When the Westside girls wrestling team storms the mat, all eyes usually follow the athletes in headgear, fighting for takedowns and team points. But just beyond the circle, clipboard in hand or camera ready, stands someone just as constant, senior team manager, Kinsey Taylor.
However, Taylor did not always call Westside home.
“I transferred from Bellevue East because my dad wanted me to get a change of environment, he wanted me to be in a school with a winning mindset and to be somewhere that will help me develop skills for college,” Taylor said.
That “winning mindset” is exactly what she found in Westside’s wrestling` room.
As team manager, Taylor’s role may not include stepping onto the mat, but it touches nearly every part of the season.
“My job as a team manager is to be there to support the girls, I take photos for them, and [I] am just there to help whenever the coaches or girls need me to do something,”
Her responsibilities shift as the season moves from pre-season practices to the intensity of state.
“[At] the beginning of the season I probably do more than the middle of the season and then I start to do more at the end. In the beginning of the season, I organize gear and help take attendance through the first few weeks. Throughout the season I honestly don’t do a ton of things. I’m pretty much just there whenever time needs to be kept or music needs to be turned down and then help take photos at tournaments. Towards the end of the season I help organize gear that we get back from our wrestlers whose season has ended,” Taylor said.
While some might see the role as small, Taylor sees it differently. Being present, consistently and reliably, has made a lasting impact.
Her favorite memory reflects just how deeply she feels connected to the team’s success.
“My favorite memory with this team is when we won state runner up last year. It was such an amazing moment to experience that with the girls and see all of their hard work pay off,” Taylor said.
For Taylor, the wrestling room became more than just an after-school commitment. It became home.
“This team has given me my best friends and so many unforgettable memories and moments. They were the first group of people to make me feel fully welcome at Westside when I transferred and now they’re some of my closest friends,”
And while she may not earn medals or points in the record books, her presence matters.
“I think I have impacted the team by always being there for the girls as someone they can talk to and by being there and supporting them throughout the season,” Taylor said.
Next year, Taylor plans to take that same supportive mindset with her to Creighton University, where she will study Criminal Justice and minor in Psychology.
No matter where she goes, Taylor has already proven that leadership is not limited to captains or starters. Sometimes, it looks like organizing gear before practice, keeping time during drills, or capturing the perfect photo after a hard-fought match.
At Westside, Kinsey Taylor is more than a manager, she is part of the team’s foundation.
