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assistant at Cal State-Bakersfield and Arizona State. I looked at high school coaching as my next challenge.” Vanni concentrated on his teaching and coaching role for a


few years. He never completely retired and made the 1994 U.S. World Team which competed in Turkey. With encouragement from his vice-principal, he decided to make another Olympic run. Vanni took a sabbatical for two years, moved to Tempe, and trained under Seay again, with great athletes such as Townsend Saunders, Kenny Monday, Kevin Jackson and oth- ers. “It was the 100th anniversary of the Olympics and was held in


Atlanta in 1996. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity,” said Vanni. “I wasn’t going to be a guy who retires and said What if? I was a little slower. I had to train differently. The years took a bit of a toll. I had to be smarter. I thought I was pretty effective.” At the age of 35, Vanni finished third in the 1996 Olympic


Trials in Spokane, Wash. It was his last competitive event, and Vanni has never looked back. “I got back into coaching, helping kids achieve the best they


can be and to help them to take care of business,” said Vanni. In 1996, FILA announced a reduction to eight weight classes.


The lowest weight class became 54 kg/119 lbs., and all of the small guys in wrestling were suddenly gone. “They eliminated both 48 kg and 52 kg. Those weight classes


were extremely competitive for so many years,” said Vanni. “There were so many great athletes from the Asian nations in those weights. My last year competing, I went to Krasnoyarsk, and I couldn’t believe how many tough Russians there were. There were so many little guys with a high skill level. It’s really a tragedy that they decreased opportunity in our sport.” Now in his 18th year as high school coach, he has made a


big difference at Porterville High School, “We have had a couple of state champions and we consis-


tently take kids to the state meet,” said Vanni. “It took some time, but we were able to beat our rival Monache, and have been doing it consistently in recent years.” In 2011, Porterville High School had its best finish ever at the California state championships, placing ninth in the tournament. Vanni qualified five wrestlers to the state championships, the most in his coaching career. Senior Shane Yacuta placed sec- ond at 135 pounds and Mason Pengilly finished fourth at 103 pounds. Vanni has been active with California USA Wrestling, working


within his local association. His club athletes compete in freestyle and Greco-Roman in the spring, and he has helped them because of his vast experiences. One of the lessons he helps teach young wrestlers is the ability to adapt. “During the 1980s, there were things we did technically to advance freestyle, and there were things we did tactically to beat the Russians. They continued to have rule changes then. There were always adjustments. I have been schooled by my Olympic teammates how to adapt to changes. Now that I am coaching, many of the adjustments are continuing. I ask the wrestlers, ‘how do you adapt?’ It is fun for me, no big deal. We just make a game plan,” said Vanni. He has a unique perspective as both an Olympic athlete and


a successful high school coach. Both have been challenging in different ways. “As an athlete, you set high goals and you put yourself at No.


1. If you don’t achieve your goals, it is devastating. Competing gives you more drive. It is a confidence builder. Even if you don’t reach that goal, you know you prepared to the best of your ability,” said Vanni. “As a coach, it is more difficult. You are trying to do what you


Vanni has given back to the sport as a coach.


did as a wrestler, but you have 60 wrestlers in the program. It is more fun coaching, but it can be very difficult,” he said. Vanni expects to serve as head coach at Porterville for three


more years. He plans to remain active in wrestling, helping with the kids club and perhaps serving in an assistant coaching role. He will always be involved in wrestling in some way, because wrestling made a major impact on his life. “I think it is not so much about all of the competition and the


travel I did. Wrestling developed my character and helped me develop into the person I have become. It is not all about wrestling. As a coach, I have been able to help others learn things that will carry them throughout their lives and help them to be the best that they can be,” said Vanni.


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 


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 


   


  


 13 USA Wrestler


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