The Ballard High School wrestling team will start its season this December with two new co-head coaches, Domingo Gomez and Luke Hagler.

Ballard News-Tribune: Do you have any previous coaching experience?

Luke Hagler: I coached at Roosevelt for a year, two years. Outside of that, just coaching little kids.

Domingo Gomez: I was actually here last year with the Seattle Wrestling Club with the little kids. As far as for big kids, I helped my old high school team and then have just been going around different high schools helping.

BNT: What is your previous wrestling experience?

Hagler: I grew up wrestling from the age of 6 all the way through high school. I wrestled down in southern Oregon where I'm from. That's my experience. Quite a bit of experience - it's a big wrestling school, top 10 in the state pretty much every year for 30 some years.

Gomez: I wrestled in high school and with my brothers pretty much. I have six brothers, all of whom wrestled. We were a pretty big wrestling family.

BNT: Why were you interested in coaching at Ballard? What made you take the job?

Hagler: I got some inquiries from a couple kids I know saying they were without a coach. They asked if I might be interested in taking a look at it. I turned them down at first, but decided I'd give it a chance, give it a shot. I met with Kristina Andersen, the (Athletic Director), and the principal. I liked what they had to say and the prospects of the team and building it.

Gomez: I know wresting did a lot for me as far as character building, so I definitely just wanted to give back to the sport.

BNT: What about this season are you most looking forward to?

Hagler: We have a pretty young team, but I think I'm looking forward to seeing these guys grow because I think they have a lot of potential to really see some growth through the year. That's always my goal coming into a coaching situation. My goal when we start that I state to the guys is, "My goal is to make every single one of you better at the end of the year then you were at the beginning of the year. If you do that every single year, you will be a great wrestler by the time you're a senior."

Gomez: I want to help the kids develop and achieve their goals, whether it's to win a match or move on to regionals, or whatever.

BNT: What do you think the biggest challenge is going to be this season?

Hagler: Maybe confidence. It's a young team so there is going to be some difficult times I'd imagine. Being able to keep their confidence up, keep them rolling, keep their heads up.

Gomez: One of the challenges is keeping these kids motivated through the whole entire season and making sure that you don't lose a lot of kids due to the hard practices. 'Cause these practices are hard.

BNT: What is it about wrestling that makes you dedicate the time to coming here and coaching it?

Gomez: I like it because it's about the individual. It is a team sport but it is also an individual sport, where it's just you and another individual.

Hagler: I grew up with the sport, so it's a family thing. To me wrestling was always much more of a family team where we spend a lot time together on the road traveling. So that's what I like about it. One of the other reasons I like coaching high school kids, or any kids, is I enjoy being around them and putting the time in and seeing them grow.