surprised.

“They’re really wanting to learn and excited to learn, so I was happy to work with that, especially as an athlete and as a coach,” Latchman said.

EKL takes place on Feb. 8 at Blue Valley West, a meet Pulliam said she wants to win to advance to the state competition on Feb. 28. Latchman said he expects the girls to try their best and can see how much they want to win and improve.

“They’re more determined, and I’m ready to push them harder getting ready for (EKL), and then regionals and state,” Latchman said. “I want to make sure they’re in the best shape they can be in.”