Urbana Wrestling; A story of a relentless work ethic and incredible dedication to the sports. The team is a melting pot of newcomers to wrestling and experienced athletes alike. Each one ready to work extremely hard, improve in the sport of wrestling, and grow tougher.
Two veterans of the team, Vince Corso and Kyle Courchain,e each have their personal insights on the wrestling team with stories that show what drives each individual towards success.
Corso began wrestling at a very young age, as his family fortunately runs a wrestling program. Being around wrestling since childhood, he became very motivated to take part in the sport. It didn’t take very long before he joined the team, “I’ve been around wrestling my whole life,” says Corso.
Courchaine’s story takes a different path, as he wasn’t as early to the bone as his peer. He was rather introduced to the sport by his friend Carter Kuhar, another veteran wrestler. “He told me it was a lot of fun, and I decided to give it a shot.”
Quickly after joining the team, Courchaine’s heart began to burn exponentially. He loved the challenge of this new sport, and continued to push through difficult matches and practices.
Corso’s love for the sport stems from the individual aspect, “When you win, it’s all on you.”
Corso loves to know that through his perfection of his craft, he can find success in his matches. His victories are like a treat for him.
Courchaine also thinks that wrestling is special because of the individuality, but also finds a special spot for his team. “I like how it’s an individual sport, but you get to practice as a team.”
Courchaine loves the unique slurry of personal responsibility, team support and individual effort. He heavily values the camaraderie that comes from practicing with his Hawk team.
With the start of the wrestling season, preparing for matches is crucial for a win. Corso’s routine is effective, it involves him working in tandem with Courchaine and Kuhar. “We get a good sweat in before our matches,” he claims.
Before matches, Courchaine tries to get focused mentally too, “I just try to clear my head.” Wrestling like any other sport is very stressful, so this is very important to Courchaine.
Corso and Courchaine both believe that mental toughness is one of the most important parts in becoming a great wrestler. Many athletes will say the same for their sport as you have to have a clear and focused mind in order to be a great player.
Corso believes that having a “midwest” style of wrestling and being mentally strong are super important for winning. He argues that mental toughness and being prepared mentally is just as important as being strong and athletic.
Courchaine, along with Corso believe the same thing, “It’s about being tough, physically and mentally,” he says. Wrestling is very hard on players mentally as you have to continually push your limits and keep persevering to get the win. You have to tell yourself to keep fighting and not quit.
On top of this, wrestling practices are very hard and long. They are very tough to get through , so how do they manage the stress?
Corso thinks about all of his past losses and how much he wants to win. This allows him to keep pushing and trying, every time he wants to quit, he remembers that if he keeps going he will not lose.
Courchaine also reflects on the past while also preparing for the future, “I think about my goals and past losses and mistakes.” Courchaine wants to keep pushing for the future and wants to work hard every practice in order to win and forget about the losses he had in the past.
Physically, wrestling requires a lot of work. Corso describes, “It’s about physical strength and endurance.”
It is absolutely essential that athletes are able to maintain their strength throughout their matches. The ability to do this is what makes wrestling so demanding.
Courchaine agrees, stating that, “ [Wrestling]… It’s physically draining, but it’s also hard mentally.” Not only does a wrestler need to be in great condition, but they also have to have mental stability.
Courchaine acknowledges that the mental aspect of wrestling is just as hard as the physical part. It is easy to just quit, or say “it’s too hard.” However, any good wrestler needs to have the mental strength to compete.
On the note of ‘mental’, Corso, Kukar and Courchaine alike have to put their academics ahead of the sport they hold so dear. A GPA above 2.0 without any F’s is the bare minimum to participate in a sport at Urbana High School.
Corso states that, “Practice is pretty late, so I just end up doing my work beforehand.” While Courchaine takes a different approach to tackling his work, “I get all my work done in school.”
Both wrestlers have matches that they hold close and dear. Corso specifically recalls his match against a specific team. “When I won a match against Northwest, it felt great.”
Courchaine also recalls. a match against Northwest from his freshman year.
This match was a milestone for Courchaine. It gave him newfound confidence in the sport, and helped him realize that he could finally compete at a higher level.
Corso and Courchaine both stem inspiration from college wrestlers. Corso specifically looks up to Kyle Dake, a four-time national champion who attended Cornell University. He jokingly remarks, “He’s a DOG!”
Courchaine much rather takes inspiration from Spencer Lee, a three-time national champion who attended Iowa. “Spencer Lee is absolutely amazing!”
Courchaine and Corso both have goals in mind. Vince is very blunt with his dreams, “I want to go undefeated and win a state championship.” With his hard work and determination, this “dream” may very well become a reality.
Courchaine also shares a similar goal, stating, “I want to win states.”
Urbana Wrestling has always, and will continue to be built on a firm foundation of hard workers, mentally tough kids, and a relentless drive for success. Corso and Courchaine are both just a small piece to the insurmountable passion that this team entails.
With their pursuit for this year’s state championship, and many more to come, the Urbana wrestling team is a team to watch for now and for the future.