“Once you have wrestled, everything else in life is easy,” states a
quote from Coach Dan Gable. Emblazoned on the laminated poster high on
the coach’s bulletin board, it’s the first thing wrestlers see when they
enter the Coach’s office. It plays a part in what keeps freshman
wrestler Liam Corbett going.
According to his father, wrestling Coach Kevin Corbett, Corbett has
been wrestling since he “popped out of the womb.” At two years old, he
participated in his first wrestling match against Aaron McCall, also
around two at the time, at Ring Gold High School in Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania. The young Corbett won.
“What drives me the most is the will to win,” Corbett said, “to be
standing on top of the podium looking down at everyone, the feeling of
having my hand raised and the titles that are given to you.”
Growing up with wrestling constantly in his life Corbett said he fell
in love with the sport. And, he has found other uses for it as well.
“I think it’s the best sport out there and it helps you with life in
itself. It keeps me on track in school and helps me to stay
disciplined, not just athletics. Wrestling has helped me,” Corbett said.
“It’s also the toughest. Right before big tournaments it’s the worst.
The pressure, yelling, it gets to me. The possibility of
failure…sometimes I want to quit.”
Yet, Corbett has his support system with him at every meet. His
mother and sister provide him with moral support as well as anything
else he might need for his meet. He’s never nervous though.
“I’ve been doing it too long,” Corbett said with a small smile.
His ultimate goals, Corbett said, are to win all four state titles,
attend Pennsylvania State college, win four National Collegiate Athletic
Association (NCAA) titles, and eventually earn a spot at the Olympics
to win gold.
Former wrestling manager Dashia Ward has worked with Corbett during
her senior year. As a manager, she talked one-on-one with the wrestlers
and learned about them as people.
“He’s a little punk but he can wrestle really good when he wants too, ” Ward said.
As Corbett’s father, Coach Corbett said, “I’m proud of his
accomplishments and my only rule as a dad is that, once you start
something, you finish it.”
As his coach, however, Coach Corbett said he got the “worst end of the stick,” because they are related.
Corbett attributes his skill in wrestling to his father and brother,
both of whom taught him about the sport. Wrestling, to the Corbetts, is
considered a family tradition. It has been passed down from father to
son all the way back to Coach Corbett’s grandfather.
“If it wasn’t for my dad, I wouldn’t be where I’m at in school or in wrestling,” said Corbett.
To see this article and others by Radford High School students, go to: www.TheRamPage.net
