Coach Joe Imelli
|
|---|
|
| Pictures Courtesy of Joe Imelli and Ranson Family Photography |
| Family |
| When I was asked if I would be interested in writing an article for NVSportsLocal, I was excited about having the opportunity to have everyone hear my gripe about missing the wrestling season. I did not write the article right away. I have certainly thought about what I wanted to write, and my thoughts have gone all over the place. While I am not a writer and my thoughts may tend to bounce around a bit, I think I have finally found the direction I want to approach this, and with that you will need some background. |
| When I was young, we moved around a bit and when we settled down my mom made it a point to put me in Pop Warner and Little League, and any sport she could find to make sure I had focus and a physical outlet in my life. I can remember how much of an influence my coaches had on me. Discipline, accountability, team, and just people around that cared for me. I did not have club wrestling when I grew up. We had a couple-week class in Middle School, but my first real taste of wrestling came that Freshman year. My Coach, Mario Decaro, was a two-time All-American wrestler for San Francisco State. The things I learned in that first year, it was a list. Besides the fundamentals of wrestling–Coach Decaro broke me, showed me I was still alive, and that my body could handle a lot more. Over the course of my Freshman and Sophomore year he helped mold my mental toughness within the sport of wrestling. My Junior and Senior years we had 2 different coaches, but the foundation Coach Decaro instilled in the group of 10 Freshman, who started together and finished together, led to our school’s first League Title in 14 years. |
| After HS, I made it back to the Reno area (where I was born), and where I attended the University of Nevada, Reno. After getting my feet set and joining the Nevada Rugby Team, I was able to find my way into coaching. During my second year of college, my Aunt Ruth Ann told me she knew one of the coaches in the Wooster wrestling room, so I introduced myself to Tom Bailey and Eric Beye and found a room where I was able to wrestle and get a workout in, during some of my downtime from college. I was working at Lombardi Rec, where Frank Sandomenico, told me McQueen was looking for a JV football O-Line coach. I soon found myself in an interview, with the Legendary Ken Dalton. This is where I got my start into coaching. That fall, I started coaching HS Football, HS wrestling in the winter (for Shayne Wallace), and then MS wrestling at Billinghurst. |
| During the early years of coaching I was able to learn a lot about coaching and how to coach. I had some incredible mentors (besides those mentioned already, I add Ken Cass and Rob Sumner) who helped influence the foundation of my coaching philosophies. There was always accountability from coach to coach and player to player. How? How does this happen? It started with Coach Dalton, an enthusiastic, passionate man that created a family atmosphere. In 2003, my oldest daughter was born and spent her first couple years in a stroller, on the practice field or near the mats. There were many times when I needed to pull double-duty and the coaches at practice were right there if I needed any help. I learned that a lot of people know X’s and O’s(football jargon for those of you who don’t), but caring for people really makes a difference. This was the next step in my evolution of coaching. |
| In 2005, I accepted a job teaching at Spanish Springs HS and was hired as the Head Wrestling Coach. This was an extremely difficult decision to leave the McQueen Family. My Family had created some great relationships there and to this day still have lasting friendships. This now gave me an opportunity to start creating a new family in the Spanish Springs area. I had taught at Shaw for 2 years and followed that group up through HS. In those first 6 years, I met some incredible people through wrestling and football. Like anything else, when you are first starting there are hiccups, but when you are able to have a coach start with you in year 1 and 16 years later he is still there (Sam White), you have done something right. During these years we added some tremendous people to the Spanish Springs Wrestling Coaching Family, from the club teams to the HS–Nacho Ruiz, Steve Gresko, Jake Griffen, Paul Townsend, Marc Hassell-Cramer, Jim Coverley and Alumnus Christian White. They have all bought into creating a Family atmosphere while promoting the sport they love. |
| As I continue to learn new things about coaching, there are a few things that I have not changed my mind about; without the support of my wife (Shali) and our children, coaching does not happen; we will continue to make sure that our student-athletes are not only better in their sport, but they will be better people–productive members of society; every kid is important, you will have some really good wrestlers, you will have your “studs”, but you cannot build a Team off that. You need everyone; they need to know they have a part in the program, they are important, they are needed, and they have value. I cannot tell you how many times I have heard “who is that kid?” Well, they are a Senior that put in the time, they were behind someone else, and they finally got their opportunity. They believed in a program that believed in them. |
| So, what does all this backstory and rambling-on have to do with wrestlers during COVID? EVERYTHING! While this is only a part of my story, it is a story that has had an effect on a lot of people. I think about all the kids that will not pick up wrestling in MS this year, and I hope that they do next year. The Freshman that never got a chance to compete or travel or diet or be pushed by others in the room or win their First. The Seniors that did not get a chance to win or lose their Last. Devin Griffen did not get a chance to be a 4x State Champ. Wyatt Lallement did not get a chance to win a Second. Parker Luthy’s last match was his Sophomore year in the State Semi’s where he was injured. This was his year to stand on top of the podium. Jose Andrade looking to have a full healthy season. Brady Masset and Jackson Hunter looking at a chance to get on the podium. Alex Scurry or Jacob Kahumoku a chance to get in the lineup. Or a Kaitlyn Imelli, that spent so many years hanging out with her dad at football and wrestling, she missed out on one more season with her dad. And, her dad missed one last opportunity with his daughter before she begins her next step in life. |
| There were so many missed opportunities, and it is really easy for people to feel sorry for themselves or angry at others. The fact is we will be dealt some really tough hands over our years. I was sitting at a funeral for a 15-year-old boy, who had health complications. His 3 older brothers all wrestled for me, and he would have been a manager for our HS program next year. As I sat there, just thinking about life, the brothers talked one by one and I was so impressed as they stood in front of their family and friends and told stories of their time with their brother. You really start to reflect on a lot of things. I kept coming back to how proud I am of our little wrestling family. |
| We cannot replace this year, we do not get it back, we cannot compete for a State Title, we may miss opportunities to be recognized for college, we may be the only state to not have a HS wrestling season, we may miss building those relationships, but we will move forward. |
| The wrestling community does so much for young boys and girls, especially in Northern Nevada. That Wooster room I wrestled in some 28 years ago had Bumper Fleischman wrestling in it–now a coach at Damonte Ranch. I went to college with Mike Nakashima–longtime Wooster Coach. Jeromy Mumm–I coached with him for nearly 10 years between Billinghurst and Mcqueen. I coached against Josh Kivi, Trevor Debraga and Joel Rivadeneyra, (while they were HS wrestlers) now Head Coaches at Reno, Fallon and Galena. |
| These people and countless more have been waiting for a year; waiting for the opportunity to work with our youth and help guide them, give the structure, discipline, goals, teammates, family, an opportunity to be a part of something. While football has been allowed to compete, wrestling and basketball still wait for the clearance. I will tell you that the wrestling community is one of the most resilient groups you will find, but they are all losing a year, and who knows how much more. We will continue to do everything we can, but we certainly look forward to the day in which we get our full clearance.
The Deeper the Roots the Stronger the Family |
