Taylor Bell CA: Wrestling Is Our Family Business
Wrestling Is Our Family Business
By Taylor Bell CA
Edited by Bill X. Barron
Wrestling is fundamental to me. I begged Mom to let me start; finally, at age four, I could begin to practice with the team. For my 4th birthday, I received my team shirt and wore it all the time. I was so happy to finally be able to practice, but I was so small.
For us Bells, wrestling is a family business. My dad and his brother, Joey Herron, help run the program. My Uncle Isaiah (16) is on our team, along with my brother Kaidan, who is an outstanding wrestler. Kaidan got me to love wrestling. While watching his tournaments when I was young, I knew I wanted to be just like him.
My prior coach's daughter, Savanna Nickols, is my female wrestler role model. She was one of the first female wrestlers in our area. In 2011 (2nd, 159 lbs.) and 2012 (1st, 165 lbs.), she was a finalist at the USA Wrestling Girls Nationals and third at Fargo (172 lbs.).
After wrestling in college for Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, Savanna returned to Humboldt County (CA) as a doctor. When she has the time, she helps out the girls’ team at the local Arcata High School, for whom she placed 3rd in California's Girls State in her senior year.
When I first started wrestling, I could have been better. It took me a year or two to start winning a match. It took even longer for me to start winning tournaments. I was so excited when I finally won. Once I won, I realized that I no longer had to lose.
To improve during that time, I wrestled as many matches as possible. At tournaments, I would ask every kid my size (boy or girl) to exhibition me, sometimes three times in a row. In every tournament, I at least double, if not triple, bracket to get the most out of the day, not just to earn more awards.
We live in the middle of nowhere with no good wrestling. Most weekends, we drive 4 to 8 hours one way to compete. Sometimes, they are small local tournaments. However, since 2017, our club has planned our year alongside the RMN calendar.
When I go to an RMN event, I know I will compete against incredibly good wrestlers who are serious about the sport, including out-of-state wrestlers whom I usually don't get to compete against.
RMN events are my favorite. They always provide an opportunity to challenge myself. My practice partner Tanner Baxter and I compete over who will earn the most RMN Events championship belts; either we are tied, or I have one more (7). We hang them up on the wall of our gym to motivate our newer wrestlers. They also remind me of what I can earn if I work hard.
At the RMN Duals, I was recruited to participate on my first team; we took 1st place. During Covid, California made it illegal to have an open gym. There were no tournaments, and I couldn't even go to school. However, RMN continued to hold their events. Although we had to travel far, it was the only time I got to do the thing I most loved, as well as travel.
When traveling the country to compete against the best, there is always someone better than you, as my parents constantly remind me! You must seek out the best and wrestle until you can beat them. You can't be the best if you don't wrestle the best.
When we go to big tournaments like RMN, my parents always put me in the boys' and girls' divisions. Certain coaches say mean things to their boys, such as, "Oh, you have an easy match now, so just practice your moves or just get it over fast." I love those matches. I like proving them wrong.
The idea is to lose at least one match. If I don't, the bracket is not as challenging as it needs to be. All my losses have shaped me as a wrestler. Rather than feeling bad about a loss, to me, it means I had a match with a good opponent. I have learned to keep at it when a match is rough. Thereby, I know how to think under pressure. Now, when I am losing, I don't panic.
Unless you experience losing, you do not know what to do and how to fix it. I have experienced losing 10-1, but I have also had a similar deficit that I overcame with a pin. I'm used to working under pressure. Despite being behind in points, there is always time to win. Even if I lose, I guarantee I will be their most challenging match that day.
In my area, wrestling is less popular than other sports. I help it grow by coaching the little kids. I teach them how to wrestle and, more importantly, to be someone others can look up to. Most call me Mom, and I call them my children. When I started, there were four girl wrestlers; currently, we have almost as many girls as we do boys. I am immensely proud of that.
Some kids start with instant success; others do not. If a kid is not good right away, the kid or the parents wonder if the sport is meant for them. I remind them I was worse at their age but now look at me. Wrestling is the greatest because anyone can improve if they work hard enough.
My dad, Cass Bell, fights as a pro, yet he still has time to coach the club and Arcata High School. He even wrestles at the same tournaments as mine when they have an Open Division. It makes it easier to listen to him when he still does the sport; he knows how hard it is to do what he asks of us. Someday, I will take over my dad's gym and continue to help people.
To improve, I work hard at wrestling, practicing at least twice daily. I show up early every day to put in more time. Before my dad took over the gym, I still showed up early every day, but the gym had not opened yet, so I did calisthenics and exercises outside beforehand. Eventually, the owner gave me the code so I could go in early; he saw how hard I was working!
On certain days, I practice for four hours. During summer or breaks from school, I take part in the Institute of Combat Fight Team morning practices. Fight team practice is where professional and amateur fighters train. I do their workouts alongside them. I've done that my whole life. In fact, when I was little, I skipped daycare to attend their practices.
My plan is to make it to State all four years of high school. In California, there is only one champion for each weight class, with schools of every size competing in one division. To become a California state champion is difficult, but I am determined to accomplish this goal.
I tell all my friends to wrestle. It's a good sport for everyone. It keeps you in shape and teaches you discipline, which you can use in your life. When I get older, I will be an MMA fighter and wrestling coach like my dad after I go as far as I can in wrestling.
I want every kid to know they can do anything if willing to do the demanding work.
Note: Taylor Bell won the California USA Wrestling Triple Crown in 2023. She is a six-time state champion with thirteen state places in the Top 5. As an 11-year-old in 2022-23, she posted a 109-26 record. Thus far, in 2023-24, she is 67-13. She has won seven RMN titles; since 2019, Taylor has had an astounding 27 Top 3 finishes in the RMN series of twenty national events.
Cassion Bell, “The Mean Green Fighting Machine,” competes for his own gym, Institute of Combat. Presently, he has an 8-3 MMA pro record in the Featherweight Division (135-145 pounds). Growing up there were few healthy outlets in the Humboldt County region, particularly for at-risk youth like himself at that age.
By purchasing the local gym and transforming it into a place for wrestlers and fighters to train, Cass is changing the community’s culture. In addition to serving as head coach for the Institute's club, Cass heads up the Arcata High School program. His goal is to always be there for his athletes.