You might see the physicality, conditioning, discipline, nasty injuries, mental toughness and be scared away. But at Lee’s Summit High School 80 kids aren’t scared away. Wrestling can be one of the hardest sports for any kid, but the team will look to beat the mental battle this year.

“The mental part of wrestling is enough to scare most weak minded people away,” senior Roan McCarthy said.

Weight loss is a big part of the mental battle. Some may be asked to lose over 15 pounds in a short amount of time.

“While your family’s eating around you during Thanksgiving and Christmas it takes a lot of discipline not to,” senior Michael Foley said.

Not only are there mental challenges; but there is a high risk of injury.

“I’ve seen some pretty gruesome injuries, shoulders get popped out all the time, arm injuries, and leg injuries,” junior Aj Wishne said.

With only one year left to wrestle in high school; it can give you a newfound purpose for your matches.

“I’m gonna not take it for granted as much this year and leave it all on the mat,” McCarthy said. The team has 6 former state qualifiers which has given them high aspirations for the season.

“Our goal is to place in the top four teams at state, that’s going to require five or six placers on the entire team,” McCarthy said.

After wrestling for 13 years, a senior is ready to put his name in the history books.

“I have 86 varsity pens and I need 87 to break it; then I got the whole season ahead of me to drill it into the wall,” Foley said.

To win it takes lots of work and mental challenges but worth it in the end.

“There is no better feeling than winning a hard fought wrestling match. Just knowing you beat your opponent who also put in lots of work feels really good,” senior Cooper Nally said.

With all the mental and physical challenges, wrestlers argue their sport is the hardest.

“The discipline that you need on and off the mat, it’s such a battle that I don’t see anything overcoming it,” Foley said.

But when it comes to competition day, it’s a new type of mental battle.

“When I step on the mat; I’m out there alone. It’s just you and your opponent; nobody can help you,” Wishne said