Name: Kade Orr
School: Buhl High School
Grade: 11
Sport: Wrestling 
Position: 113-pound class

How did you first get interested in your sport?
When I was little I didn’t really care what I was doing, I just wanted to win. Even if I hated a game or sport, if I won, I was happy. One of my teachers thought wrestling would be a good fit for me. I first tried wrestling when I was in first grade. I was really competitive and I could not stand losing. My first year, I lost a lot. I don’t remember winning hardly any matches or even having any fun my first year, so I quit. I got back into wrestling in third grade after I got a little bigger and was a lot more athletic. Once I started beating kids and winning tournaments, I found myself having a lot of fun and wrestling became my biggest focus. 

If you play other sports, which is your favorite and why?
Right now I run cross country, wrestle and play baseball. Team sports usually don’t end up very well with me because I'm not the most relaxing player. That’s why I’m better off with individual sports. When you don’t perform well in wrestling or cross country, you can only be mad at yourself, and when you do good you have a sense of achievement you can’t get from anywhere else.

What’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learned from high school sports?
High school sports taught me that there is always time to get better. Whether it is in sports or just life, there is always a time you can be productive and reach toward your goals.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? 
The best advice I got was from “old bull” Kelly Bartlett. When I was in eighth grade, he gave a little speech at a wrestling camp and the main point was “champions do it anyways.” It was a really simple saying but that is what the difference between a champion and an average person is.

What has been your favorite high school memory so far? 
My favorite high school memory was finishing my finals match last year at state. This was my favorite because it finally marked my undefeated season and I accomplished something I set out to do since middle school. Even though I failed my freshman year, I plan to finish off the rest of my high school years undefeated and bring that streak into the college level as well. 


What coaches or teachers have made the biggest impact on your athletic career?
Our high school coach and my parents have definitely had the biggest impact on me. My parents are always supportive of me and doing whatever they can to do what's best for me while still allowing me to be free with my own choices. My coach has helped me with everything in the wrestling world. If I ever want a quick workout or need to work on something, he is always there to help me in any way he can. I couldn’t ask any more from my parents and coaches and am very grateful to have the support that I do. 

Which teammates have you really connected with during high school? 
Our wrestling team, especially our lightweights, are making a bond stronger than any friendship I’ve ever had. There's four of us around the same weight and we are all pretty tough wrestlers with the same goals. When every one of us are working towards a state championship, our practice intensity every day is at a level other teams can’t match. People might think it’s weird to create a friendship by beating up on one another for a couple of hours a day, but I think there’s no better way. When we all are going through the same sacrifices and having the same experiences, it feels like our group is closer than a family. 

Is there anyone in your family who has helped you get to where you are today?
My parents have helped me more than I can thank them for. It seems like everything they do is help my brother and me get to where we want to with our wrestling. Whenever they aren't driving to watch us wrestle, they are working to afford our expensive habit. They are the reason Koy and I are able to go to so many camps and tournaments in the offseason and I think that is the biggest reason for my success. 

What’s something most people don’t know about you?
I think the biggest thing not everyone knows about me is that I do have a nice side. Most of the time, people see me pretty hungry and tired, so I am not in the best mood. My behavior at tournaments and meets probably doesn’t give off the best reflection of my kind character either, because I find myself getting really intense and yelling a lot more than the average person would. Deep down, I’m a teddy bear and do care about people’s feelings even if it doesn’t come out that way all the time. 

What about this season are you looking forward to the most?
This season, I am really looking forward to the state tournament. The group of kids on our team this year is really hardworking and I want everyone on the team to see their results they deserve so we can show everyone at the tournament just how hard we have been working this year.