Mantegani: The Right Coach At The Right Time Boys Volleyball Program on Winning Track

By Ken Hamwey
Bulletin Sports Writer

When a school starts a new athletic program, its most important decision is selecting a coach. Five years ago at Bellingham High, Steve Mantegani was chosen to guide its new boys volleyball team and he was the right person at the right time.

That was in 2019 when the Blackhawks finished their first season winless at 0-16. The next season was canceled because of Covid-19 and the third year was reduced to 10 matches with no playoff format. Still in its infancy, the team ended with a 1-9 record in 2021. The 2022 contingent started the turn-around, compiling a 10-9 record before bowing in the tournament to Holyoke. 

Last spring, Mantegani and his Blackhawks rolled to a 16-4 record, qualified for the playoffs again, but lost in the first round to Ludlow in three close matches. Although the program is officially five years old, it excelled last spring in what basically was its third season.

Sometimes a fledgling program gets a coach who might be impatient. Or a coach who may get uptight because losing occurs too frequently. Directing a new interscholastic team  takes a special individual, primarily because the growing pains will be often, the journey will be arduous, and frequent setbacks can be discouraging.

The 52-year-old Mantegani, who’s coached the BHS girls volleyball team for the last seven years, obviously has the demeanor, the personality and the experience to cope with all the nuances linked to a start-up program. 

When he competed at Milford High in volleyball and wrestling, he was a sectional champion in wrestling. A sophomore on the Scarlet Hawks’ first-year volleyball team, he earned all-star honors as a junior and senior. His coach was the late Linda Zacchilli, one of the most dynamic volleyball coaches in the state. She, too, coached the girls squad and later started a boys program. 

“Linda was a great volleyball coach and her husband (Nick) was a superb wrestling coach,’’ Mantegani said. “Linda was tough but fair and she expected a lot no matter how new we were to volleyball. She emphasized that hard work would get results and she never treated us like a new team. That inspired us.’’

When Mantegani started the boys program, he focused on three key aspects — “get the kids to love the sport; teach the basics; and rely on a disciplined approach in practice.’’

“It’s a plus when players develop passion for a sport,’’ Mantegani offered. “Stressing basics is vital because you can’t play the sport without fundamental skills. And, disciplined practices help players believe they will win soon.’’

When recruiting players for a new program, Mantegani learned what attributes were  important by watching the kind of competitors Linda Zacchilli preferred.

“What I look for are hard-working kids who are dedicated and willing to learn,’’ said Mantegani. “Hard-working players always give 100 percent, they don’t miss practice because they’re committed, and they’re eager to learn.’’

Mantegani also puts a high priority on athleticism because a quality athlete usually adjusts quickly to the skills needed for volleyball. But, he also knows that recruiting players sometimes requires help from others.

“I encourage our players to get their friends to try out,’’ he noted. “We get boys who’ve excelled in soccer because their friends convinced them to add another sport. Another avenue is having someone in the school system who will talk with perspective players. They can talk about playing time, eligibility or whatever is on a boy’s mind. My two sons promote BHS volleyball — one plays in our program and the other is a learning assistant.’’

Mantegani and his wife Meredith have three children — Justin, 23; Maddie, 22; and Zach, 17. Maddie played for her father before graduating from Fitchburg State and Zach earned Tri Valley League all-star honors as a junior last spring.

“Coaching your children isn’t always smooth but the good thing is they know what I expect,’’ Mantegani said. “The challenge is to treat them like any other player. As three-sport athletes both Maddie and Zach had a strong-minded approach and they displayed mental toughness.’’

Mantegani’s boys program has been to the tourney twice in what amounts to 3½ years. The key to winning early on, Mantegani believes, is dedication, commitment, mental toughness and technique. “Talent plays a big role but that’s the by-product of the four things I just listed,’’ he emphasized.

Mantegani’s top thrill as a coach was leading both the boys and girls squads to the playoffs. “The girls went 17 years without a tourney berth until we ended that streak in 2017,’’ he recalled.

The best match in his career was the boys’ first encounter in the program’s history. “In 2019, we opened against Medfield and lost, 3-1,’’ Mantegani said. “But, we won a set and that was the first time in program history we took a set.’’

After a successful career in volleyball and wrestling at Milford High, Mantegani enrolled at Southern Cal, played club volleyball and majored in exercise and sports sciences. He later earned a master degree in physical therapy at the University of Delaware.

A native of Marlboro, he’s coached club volleyball and also was an assistant coach for two years at Bucknell University in Pennsylvania and he also served as an assistant at Holy Cross for a year. He works as vice president of operations for Select Medical, a health-care corporation.

Mantegani relies on a coaching philosophy that emphasizes developing skills and passion for volleyball. “Reaching one’s potential and being accountable are also important,’’ he emphasized. “If those things are in the mix along with working hard in practice, then winning will be the by-product. “And, there’s valuable life lessons that players can learn from athletics. Like how to be a quality teammate, how to overcome adversity, how to become leaders and realizing that you have to earn everything.’’

Mantegani firmly believes that boys volleyball has a bright future at BHS. “We’ve had two back-to-back winning seasons,’’ he said, “and those results draw athletes to the program.’’

Steve Mantegani was the right person at the right time to start the boys volleyball program at Bellingham High.