About this episode
Gene Zannetti reconnects with longtime friend and teammate Matt Stanzione, Head Coach of Mountain Lakes High School Wrestling, to talk about the highs and lows of coaching, the evolution of youth sports, and the lessons wrestling teaches far beyond the mat. From childhood memories and rivalry stories to navigating setbacks as a coach, this episode dives into why persistence, relationships, and resilience matter most. Timestamps: 3:40 – Growing up teammates: football, baseball, wrestling, and more 7:55 – Starting a coaching career while still in college 13:22 – Building the Mountain Lakes program and early struggles 18:48 – Stepping away after a low point and learning perspective 25:10 – Coming back as head coach with renewed purpose 32:14 – Balancing family, teaching, and coaching for 20+ years 40:28 – The importance of multi-sport athletes and avoiding burnout 47:15 – How COVID impacted feeder programs and rebuilding numbers 53:20 – Why wrestling makes everything else in life feel easier 1:05:44 – The power of rivalries, friendships, and lifelong lessons from the sport 🎯 This episode is sponsored by: 🥗 Eat Clean Bro – eatcleanbro.com Use code MINDSET for 15% off your order 💪 Champion Athletes Sports Nutrition – champion-athletes.com Use code MINDSET25 for a special discount Please LIKE and SUBSCRIBE to the podcast and go through the archives to hear more great episodes. If you want to support the podcast, please leave a 5-star rating & review on Apple Podcasts. For all partnership and sponsorship inquiries, email mindset@wrestlingmindset.com 🎙Stay connected with Wrestling Mindset 🔗 Visit our website: https://www.wrestlingmindset.com/ 📞 Book a free consultation: https://www.wrestlingmindset.com/1-on-1-coaching/ Wrestling Mindset Social Media Instagram: / wrestlingmindset Facebook: / wrestlingmindset Twitter: / wrestlingmindse 🎧 Listen to our podcast Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/65xcqo9ZdPY36HeQOltPUI Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.