On October 1st, Anthony Schettino, the varsity wrestling coach, was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.  It was a well deserved honor to a man who has devoted his life to the sport.

It all started in fourth grade when Coach Schettino joined the Port Youth Activities (PYA) wrestling program.  He had no idea that it would become a passion that would direct his life.  He continued wrestling through middle school, high school, and in college at Southern Connecticut State University.  At the end of his competitive wrestling career, he found himself back at Schrieber, where he has coached Varsity Wrestling for thirty-one years.  While doing this, he also has overseen, directed, and coached the PYA youth wrestling program for over twenty years. PYA  Executive Director Brandon Kurz said, “Anthony Schettino is the ultimate leader.  He backs up everything he teaches and leads by example.  His commitment to wrestling and coaching young men is second to none. He’s a hall of famer in every sense of the word.”  Kurz’s description of Schettino exemplifies how much he has given back to the Port Washington wrestling community.

To be inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, you either have to be an extraordinary athlete or a coach who has shown leadership and led their team to great success.  Over Coach Schettino’s long career, he has shown great leadership and produced excellent results, winning five wrestling championships.  When asked about his greatest accomplishment, coach Schettino responded with, “ Being inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame is an incredible honor, however my greatest accomplishment is helping our athletes be better versions of themselves both on and off the mats.  We’ve accomplished some tremendous things throughout the history of our program, but nothing is more rewarding.”  Coach Schettino’s induction into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame is not just due to his great winning results and coaching abilities, but because he wants his athletes to be better people, not just better wrestlers.

As a fourth generation resident of Port Washington it’s no surprise how loyal Schettino is to the Port Washington Wrestling community.  The community clearly appreciates Schettino’s efforts as he earned the Nassau Coach of the Year award three times, and was inducted into both the PYA and Schreiber Athletic Halls of Fame.  When asked what this community means to Schettino, he answered, “The wrestling community in general is very tight knit.  Our Port Wrestling community we refer to as a family and like any family, it means very much to me.”  Coach Schettino cares deeply about this community and wants to see it prosper.

Coach Schettino’s desire to help out his community led him right back to Schreiber High School where it all started.  Schettino knew that he always wanted to come back to Schreiber to coach. However, he did not know how or when he was going to do it.  When Schettino was asked about the story of his return to Port Washington Wrestling he said, “I knew I wanted to teach and coach for a long time.  My High School wrestling coach at Schreiber, legendary Coach Robert “Buzz” Busby, also knew I wanted to give back to our program one day.  So when he had an opening for an assistant coach he reached out.  Leaving my college wrestling program and transferring schools to begin my coaching career was a major decision.  One however, I’m very grateful for. I not only began coaching the Schreiber wrestling team with Coach Busby, but the Weber football team at that time as well.”  Schettino’s story is an example of how important it is to give back to the community where you were raised.  Schettino seized the opportunity and never looked back. 

Schettino has had a major impact on the athletes he coached.  Not only did they become better wrestlers because of coach Schettino, but they were inspired as well.  They benefited from his strong leadership and hard work ethic.  Schettino’s impact on his wrestlers is not just focused on improving their athletic abilities, but more importantly, how to be better versions of themselves.  Coach Schettino’s players don’t see him as a typical coach.  He makes practices exciting and keeps it interesting, so players don’t dread workouts, they look forward to it.  When asked about coach Schettino’s impact on him, freshman Michael Asselta, a veteran of the PYA wrestling program said, “He makes the wrestling sport fun. Instead of just teaching he includes many good drills and boosts the team’s morale. He makes practice exciting.”  Schettino’s commitment to making wrestling fun and meaningful for those he coaches, is one of the main reasons he is being inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. 

Schettino is far from the end of his wrestling career.  He is a role model to those he coaches and an impactful member of the community. Schettino plans on staying in Port Washington and motivating and supporting the kids in the wrestling community for a long time to come.  Coach Schettino says, “My plans are to continue teaching and coaching while continuing to grow the wrestling program.  The same way we ask our athletes to set goals each season, the coaches do the same.  Being the best well rounded program we can be, while getting to the next level, is definitely one of those goals and plans”.  He tries to relate with the kids and teach them about valuable skills like setting goals and plans for the future.

Coach Schettino’s induction into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame was very well deserved.  His commitment to the Port Washington wrestling program, his impact on the kids he has coached, and his overall impact on the Port Washington wrestling community is a testament to the person he is.  No one deserves to be in the National Wrestling Hall of Fame more than him.  He is an extremely valuable coach who will go down in wrestling and Schreiber history. Coach Schettino is unmatched.