Bedford grad mentally prepares himself for one final tournament

Nothing has come easy for Kaden Cassidy during his collegiate wrestling career.

The Bedford High School graduate has overcome mental and physical challenges over the course of his five seasons at George Mason University. Now 25, he’s facing situations that most college students don’t, as he’s a husband and father while working a full-time job and running a side business.

Oh, and he’s also preparing to face some of the nation’s best 149-pounders at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships this week in Cleveland.

It’s one final opportunity for Cassidy, a 2020 PIAA champion who saw the start of his college journey delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Through it all, he’s managed to win 67 matches and reach the NCAA tournament twice.

“The reality is, he’s one of the best wrestlers in our program’s history,” George Mason coach Frank Beasley said. “He might not have the number of wins that some have had, and he hasn’t yet punched through and been an All-American, but he has been consistently good since Day 1 and steadily improved.”

Mastering his mindset

His mental approach is the area where Cassidy has made the biggest strides, according to Beasley.

“I think it’s something that he’s worked on like you work on lifting and running and technique,” Beasley said. “He’s made a conscious effort to grow in the mental aspect. He went from an area of weakness to one that he became very good at. Once he saw the results of what he was getting, he wanted to help other people unlock their ability on the mental side.”

That’s where the side business comes into play. In addition to working as a project estimator for Palmer Construction in McConellsburg – Cassidy and his wife, Morgan, have already purchased a house in Bedford and plan to move there as soon as he finishes up at George Mason – he is coaching young people through his Peak Instinct company, which deals with the mental side of sports.

“I do youth coaching for athletes,” he said. “It’s a business I enjoy doing. I help people through some of the struggles that I dealt with in my career.”

Cassidy has worked with his younger brother, Kross, who was a PIAA qualifier at Bedford before moving to Fairfax, Virginia, where George Mason is located. The younger Cassidy won three Virginia state titles and is committed to wrestle for Beasley and the Patriots next season.

As he found ways to help his brother – and himself – deal with the mental side of wrestling, Kaden Cassidy saw an opportunity to share that knowledge with others.

“Kross was a big part of it, too,” he said. “He wasn’t the best growing up. He had to earn where he’s at now, being ranked third in the country or whatever it is. I’ve dealt with mental struggles in wrestling, not believing in myself. I think that’s something that I’ve dealt with. Now, that’s my job – to help others get past that.”

Career in jeopardy

Cassidy won his first 15 matches this season and was ranked 17th nationally in February.

“He was wrestling great,” Beasley said. “He was wrestling like an All-American.”

Against Central Michigan’s Jimmy Nugent, Cassidy felt searing pain in his left shoulder. He wrestled through the pain, but couldn’t overcome the injury and Nugent. He lost 7-5 and was told he would need four weeks – or more – to recover.

That sidelined him for the remainder of George Mason’s dual-meet season and forced him out of the Mid-American Conference tournament.

In order to have any chance of wrestling in the NCAA event, Cassidy needed to participate in the MAC tournament. So, he made weight and medically defaulted twice, dropping his record to 15-3 on the season.

He had to hope that the coaches committee granted him at at-large bid to the NCAA tournament, which meant that Cassidy needed the nation’s top 149-pounders to qualify automatically. Upsets of any wrestlers ranked ahead could take away at-large bids.

“I was watching brackets all weekend and hoping,” Cassidy said.

Beasley found out that Cassidy received an allocation, giving him a chance to end his career on a high note.

“I was excited for him, happy for him,” the coach said. “We were worried that he might end his career with the injury default.

“We felt like he earned the right to be there, but unfortunately, he wasn’t cleared in time for the conference tournament.”

Challenges ahead

As the No. 29 seed, Cassidy faces a difficult road that begins with fourth-seeded Collin Gaj, a true freshman from Virginia Tech. A two-time PIAA champion from Quakertown, Gaj lost his first four matches as a Hokie, but has gone 20-4 since then and won the ACC title two weeks ago.

“I know that he’s good,” Cassidy said. “Everyone’s good at the national tournament. I don’t hate the matchup. Obviously, I believe that I can win, but he’s a very good wrestler for sure.”

Beasley isn’t concerned about the long layoff Cassidy has faced.

“The reality of college wrestling is everybody has something going on (injury-wise),” Beasley said. “Kaden’s got years and years of training. Even though he hasn’t competed in a month, he’s not going to go out and forget how to score. I think he’s a dangerous draw.

“I think some people are overlooking him. I would not want to be matched up against him. He’s got nothing to lose. He’s going to go out full-go and let the cards fall where they may.”

In the past, the injury might have allowed doubt to creep into his mind, but Cassidy said that’s no longer the case.

“My mental edge is, I think, one of the best in the country,” said Cassidy, whose daughter, Renleigh, turned 3 months old Monday. “I’ve dealt with some injuries, the baby, working full-time – I always have a positive mental attitude. You can’t change anything that happened. If something doesn’t go your way, just deal with it and attack the next task at hand.

“Always be thankful. Someone’s always got it worse.”

Family and work obligations serve as an outlet for Cassidy.

“I have other things to focus on other than wrestling,” he said. “I think it helps going into practice, being fresh and being thankful that I can wrestle. It’s like an escape at some point. It gives you a fresh feel on wrestling. I have other things to worry about. It’s a nice balance in my life. A lot of people think it’s stressful, but I like being busy.”