Brooklyn Tech was a developmental program just four short years ago. Now, they are the defending City Champions.
In 2010-11, they swept the major PSAL team competitions, winning the Larry Cantor Award as the highest-scoring public school team at the Mayor’s Cup tournament, dominating the competition en route to winning the dual meet team championship, and taking home the first-place trophy at the City Championships to end the season.
This offseason, in part due to their meteoric rise amongst the PSAL wrestling ranks, they were rewarded with a brand new wrestling room, complete with branded wall padding and custom-fitted mats.
Assistant Coach Chris LaCarrubba arrived at Brooklyn Tech in the middle of this ascension, in 2009. A product of New Jersey wrestling powerhouse High Point Regional High School, he is no stranger to what it takes to create a winning program – and the formula might surprise you.
“Focus on the family that you create – the coaches, the parents, the principal. Make it something that people want to be a part of,” he says. And once they want to be involved, “take input from everyone.”
Getting those pieces in place, in addition to the actual wrestling, is what makes success possible.
Culture is Critial: “We recruit hard. We put up posters and have kids walk around with their sweatshirts on to increase awareness.” LaCarrubba explains, “Kids are looking for an identity, to feel a part of something special and bigger than themselves.”
While they certainly benefit from a large population of kids – Brooklyn Tech has seen this year’s enrollment swell to 5,400 students – the success and the culture surrounding the team go beyond mere participation. Look to parents, for example.
“Barbara Pook, she’s just been phenomenal,” LaCarrubba said of one of the wrestler’s mother, who, along with another active mother, puts in a significant amount of time to fundraise and develop the underpinnings of the Brooklyn Tech Wrestling culture. “Those pictures couldn’t have happened without the parent club and their fundraising.”
“Those pictures” are the huge posters that adorn the walls on the stage in the new wrestling room – “Business As Usual” being last year’s themed team shot (two years ago, at left). Putting together such an elaborate production may seem extraneous, and they weren't his idea, but LaCarrubba disagrees with that sentiment: “It’s about creating that community, that culture.”
And that’s a huge part of what makes wrestling thrive at Brooklyn Tech. “It’s become a wrestling school. At first, it was hard to get one girl to be our manager. This year I had to interview 20 girls to be the manager. It’s pretty cool.”
That sort of following pays dividends in many ways. Uniting forces that increase school spirit catch the attention of administrators and can lead to increased support from principals and athletic directors. In Brooklyn Tech’s case this has been particularly important.
(l. to r.) New Head Coach Todd Bloom, Assistant Coach Vitaly Simkin, LaCarrubba oversee conditioning.
There have been three head coaches in three years. Fortunately, current head coach Todd Bloom has blended in perfectly, raising the bar for the program as a whole. That seamlessness is a testament to the stability and attention paid by Principal Randy Asher and Athletic Director Jim DiBenedetto, says LaCarrubba: “Principal Asher’s support has been pivotal. He and Mr. DiBenedetto are always on the lookout for coaches that put the kids first and have an interest in guiding the scholar-athlete."
Once all those pieces are in place, all those resources having come together behind a positive movement, it’s important to utilize that energy. Stressing the importance of giving voice to shareholders, LaCarrubba says, “You can’t be a one-man army. You really need to have a collegial atmosphere. That’s why we have three volunteer coaches on staff. We work together.”
And he’s not talking mere lip service, either. “The parents that do get involved, they gotta feel like they’re just as important a part as the coaches. It could be as simple as what the sweatshirt is going to look like. These things are hashed out over months and months and months, because you gotta hash it out and compromise.”
While all this cohesion and teamwork is being forged behind the scenes, the coaches are also paying close attention to the reason for it all: the wrestling.
“We don’t compromise on the system. We have a way we run practice.” But not to say ‘my way or the highway;’ in fact, variety is a key component of how they run things in the room. “The system allows for different styles of coaches, because one can show moves a different way, or a different series that helps a kid in a different way. Because each kid has a different skill set, a different way of moving, different challenges, you gotta tailor your approach to each kid.”
After all that work is put in, ultimately the kids have to perform. And perform they have. “That responsibility to do right by the other members of their family, that gives them the extra motivation to go beyond what they thought they were capable of.” LaCarrubba gives them the bulk of the credit in fact, saying, “The system, the traveling, the gear - it wouldn't mean anything with the exceptional character and sacrifices these kids make. They really make all of us look good.”
So what’s next? LaCarrubba continues, “The model that [BTS is] moving towards – competing outside of NYC – is kind of what we’ve been doing the last couple of years. There comes a point in time where the only way you’re going to get better is to wrestle better programs. The booster club has given us the opportunity to go out of state and to go upstate. We’ve been able to rent busses.” Quick to qualify, LaCarrubba adds, “But it’s not like we have tons of money. We have contacts. We’ve talked to coaches about having their kids host our kids.” So they find a way to make it work.
But even if you have a supportive administration, involved parents, enthusiastic, talented kids, there is one last customer that needs to be satisfied.
“It’s hard on our families. You have to have really understanding wives and kids and friends.”
LaCarrubba says matter-of-factly, “If you want to be successful, it takes sacrifice. It’s not a secret.”
Brooklyn Tech just finished the PSAL regular season undefeated for the second year in a row, culminated by a packed-house victory against a loaded Grand Street lineup, at Grand Street Campus. In past weekends, they beat the #2-ranked team in Nassau County and placed 3rd against tough Long Island competition at the Sprig Gardner Tournament, crowning three individual champions in the process. January features the City Dual Meet Tournament and the Mayor's Cup. Stay tuned to www.beat-the-streets.org for continuuing coverage.
