Although it has been a long time since Mr. Anthony Pariano last stepped off the wrestling mat himself, he has found a way to use his experience to support the wrestling program. Just recently, Mr. Pariano stepped up as the Interim Director of the Wrestling Program.
Mr. Pariano has had a multitude of experiences off and on the mat that influence his coaching style.
“I have competed at high levels of wrestling and in very intense situations,” Mr. Pariano said. “I think I have those moments of realizations when things are really intense in my coaching life where I’m like, ‘this doesn’t phase or unnerve me,’ and I hope that calm, that perspective, is something that carries over into how my athletes perform.”
Mr. Pariano recalls techniques used by his coaches and combines the most impactful in his coaching style.
“One coach I had on the Ohio Junior National team, Dave Riggs, was always in my corner and super positive even if things weren’t going well. He reminded me of what was good and foundational in a given match, and always had a calmness about him. He was always one hundred percent engaged in what I was doing,” Mr. Pariano said. “That’s the kind of coach I want to be.”
“Coach Pariano has been focused on getting our bodies warm and ready for practice in a way he feels is the best to have the least amount of injuries.”
Andrew Lyon ’24
Mr. Pariano directs the program differently than in recent years, emphasizing calm and injury prevention.
“In other years we did more of a traditional warmup for wrestling that included running, tumbling, and calisthenics at a sort of high pace,” veteran Sixth Former Andrew Lyon said. “Coach Pariano has been focused on getting our bodies warm and ready for practice in a way he feels is the best to have the least amount of injuries. I go into drilling more calmly and relaxed and warm enough to be able to drill at a high pace.”
Mr. Pariano also wants to build relationships and strength within the team.
“My experience has also taught me that one of the most important things is the relationships you build with other people,” Mr. Pariano said. “You can have as much success as you could imagine, but it doesn’t mean very much if you don’t have teammates to share it with.”
Lyon agrees with the sentiment.
“With being a senior and one of the leaders on the team beside Daniel Kaiser, we look to be sure to push the values that we have been taught over the last couple of years,” Lyon said. “I have an expectation that the team will be a close-knit community and that everyone can come into the room and automatically be in a good mood from being around their teammates and brothers.”
