Davis Reflex Journal: July 23, 1985

Hammons, Wrestling; A Family Affair
by Keith Duncan, Journal Sports

LAYTON — For Dave and Penelope Hammons, there's never a dull moment in any minute of a 24-hour day.

With eight kids that's quite evident.

But adding extra insurance that dullness never prevails is seeing their four youngest sons take on the sport of wrestling like it was going out of style.

Having John-David. Jeremy, Jesse Levi and Joshua competing head-on in competitive wrestling has nearly become an institution in that family, but Dave and Penelope wouldn't have it any other way.

Says Penelope, "After seeing what it's done for us, I'll take as many active-filled days as come.  After all, we'd probably go crazy if we had a normal dull day around here."

It's one amazing story with this Layton family, wrestling being the main topic.

For nearly seven years now, the Hammons have embedded themselves deeply in programs where their boys could get as much exposure as possible to the sport of wrestling.

The family is now so closely tied to the sport that it's become a way of life in some ways.  They travel nationwide these days to attend various tournaments around the country and it's not surprising at all that the Hammons name is a household word when it comes to competitive action in either the USA Federation circles of the AAU ranks.

Just recently the family returned home from Indianapolis where they embarked on the AAU Grand Nationals and once again came away with a fat share of awards.

The boys that do the grappling include John-David who is age 12 and who will be interesting to watch this fall when he enters Central Davis Junior High School as a seventh grader.  Next in line is 10-year-old Jeremy who's been wrestling nearly as long as John-David.  Jesse Levi is eight years old, turning nine in August, and Joshua at age 6 brings up the rear.

Here's just a brief star-studded report on each.

John-David in seven years of wrestling, has never placed lower than third or fourth in any meet he's entered.  A few weeks ago in Antioch, Calif., he competed with 750 other wrestlers in the Western Regional Finals of the USA Wrestling Federation Wrestling Association.  Just to get there, John-David had to be in the top six from his state.  At Antioch he pinned every one of his opponents with the exception of one.  He had to present a nail-biting 8 to 7 victory over Washington's state champ to win the gold medal.

Said Mrs. Hammons about the final match, "It was so exciting that I thought I was going to pass out."

Jeremy was a fourth place finisher at both region and state competition this year and later went on to win the regional nationals in both Greco-Roman and freestyle.  At the AAU finals in Indiana he failed to place this year but has been a national champion in past years.

Jesse Levi, despite wrestling in the bottom of the 9 and 10 year old category as an eight-year-old, has placed either first or second in every tournament he's entered since January of this year.  Last year in Indianapolis he was the national titlist in Greco and was third in freestyle.  This year he took third in freestyle, second in Greco and first in Sombo.

Joshua just turned six in June and in every meet he's entered, he's never placed lower than first or second.  On March 23 at Clearfield High School he was crowned as the state champion as a five year old.

From January through about this same time each year, the Hammons boys spend time in a wrestling school just like the big boys do down at the high school.  They belong to the Sundance Wrestling Club of Salt Lake City which is coached by Jeff Winderlin and Bill Kilpack.

That simply translated means either Mr. or Mrs. Hammons must truck their kids to Salt Lake's Granite High School at least three nights a week where the club meets.

Through February and March, most of the meets are held in-state but from March to mid-July the family is traveling across state lines.  This year they've made it to Blackfoot, Pocatello, and Boise, Ida.  They've also been to Steamboat Springs and Rifle, Colo. as well as Rock Springs and Evanston, Wyo.  They've also visited Boulder City, Nev.; Pueblo, Colo.; Antioch, Calif.; and even Indianapolis, Ind.

At USA meets the boys compete in freestyle and at AAU meets they'll master both freestyle and Greco.

To make things even more interesting in 1985 is the fact that Mr. Hammons' work has literally had him living in Arizona for the past few months.  That means that Mrs. Hammons has had the sweet chore of getting the boys rustled up and ready to go at their various meets.

"Dave hates to miss the boys' competition so he will fly to their competition sites.  It's hard for him but he hates to miss their meets," said Penelope.

Mrs. Hammons drove over 1,600 miles when taking their boys to the recent nationals in Indianapolis.

"The competition factor is important for the kids, but the self-esteem level that comes from the recognition they receive from their peers is even more valuable.

"We go clear across the country and each year the others kids who exactly who my kids are.  Sometimes it's even thrilling for my boys to meet other boys who they haven't seen in a year, it's just like family.

"It's so close-knit that a boy can ask someone else's parent for a soda and immediately they hand goes in the pocket for change.  Believe me, it works just like that," said Mrs. Hammons.

Penelope also said her boys had learned how to lose, as well as win.  "It may not always be with dignity, but they have learned to lose.  It hurts to fight your heart out and lose, especially when it come to a bad decision by a referee.

"But wrestling as a whole has done wonders for them.  Their friends at school know they are national champions and we've noticed that their grades and self-esteem have always improved.  It's given them an automatic acceptance," said the mother of eight.

"I just can't express in words how much wrestling has done for my kids," continued Mrs. Hammons.  "It's one-on-one.  It they don't win, they can't blame it on anyone but themselves.  They absolutely get rewarded for the amount of effort they put out.

"The kids can see what the work ethic can do.  If they want something in life, they must put out.  They've learned that work, growth and progress is the bottom line.

"This kind of attitude has overflowed into every other aspect of their lives, including their involvement in other sports and just their regular lives."

Return to Sundance Wrestling Club