Spain Park High School senior Kyle Oliveira and sophomore Bradley Williams completed their 2023-24 wrestling seasons undefeated, continuing each of their winning streaks. Here, their coach, Ryan Thompson, offers his thoughts on why these student-athletes remain so successful.

What would you like to say to Kyle and Bradley as one of their coaches?

They’ve had coaches and instructors as dads their whole lives. That’s given them a leg up and a lot of opportunities. Despite their advantage, they’re both very well-mannered kids, who are humble, respectful and hard working. They came in with a high expectation level as far as goals are concerned, so as a coach, that makes it easy to help them succeed. They’re also respected by their peers as leaders. Being able to have them in the practice room every day with all the other kids is like having two more coaches in the ring.

How have their attitudes helped shape the character of the team?

They’re always really competitive. When one of them pins everybody in the tournament and the other one doesn’t, they (playfully) rag each other about it. Their brotherly relationship sets the tone for the rest of the team, joking with their teammates in the wrestling room. They practice with each other every day, and often, they probably see each other more than they see their families. Their personalities make competing fun for everyone.

What disciplines did both Kyle and Bradley implement to improve their skill sets and maintain a standard of excellence needed to succeed throughout the year?

Bradley ended up going down a weight class, so he practiced weight management, making sure he was weighing in the right way each time we had a competition. Both athletes were generally on the mat seven days a week throughout the season. Kyle kind of changed his style up a little bit, and I would say he began to control the pace of each of his matches. This was Bradley’s fourth finals appearance. He was in the finals round in seventh grade, eighth grade, ninth grade and finished in second place each year. Then, he won this year as a 10th grader. Kyle was in the finals round last year. He has been to the state championship three times. He was in the finals round last year and lost, but he came back and won this year. So, they both had that experience of coming up short and realizing what needed to change to be able to win from past experience.

What were everyone’s reactions to Kyle and Bradley completing their seasons undefeated?

I wasn’t surprised when they won. I was just happy that their journeys had come to fruition. I was not nervous in the matches. I was confident they would succeed. They were excited but also relieved. They were more relieved because both of them had been to finals before–Bradley three times and Kyle one time. Bradley lost by one point last year at the very end of the match. During his seventh grade year, he was undefeated, and that was the only match he lost–state finals. Their accolades are going to help them succeed onto the next level.

What makes the Spain Park wrestling program a force to be reckoned with?

We’re a good family. The student-athletes have a lot of support. When you have kids that come in with a strong support system and high expectations, the team will succeed. Kyle and Bradley have got a certain work ethic, where they understand the sacrifices that are required of them. I’ve coached at a lot of different places, and not every kid understands what they do. This is one strength that is often the result of the good job that the parents do for their children. It makes it easier for us as coaches. It makes it easier to become a team because the kids already come in with selfless attitudes and great work ethics. All together, this is why we are successful as a team.