So what is a phobia? What are the most common ones? And how can they be treated, if necessary?

According to medicinenet.com, the definition of a phobia is “the unrelenting fear of a situation, activity, or thing that causes one to want to avoid it.” Phobias tend to run in families and can be considered by many a small sub-group of anxiety disorders.

Fairmont High School English teacher Darren McGarvey, who has a phobia of snakes, recalls his fear as a family-oriented one. “Honestly, ever since I can remember I’ve been afraid of them. It’s in a weird way a family thing – my grandmother, my dad and my sister all share this same fear.”

The most logical explanation as to how a particular person develops a phobia is through a traumatic event. This event usually occurs when the person is at a young age, and it leaves a lasting impression.

Fairmont senior Rachel Soellner’s fear of spiders came about through one of these childhood incidents.

“One theory why I have this fear is when I was younger, I was eating a sandwich, and I was also reading a book, so I wasn’t looking at what I was eating,” said Soellner. “I happened to look down and there was a spider crawling across my plate. I almost ate a big, hairy wolf spider. That’s when my fear turned into a full-blown phobia.”

Symptoms of phobias can involve panic attacks, which causes panic, dread, and terror, along with the physical feelings of shaking, sweating, rapid heart beat and trouble breathing.

Fairmont senior Devin Farley clearly has a phobia about cotton balls, based on the way she reacts when coming into contact with one. “When I come into contact with one, I get panicked. I start to profusely sweat all over, and I immediately look for an exit. Then, if someone chases me with cotton ball, I will run for my life,” said Farley.

The National Institute of Mental Health says that one of every 23 people have a phobia – or roughly 11.5 million people in the United States alone. But phobias are able to be treated thoroughly if severe enough.

The most effective way one can be treated is through the use of psychotherapy and medications prescribed for the specific phobia. One common form of psychotherapy is called desensitization, which involves the supportive and gradual exposure of the individual to circumstances that are increasingly close to the one they are phobic about. Some of these situations consist of actual or computerized anxiety-provoking stimuli, which allow patients to become accustomed to the object that they fear gradually so they begin to understand that it will not harm them in any way.

Another common form of therapy is called Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. There are a total of two techniques used to treat a patient. One is the Didactic Component, which involves educating the person about his phobia, and the second is called the Cognitive Component, which helps identify the thoughts and assumptions that influence the person’s actions and fears. Both are known to significantly decrease the individual’s fear.

Fears and phobias are not to be taken lightly, especially for the person with the phobia, but Fairmont students and teachers share amusing stories in attempt to lighten their fear.

Farley recalls a time when her older sister played a prank that Farley didn’t find funny for several years. “My older sister, Sophie, thought it was hilarious to put cotton balls under my pillow and blankets to surprise me at night,” said Farley. “I used to freak out when my toes would touch them.”

McGarvey remembers getting in trouble with his uncle for what he did to former customers. “I used to work at my uncle’s souvenir and gift shop, where he sold rubber snakes. When customers would buy them, I’d hand them a sack and make them bag their own. My uncle used to get so mad at me,” he said.

For a complete list of the most common phobias, go to http://phobialist.com/.

Leading the way were senior Matt Denlinger, 41-3; junior Josh Parrett, 42-5; junior Colin Delvalle, 30-14; and junior Brandon Boykin, 25-10. The Firebirds were Greater Western Ohio Conference tournament runner-up, as well as the Firebird Classic Champions and Sectional runner-up.

The two Firebirds who made it to the State tournament were Denlinger and Parrett. Denlinger, who competed in the 132-pound weight class, had a tough weekend at State. He lost his first round match 9-6, and then he was eliminated when he was defeated 5-1 in the wrestle backs.

“I think Denlinger was ready to go, but it just wasn’t his weekend,” said Head Coach Frank Baxter. Despite his senior year loss at State, Denlinger finished his Fairmont experience with 150 wins, the most in school history. He qualified for State three times, and in 2011 he placed 8^th. He has 1 District title and 3 Sectional and GWOC titles.

Parrett, who wrestled in the 126-pound weight class, finished 7^th at State this year. Parrett began the tournament with an overtime win, 6-4. He continued to the quarterfinals, where he lost 1-0 against the eventual State champion. Parrett was sent to the consolation bracket, where he won two matches to ensure a top 8 finish. With his 7^th place finish, he became the 15^th state placer in Fairmont history. Parrett also surpassed the 100 career win total during the State tournament.

“Parrett had a great season, and I think he is the only one unhappy with his finish,” said Baxter. “At this point, Josh has only one goal, and that’s to win a state title. I have confidence that he can do that next year.”

The team award winners this year were: Sportsmanship: junior Colin DelValle; Most Improved: senior Drew Plumlee; Most Valuable: junior Josh Parrett; and Coaches Award: senior Matt Denlinger.

Along with the team awards, Denlinger and Parrett were recently named to the All-Area Division One wrestling team.

“I am always happy with the season,” said Wolfe. “It was highly competitive, but at the end of the day, it is supposed to be fun. As long as the athletes had a good time and learned something, it is always a good season.”

The boys’ team finished 13-2 (8-2 in the GWOC). The team consisted of senior captain Adam Lupp, seniors Daulton Cooper and Matt Schenkel, juniors Austin Mahaffey and Austin Paulick, sophomore Alex Holdeman, and freshman Paul Lyons. The boys had impressive season averages: Cooper with an average of 235.1, Lupp with 230.7, and Mahaffey with a 205.0 average. With these high averages came some perfect games (300 pins), two bowled by Cooper and one by Lupp.

When the boys made the State tournament again this year, they took a 3 seed into match play. In the first round of the State tournament, the Firebirds beat Austintown-Finch High School 3-1. In the State semifinals, the boys defeated Cincinnati Oak Hills 3-1, a win that secured the Firebirds a spot in the State Championship Match against the Canfield Cardinals.

In the final match, the Firebirds lost the first game 206-184, then won the second game 165-143. But the Firebirds couldn’t keep the momentum of the win as they lost the next two games, 190-180 and 200-167. This second-place finish marks the second time the Firebirds have finished runner-up in the state. The last time was 2009, when they lost to Kenton Ridge 4-1.

Despite their second-place finish, the team isn’t completely satisfied. “Highly competitive athletes are NEVER satisfied with a 2nd place finish,” said Wolfe. “With that being said, there were over 330 teams that started the season, and only one team was better than us on that one day.”

Many different players finished with honors and distinctions. In addition to rolling two perfect games, Cooper was the Kettering-Oakwood Times Athlete of the Week and was named to the OHSAA Kickoff All Tournament Team, the 1^st Team GWOC All Division, and the 1^st Team All Ohio. In addition, he was named GWOC Central Division Athlete of the Year and was named an All GWOC Conference recipient.

Lupp had a perfect 300 to open up the season, was the Jeff Schmidt WHIO-TV Subway Athlete of the Week, and was named to the 1st Team GWOC Central Division. Schenkel received as GWOC Special Mention and was named the Kettering-Oakwood Times Athlete of the Week.

The Boys’ Individual Team Awards were: Most Improved: sophomore Alex Holdeman; Sportsmanship: senior Adam Lupp; Coaches Award: junior Austin Paulick; and MVP: senior Daulton Cooper.  Rex Wolfe was also named GWOC Coach of the Year.

The Girls’ Varsity Bowling Team

Fairmont’s Girls’ Varsity Bowling team had their fair share of glory this year, too. The girls finished with a 13-2 record (9-1 in GWOC) and finished the season as co-GWOC Champions.

“Our girls have been working for four years to achieve their goal of making it to State,” said Wolfe. “This year, they made it a reality.”

The Lady Firebirds finished third in the State tournament. In the State Semifinals, the girls lost to Hubbard in five matches: 166-171, 168-164, 161-166, 209-173, and 155-163. The seniors on the team compiled a record of 64-34 in their tenure with Fairmont.

“The girls worked hard and they had a lot of fun, with some heartache at the end of this season,” Wolfe said, noting that the 3^rd place finish at State is the best the Firebird girls have ever done. “It is very satisfying to achieve the goals that you set out at the beginning of the season, and then accomplish them at the end of the season.”

All of the bowlers on the Firebird team had respectable averages. Senior Captain Molly Crouch had a team high 209.3 average and game high of 279. Other bowlers’ averages were sophomore Jessica Wolfe with a 200.3, senior Brooke Swallows with a 186.0 and senior Dottie Deis with a 182.1.

Individual players’ accomplishments included: Swallows: 2nd Team GWOC Central Division and 2nd Team All Ohio. Wolfe: 1st Team GWOC Central Division, 1st Team All GWOC, and Honorable Mention All Ohio; Crouch: 1st Team GWOC Central Division, 1st Team All GWOC, GWOC Conference Tourney All Tournament Team, 1^st Team All Division, and All GWOC Conference; junior Sarah Conard: 2^nd Team All Division; and Deis: GWOC Special Mention.

Team award winners were: Most Improved: junior Alyssa Oster, Sportsmanship: junior Sarah Conard; Coaches Award: senior Brooke Swallows; and MVP: senior Molly Crouch. Tracy Wolfe was named GWOC Coach of the Year.