Wrestling Coach: Kyle Hayne

Coach Kyle Hayne has been coaching wrestling for twelve years both in Loudoun and Fairfax County. When Hayne is not coaching wrestling, he teaches chemistry.

Hayne started his wrestling career in high school. “I weighed 94 lbs my freshman year, so my mom didn’t want me playing football and getting crushed,” Hayne said. “Wrestling was a sport I could excel in and not have to worry about my small size, since I was wrestling people my size.”

When Hayne started teaching, he knew he wanted to also start coaching. “I decided not to coach my first year of teaching since I wanted to make sure I figured out how to do my job first,” Hayne said. “After having a year of teaching under my belt, I was invited to coach.”

While there are many aspects of coaching wrestling, Hayne’s favorite part is sharing his passion for his sport. “It’s great seeing people who never thought about wrestling come in and fall in love with it,” Hayne said. “Wrestling really teaches our young athletes to be self-reliant and it makes them not only physically tough, but also mentally tough.”

Hayne’s coaching career has been eventful. “There have been lots of ups, such as state champions and relationships for life. There have also been some downs with injuries, illness, and even death,” Hayne said. “It’s chaotic, but I love wrestling and I wouldn’t want to coach any other sport.”

Regardless of setbacks, the wrestling team continues to improve each day. “We are still rebuilding from the split with Independence High School and COVID-19 has limited our numbers making it difficult to fill all 14 weight classes,” Hayne said. “However, we have several upperclassmen who are doing very well and we look forward to them competing in the postseason. Our younger wrestlers are also learning and improving each day.”

Hayne enjoys the close-knit family bond that comes with wrestling. “Though wrestling is seen as an individual sport, you build strong bonds with your teammates and become an extended family,” Hayne said. “We share our blood, sweat, and tears on and off the mat.”