Sugar River Wrestling Dreams Make Weight as Team Considers New Practice Space
New Athletic Director Zachary Nelson and Coach Pete Swenson assess space in the Belleville Elementary School for wrestlers. Photo courtesy of Marie Perry
The old adage “practice makes perfect” isn’t far off when it comes to athletic success, but where a team practices can also make a big difference in that success story.
Coach Swenson of the Sugar River wrestling team says, “It all starts with having a safe, dedicated area to grow the sport to be accessible for kids and communities to soar.”
The Sugar River wrestling team has built a strong co-op team over the years, but Swenson knows to continue to excel, space is needed to offer his team a dedicated practice room.
Currently, students from Belleville, Monticello and New Glarus share space in the Belleville Elementary school’s small gym, but it requires a lot of planning as the basketball and wrestling practices require very different sets-ups. Wrestlers work as a team to accommodate the shared space by moving mats in and out of the gym when it’s their turn to ensure safety. Rural school districts such as Belleville are proud to be able to offer more sports opportunities like wrestling through co-ops with other school districts locally, but sometimes, there is a limit to what a school district can make happen. However, it didn’t stop a determined coach from wanting the best for his team and summertime got Coach Swenson thinking about ways to “make weight” on his dream for a dedicated practice space for his wrestlers in Belleville to further strengthen the Sugar River wrestling program.
To this end, administrative team members from the School District of Belleville joined Swenson on July 26th to survey unused storage space in the basement of the Belleville Elementary school. By removing two walls and adding two steel columns and a support beam per wall location, the administrative team members concluded the right space could be obtained for the needs of the Sugar River wrestling program. For District Administrator Nate Perry, converting this empty space could mean more than just offering those passionate about wrestling a dedicated space to hone their best athletic success, he also sees an opportunity through a remodel like this to enrich needed community spaces locally.
Perry says, “In a small town like Belleville without facilities like a YMCA or Princeton Club, the schools offer the only available gym space. This space has to be shared with youth groups and middle and high school sports. Any space that we can convert into more usable space not only would help the wrestling program, but would free up their gym use for other programs.”
Swenson was thrilled to see a group of individuals he works with actively consider bringing solutions to his dream as he grows the wrestling program, noting that the sport is changing. “We now have 5 to 6 girls ages 7th through 12th grade participating in the sport and it is wonderful to think about the future of this sport for girls too as we grow.”
Having a dedicated space brings more opportunities for all kids in the area wanting to wrestle and become stronger and more confident individuals as they grow and develop as a result of being involved in this sport. Swenson knows that dedicated practice space increases the ability for a team to perform well, noting that the strongest teams locally – like Evansville, Monroe, Mineral Point, Lodi, Verona, and Mount Horeb – all provide dedicated practice space for their wrestling athletes.
So, as Belleville enters its 2023-24 school year, if the Sugar River wrestling team can help the School District of Belleville fund the remodeling project, Swenson’s vision of finding the right space for his wrestlers to call home may become a reality and literally “make weight” on Coach Swenson’s dream.
