Manente ready for challenge
By Justin Feil, Assistant Sports Editor
Christopher Manente is always up for a challenge.
It is why after high school, he joined the Army.
”I went through high school and kind of felt like I wanted to challenge myself and find out who I was,” said Manente, who grew up in Dumont. “Physical things weren’t much of a challenge, and everyone said the Army Infantry was the hardest thing I could do. It was a challenge and I learned a lot about myself.”
Just over four years after serving 13 months in Iraq, Manente is onto a new set of challenges. While currently working as a behavioral therapist for people with autism, Manente is finishing his masters degree and getting certified to teach special education from Rutgers University. And he is the new wrestling coach at West Windsor-Plainsboro South.
”I was a sergeant in the 101st Airborne Infantry,” Manente said. “My team is reaping the benefits. If nothing else, we won’t be out-conditioned. There’s no way. They lack experience. They will not lack conditioning.”
Manente is heading to bed earlier than usual these days in preparing himself for the two-a-days that include lifting and running in the mornings and practice in the afternoon. It is helping to prepare a young Pirates team to bounce back from a 6-12 season.
”They love it,” Manente said. “Keep expectations high, and they’ll rise to them.”
Manente is driven to succeed. He rose to the rank of sergeant by age 19, a two-year span of service in the Army.
”That’s as fast as you can do it,” he said. “I’ve always been a physical, aggressively driven guy. That’s what they look for.”
He is taking that approach with the Pirates after taking over for Craig Wilson. He would like them to get as good as they can be as quickly as possible. He is putting his energy into his positions as wrestling coach and student teacher at Grover Middle School.
”I wrestled myself when I was younger,” Manente said. “I wrestled from pee wee through high school. In the military, I did jujitsu and grappling. I love to teach too. That’s why I’m making this progression.
”This district is fantastic. They really promote the coach-teacher design, the coach-teacher design. They want to extend what you do in the classroom onto the playing field, on the mat. We’re not just here to baby sit. I take my job really seriously and I expect all the wrestlers to.”
Manente is hoping his enthusiasm translates for his new team. He has discovered a passion for wrestling that has grown since his high school graduation.
”I didn’t take as much interest as I do now that I’m older,” Manente said. “I didn’t get involved in going to camps in high school. I liked it enough that I did it from (age) 8 or 9 all the way through high school so the technical knowledge was there. I never felt really passionate about pursuing it until later.”
Once Manente decided to pursue teaching, it didn’t take him long to figure that he wanted to work in a school district like West Windsor-Plainsboro.
”If you’re going to teach,” he said, “why not for the best? I’ve heard so many good things and ever since I’ve been working here, it’s all rung true.”
Manente is working to develop a top-line wrestling program to reflect the district’s top-flight academics. A fan of challenges himself, he is finding ways to challenge his inexperienced squad.
”In the practice room, I’m pretty no nonsense,” he said. “I expect them to take their position as a wrestler as a real professional. After practice, I can joke around with the best of them, but I’m pretty no nonsense at practice. I want us to be the best wrestlers we can be. I know it will be tough. I’d be surprised if we were out-conditioned by any team.”
Manente knows plenty about meeting challenges. He met some of his biggest challenges four years ago in Iraq.
”It was an experience,” Manente said. “I was there from the beginning. I went over Feb. 2002 until March, 2003. I started at the southern-most tip and walked across the country to the north over the course of three months getting into fire fights the whole way. It was both a horrible experience and wonderful the whole time. It certainly puts life experiences in perspective and it helps you value a wonderful job like teaching youngsters how to wrestle.”

