MELBOURNE, Fla. — The clock is set for 2 minutes for the match. The wrestlers are staring each other down and thinking about how they are going to take the other one and score the points. Wrestling requires a lot of skill but also figuring out how to mentally take the opponent down. Braden Urso, 17, a senior at Viera High School is an amazing wrestler in our county and started wrestling when he was a freshman in high school.

Playing football in middle school, he had the heart for the game and wanted to continue playing in high school. However, once there, he didn’t see a lot of playing time, and his dad, Mike, always told him he was built like a wrestler. The wrestling coach sought him out and convinced him to try out, he did and took an interest in the sport right away.

Urso grew up playing various sports such as soccer, baseball, basketball, surfing, and rock climbing so he has always been athletic. When he found wrestling, he pushed those other sports to the side and has focused on it the last few years. Wrestling is a year-round sport for him as he travels throughout the U.S. with a travel team out of Ohio. Training locally with the North Brevard Wrestling Association, he stays in shape with workouts and bodybuilding. He is really excited about wrestling this season, his senior year, which starts in November and has a great shot at the state championship!

Wrestling through the past two years though has not been easy. High school athletes and parents wonder if they will get all the competition in their respective sports. They question whether there will be athletes quarantined and whether the sports will go on. Someone would be hard-pressed to find an athlete who takes the competitions they get to compete in for granted. Athletes just want to compete.

Adding to that, unfortunately, Fall of 2020 Urso met some obstacles. Viera High had a new coach and unfortunately, Urso tore his meniscus and missed most of the wrestling season. Knowing this injury takes a while to come back, he was determined. He knew it would be tough but he worked on strengthening his body and his mind. Waking up each day at 5 am to do intense workouts and on a strict nutritional plan for elite athletes, he was preparing for his return. His dad said, “At one point during Christmas break, he even walked 8 miles down and up a mountain in the snow in the dark to get to a gym to maintain his disciplined routine! He took the downtime from his injury to become stronger physically and mentally.”

As the season was nearing the end, the surgeon wasn’t sure if Urso should wrestle. However, Urso persisted and began practicing. He was able to wrestle in the conference championship with barely any practice or working with the new coach. Ultimately, he was prepared mentally and physically and took 3rd!

Taking 3rd in the Conference Championship, he knew he could get himself ready for Districts. Over the next few weeks, he continued to work out twice a day, maintaining a diet to stay in shape, and learning new techniques. He was basically putting a year’s worth of work into 2 weeks, but he was ready for Districts next. At Districts, he was able to place 2nd which moved him into Regionals. Gaining strength over those previous months and adding more techniques, his body and mind were ready.

Urso went into Regionals with anxiety but this turned to confidence very quickly. With one minor slip, he lost one of his first matches which sent him to the consolation bracket and this made him have to win 4 matches to get to states. If he lost one more match, he was going home and out of the tournament. Being in this consolation bracket, his competitors didn’t think he would last long. They were all slated to beat him. However, he was able to beat them mentally and physically. His dad calls it, “a wall of strength and grit.” His determination, strength, and technical finesse helped him win all 4 of those matches, which won him 3rd in Regionals and qualified him for states.

Getting to states was a feat in itself as he was on his 8th match of the season while others were on their 40th! He did well at states but didn’t place and is hoping for his shot at the state title this year. Urso is still on his high after last season and continues to work on his strength and mental game throughout this year.

Applying to colleges is his other focus right now. He would like to be accepted into Cornell University and the School of Applied Economics, Management, and Business. His dreams are to work in business and be a CEO or Entrepreneur one day. This sounds like a perfect spot for him as he has already practiced managing money and making it.

Urso had a 2010 Toyota Tacoma and really loved this truck. However, when he saw the market and knew there was a shortage of used cars, he sold it. Not only did he price it higher than his dad thought he would get for it, but he sold it and used a small portion of the money for a new car. Then, he invested the rest of the money and plans to sell the car when he goes off to college. He will be a college freshman next year starting school with money in the bank!

Figuring out his finances and schoolwork are not the only things this well-rounded young man does. He is the wrestling team captain, volunteers weekly at Church at Viera, works at Chick-fil-A, takes 6 AP classes at school, and is top of his class!

Lastly, Urso has figured out how to make it all work which is a great skill for college and beyond. He has also learned marketable skills along the way such as overcoming adversity and looking for more opportunities. As mentioned earlier, it is difficult to become better in a sport when the coach is constantly changing so Urso looked to outside resources such as other training programs and camps to attend so he could improve and meet his goals.

This past summer, he qualified at a national tournament as an All-American Wrestler, and this is a great accomplishment heading into senior year. Urso has a bright future ahead of him in life in general. He has learned many skills that take some adults a lifetime to figure out. If you have a chance this season, check out one of the Viera High Wrestling matches and keep an eye on Urso. He is determined, fired up, and ready to take on everyone he meets on the mat! We wish Urso and the Viera High Wrestling team a winning season!

This is an unedited user writing submission. The views, information, or opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Best Version Media or its employees.