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01/04/2017 11:00 PMFor several years, Anthony Mancini was right in the sparks of the heated Guilford-Hand wrestling rivalry, both as a competitor and a coach. This winter, Anthony is getting a fresh perspective on the rivalry from the opposite side of the spectrum.
Anthony, a lifelong Madison resident, wrestled for four years at Hand before graduating in 2009. After attending Iona College, Anthony interned at Hand and was a volunteer coach for the Tigers’ wrestling squad while he was working toward a master’s degree at the University of New Haven.
Last summer, Anthony took a job as a business teacher at Guilford High School, where he got in touch with wrestling coach Craig Vedrani, who told Anthony that an assistant coaching position had opened up. Anthony applied for the job, got it, and is now in his first season as a member of the Indians’ coaching staff.
“It’s been both tough and interesting for me by always being a Tiger and now I’m coaching the Indians,” says Anthony. “It’s all been great. I’ve been welcomed with open arms by everyone, plus the Hand-Guilford dynamic is an interesting talking point. It’s a new perspective and it’s been fun so far.”
The nature of wrestling can help student-athletes build life skills that will help them for the tough roads ahead. Anthony emphasizes this approach as a coach, along with a focus on the fundamentals of the mat.
“Wrestling is a sport about physical and mental toughness and passion. I try to bring those qualities out in the wrestlers. I tell them how wrestling helped get me through things in my life and I try to get through to them that wrestling can be a very valuable life experience,” Anthony says. “I’m basic when it comes to teaching wrestling skills. I tell them that the basics will win matches. I’m about teaching the basics, along with mental toughness, fortitude, and perseverance.”
Of course, Anthony would love to see all of his Guilford grapplers go undefeated while the Indians win conference and state titles. However, he also knows that any wrestling team’s success is contingent on its athletes reaching personal milestones, and Anthony loves helping his wrestlers work toward those goals.
“Like in any sport, it’s great to win and see everything pay off. But I’ve seen kids that put in all the hard work and go from being on JV one year to being a state champion the next,” says Anthony. “I tell the kids that they can go as far as they want to. I’m so happy when I see them give that extra effort. I love seeing their hard work pay off and to be the one helping them get there is great.”
Coach Vedrani says that Anthony brings the perfect blend of wrestling acumen and personality as an assistant in his program.
“Anthony Mancini was hired as a business teacher here at [Guilford High School] and, when we first talked, he showed interest in the position. I got the scoop on him from his former coaches and they had nothing but good things to say and he then seemed passionate about coaching when we talked,” says Vedrani. “Anthony has been great to have on board and is doing a nice job. He is a likable person who the boys respect and is knowledgeable of the sport. Having him in the school is also a plus. He is able to communicate to the athletes and myself throughout the day and his work schedule is obviously conducive for coaching, which is rare to find. He has a lot of ideas and suggestions and has been helpful with preparing for practices and is a great soundboard to have in the corner during matches. Anthony is also good for a joke or two each day to keep things loose, which we all appreciate. I look forward to working with him and our program is lucky to have found another passionate coach.”
Thus far this year, the Indians have followed Anthony and Vedrani’s principles and are pushing themselves to reach their potential. Anthony concludes by saying that he will always help any kid who has the will to be the best reach his next plateau of success.
“Our goals as a team are what they should be. We want to make and win SCCs. We also have a lot of kids that want to win their state titles and they put in the effort every day in practice. We were even up early and at a tournament the day after Christmas, which shows they are putting in the work to meet their goals,” he says. “We have them set out their individual goals at the start of the year. We will work with them and help them reach their goals. I let the kids drive the practices and will help them with anything to achieve their goals.”