"Dad told me, 'Get better or you choose to get worse'": 4x NCAA champion Carter Starocci on his father's valuable advice that propelled him to success

Carter Starocci is one of the NCAA'S most successful wrestlers. Competing for Pennsylvania State University, the 23-year-old has won four national titles, and will be gunning for a fifth in 2025. Recently, the American recalled the one piece of advice that his father gave him, that has propelled him to success.

Starocci’s wrestling talent shone through when he was still in high-school, and was one of the top recruits of the country. The wrestler signed with the Nittany Lions for his collegiate career, and went on to win his first national championships in the 2020-2021 season as a freshman.

Now, in a YouTube collaboration with The Happy Valley Adventure Bureau, Carter Starocci discussed how he's managed to dominate the NCAA for four years. The wrestler revealed that a piece of advice form his father has stuck with him all these years, saying:

“I'm already in my fifth year at Penn State, like this flew by like this. So I was always aware of that and just how life goes by quick and then my dad always told me every single day we have this choice to make, and it's either you choose to get better or you choose to get worse.”

“There's no staying the same because everyone around you and everything around you is getting better so you're getting worse and he's right and so I'm like times's not on our side.”

Carter Starocci on moving to a different weight class

After a dominant finish to his 2023-2024 collegiate season, Carter Starocci announced that he would be returning to Penn State for a fifth and final year as he targets yet another national championship.

However, this time around the Nittany Lion intends to compete in a higher weight class, a decision that was also influenced by his father. In the same YouTube video, Starocci said:

“I'm just going to eat how my dad raised me to be. My dad's a football guy and so he's all about gaining size and he was always on me. He always wanted me to go up (to a higher weight class) and he was like ‘we're just big dudes in the family’, so I'm excited.”

Starocci’s hints at moving up weight classes have come with their fair share of controversy. Former NCAA champion A.J Ferrari reacted to the news by warning the PSU wrestler to stay away from the 197 pound category, a warning that has caused quite the social media feud between the two athletes.