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Atascadero coach asks board for paid assistant coach for girls wrestling
Summary
Atascadero High School head wrestling coach Joseph Belmonte asked the school board to add a paid assistant coach and stipend for the girls team, citing rapid growth in participation, safety concerns when multiple matches run concurrently, and overnight travel needs. No formal board action was taken.
Joseph Belmonte, head wrestling coach at Atascadero High School, used the board's public-comment period to ask the Atascadero Unified School District Board of Trustees to add a paid assistant coach and a dedicated stipend for the girls wrestling program to support rising participation and overnight travel.
Belmonte told trustees that girls wrestling in California is one of the fastest-growing high school sports and that Atascadero’s program has expanded rapidly. He said the program produced the district’s first female CIF champion in 2023 and that an Atascadero graduate is now wrestling at Manchester University in Indiana. "To continue giving them the coaching attention and mentorship they deserve, I'm asking the board to consider adding an assistant coach position for the girls team with an additional stipend dedicated specifically to the girls program," Belmonte said.
Belmonte provided roster and practice details to illustrate the need: last year the girls roster was about 11 or 12 athletes; he said preseason practices at 6 a.m. have drawn additional newcomers and that at some tournaments multiple girls often compete on different mats at the same time, creating a safety and supervision gap for a single coach. He also asked the board to consider the assistant coach's role in supporting overnight trips to tournaments.
Superintendent Tom Bennett thanked Belmonte for his remarks and for leading the program. A trustee asked for a head count; Belmonte said he expects about 11–13 girls this year and noted that seven varsity girls were already registered for an overnight tournament. The board did not vote or take formal action during the meeting on Belmonte’s request.
Belmonte concluded by saying he aims to build a sustainable program and "a lasting legacy for the next generation of Greyhound wrestlers." The district did not announce any immediate next steps during the meeting.
