This thread was initially deleted by a volunteer mod. We apologize for the deletion. The OP has written us confirming they did indeed run at Navy under Cantello. We believe in free expression, even if its negative in tone.
I’m sorry for your experience and if you were a woman, it would have been taken much more seriously. It’s strange how our society still has no problem differentiating male versus female when it comes to abuse. I’m surprised you have come out now with these concerns and wonder what was the tipping point for sharing your story?
I’m sorry for your experience and if you were a woman, it would have been taken much more seriously. It’s strange how our society still has no problem differentiating male versus female when it comes to abuse. I’m surprised you have come out now with these concerns and wonder what was the tipping point for sharing your story?
I initially was motivated to share something after his retirement and I hopped on the phone with former teammates of mine and shared our stories about him, but was scared of backlash.
Last year, I shared what I wrote above with The Capital Gazette in an attempt to get them to motivate them to write an expose on him. I worked with them for a 2-3 months, but no one else besides me was willing to go on the record.
Finally, I submitted what I wrote above to the USNA Inspector General's office. He shared it with the USNA Commandant, and I was told they put in measures to ensure it wouldn't happen again, but did not and would not pursue an investigation.
He's not getting any younger and it makes sense to do this before he passes. A lot of people like to say that he is a "great man," and if that is true, then he can withstand the complete truth being shared about him. Plenty of other "great men" have had their flaws exposed, and yet up until now the only public perception of Cantello is that he is this brilliant Hall of Fame Coach who developed generations of midshipmen "morally, mentally and physically" to become officers. I'm not saying he's all bad, but the truth is much more complicated than that.
As far as the gentleman above sharing his positive interaction about Cantello, I'm not here to invalidate your experience. That sounds like something Cantello would do. That's only one side of him and the side that has been shared publicly for generations. There are other, darker sides to him, too. We're all flawed human beings, but the extent to which Cantello went out of his way to be an a**hole under the guise that he was doing it to be a good coach or to be results is just preposterous. And we all let it happen. The midshipmen, the administration
None of this strikes me as particularly bad for a military academy. It sounds like regular college would have been a better option for you.
except for the many future officers, including Navy SEALs and Infantry Marine Officers, who quit the team specifically because of Al Cantelo's cruelty. And in terms of results, Navy's runners have only gotten faster since he left
The US military has a long way to go in showing they take the long term mental and emotional health of service members seriously. I understand training for war is a serious business, but it's sad to see society write people off for the rest of their lives as they deal with the repercussions of the career they chose at 18.
except for the many future officers, including Navy SEALs and Infantry Marine Officers, who quit the team specifically because of Al Cantelo's cruelty. And in terms of results, Navy's runners have only gotten faster since he left
The US military has a long way to go in showing they take the long term mental and emotional health of service members seriously. I understand training for war is a serious business, but it's sad to see society write people off for the rest of their lives as they deal with the repercussions of the career they chose at 18.
Exactly. Just because you are a leader within the military doesn't mean that you are allowed to act however you want. Cantello acted in ways that were clearly against the standards being set by authority figures who outranked him.
I find some parts of this very hard to believe. I did not attend USNA but instead attended West Point. I was there about 10 years prior to you (early 90s) and was not a member of the track team.
Even at that time, UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES, could a coach strike an athlete and get away with it. Even an upper-class cadet could not strike a plebe and get away with it. Drop you for pushups and smoke the $hit out of you? Sure, but not hit you. This wasn't the 1960s when they were eating "square meals" and sweating shadows to the walls in the bathrooms. I even remember the very first day when we were learning to salute, the upperclassman (woman in this case) ASKED me (sternly), "May I touch you, New Cadet?" and waited for my "Yes, Ma'am" before she even touched my hand to adjust my salute. If a wandering officer would have witnessed a cadre member grab a plebe's hand to adjust a salute without getting permission, he would have addressed it with him as soon as possible outside the earshot of the plebes.
Maybe the rules are different, but coaches were NEVER in the barracks. The only people I ever saw in the barracks were other cadets, the company/regimental TAC officers, once in a great while the Officer in Charge, and the civilian cleaning staff. Other than that, the barracks was of limits. Instructors, regardless of rank, were not allowed there; there is no way a civilian coach could get in.
As far as verbal harassment goes, well, some of that comes down to what a person considers "harassment." I assure you that the upperclassmen in the early 90s could say things to us that they couldn't get away with in the 00s, just as things said in the 80s wouldn't fly in the 90s. As I stated, I was not a varsity athlete so I do not know how coaches talked to them but I cannot see it being any worse than what we heard in the barracks. In fact, I am sure it was much more pleasant. I was told things and called names that would probably put cadets in 2023 in tears and they would be off to file an official complaint. The key was to never let it get personal. In one ear and out the other.
I am not saying that none of your post is true (I am sure a great deal of it is), but I find some parts of it very difficult to believe, especially the physical assault. That type of stuff was already not tolerated at the service academies years before your time.
Regardless, I don't see the point of dragging a 90-year-old man's reputation through the mud on a message board. If you had that much of a beef with the guy, you should have addressed this with him years ago. Even if you were too afraid to do so as a midshipman, you could easily done it after graduation or anytime since. Get the man's address and write him a letter detailing your complaints. Give him a chance to answer your charges.
I’m sorry for your experience and if you were a woman, it would have been taken much more seriously. It’s strange how our society still has no problem differentiating male versus female when it comes to abuse. I’m surprised you have come out now with these concerns and wonder what was the tipping point for sharing your story?
I initially was motivated to share something after his retirement and I hopped on the phone with former teammates of mine and shared our stories about him, but was scared of backlash.
Last year, I shared what I wrote above with The Capital Gazette in an attempt to get them to motivate them to write an expose on him. I worked with them for a 2-3 months, but no one else besides me was willing to go on the record.
Finally, I submitted what I wrote above to the USNA Inspector General's office. He shared it with the USNA Commandant, and I was told they put in measures to ensure it wouldn't happen again, but did not and would not pursue an investigation.
He's not getting any younger and it makes sense to do this before he passes. A lot of people like to say that he is a "great man," and if that is true, then he can withstand the complete truth being shared about him. Plenty of other "great men" have had their flaws exposed, and yet up until now the only public perception of Cantello is that he is this brilliant Hall of Fame Coach who developed generations of midshipmen "morally, mentally and physically" to become officers. I'm not saying he's all bad, but the truth is much more complicated than that.
As far as the gentleman above sharing his positive interaction about Cantello, I'm not here to invalidate your experience. That sounds like something Cantello would do. That's only one side of him and the side that has been shared publicly for generations. There are other, darker sides to him, too. We're all flawed human beings, but the extent to which Cantello went out of his way to be an a**hole under the guise that he was doing it to be a good coach or to be results is just preposterous. And we all let it happen. The midshipmen, the administration
Put your name on the accusations and lets hear what your teammates say about you?
None of your teammates would go to bat for you? None?
The Capital newspaper wouldn't touch your story either?
I find some parts of this very hard to believe. I did not attend USNA but instead attended West Point. I was there about 10 years prior to you (early 90s) and was not a member of the track team.
Even at that time, UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES, could a coach strike an athlete and get away with it. Even an upper-class cadet could not strike a plebe and get away with it. Drop you for pushups and smoke the $hit out of you? Sure, but not hit you. This wasn't the 1960s when they were eating "square meals" and sweating shadows to the walls in the bathrooms. I even remember the very first day when we were learning to salute, the upperclassman (woman in this case) ASKED me (sternly), "May I touch you, New Cadet?" and waited for my "Yes, Ma'am" before she even touched my hand to adjust my salute. If a wandering officer would have witnessed a cadre member grab a plebe's hand to adjust a salute without getting permission, he would have addressed it with him as soon as possible outside the earshot of the plebes.
Maybe the rules are different, but coaches were NEVER in the barracks. The only people I ever saw in the barracks were other cadets, the company/regimental TAC officers, once in a great while the Officer in Charge, and the civilian cleaning staff. Other than that, the barracks was of limits. Instructors, regardless of rank, were not allowed there; there is no way a civilian coach could get in.
As far as verbal harassment goes, well, some of that comes down to what a person considers "harassment." I assure you that the upperclassmen in the early 90s could say things to us that they couldn't get away with in the 00s, just as things said in the 80s wouldn't fly in the 90s. As I stated, I was not a varsity athlete so I do not know how coaches talked to them but I cannot see it being any worse than what we heard in the barracks. In fact, I am sure it was much more pleasant. I was told things and called names that would probably put cadets in 2023 in tears and they would be off to file an official complaint. The key was to never let it get personal. In one ear and out the other.
I am not saying that none of your post is true (I am sure a great deal of it is), but I find some parts of it very difficult to believe, especially the physical assault. That type of stuff was already not tolerated at the service academies years before your time.
Regardless, I don't see the point of dragging a 90-year-old man's reputation through the mud on a message board. If you had that much of a beef with the guy, you should have addressed this with him years ago. Even if you were too afraid to do so as a midshipman, you could easily done it after graduation or anytime since. Get the man's address and write him a letter detailing your complaints. Give him a chance to answer your charges.
(1) it's 100 % true
(2) What does him being 90 have to do with anything? What give him the right to treat me like that when I was 17?
Regardless, I don't see the point of dragging a 90-year-old man's reputation through the mud on a message board. If you had that much of a beef with the guy, you should have addressed this with him years ago. Even if you were too afraid to do so as a midshipman, you could easily done it after graduation or anytime since. Get the man's address and write him a letter detailing your complaints. Give him a chance to answer your charges.
As I wrote, this is a guy who used to BRAG about how former athletes of his who were now Admirals and Generals had written to him about how he had ruined their careers. I don't know if this is true, but that's what he would tell us
Regardless, I don't see the point of dragging a 90-year-old man's reputation through the mud on a message board. If you had that much of a beef with the guy, you should have addressed this with him years ago. Even if you were too afraid to do so as a midshipman, you could easily done it after graduation or anytime since. Get the man's address and write him a letter detailing your complaints. Give him a chance to answer your charges.
As I wrote, this is a guy who used to BRAG about how former athletes of his who were now Admirals and Generals had written to him about how he had ruined their careers. I don't know if this is true, but that's what he would tell us
A couple of things, as I have seen such attacks before on this site against other coaches, including female coaches (Lake from Brown comes to mind).
The freedom to post allegations of misbehavior by a coach using a fictitious name indicates to me a callous approach to do harm without taking responsibility for what you write. I decided to use my real name, because I am not afraid to state my thoughts to those on this site. If you are going to make such heinous accusations, I would strongly suggest you use your real name. If you graduated from the Naval Academy, it would seem to me that you would be man enough to do so.
To attack a 90 year old man, who lost his son in a boating accident, lost his wife to cancer, lost one of his top runners to a shuttle disaster (Willie McCool), lost 4 runners in a car accident during a cross country camp travel to buy some food and a coach who spend many, many years coaching men at the Academy who would sit next to him after they graduated and treat him like family.
Al Cantello loved his family, his team and was a lot of fun to be around. I have known him since 1968, spend weeks with him at camps, went to Australia with him to coach young kids. Never, ever did I see or hear of anyone make the accusations you have made about him.
I hope that Al never gets wind of this, because to me this is nothing more than someone out to do a hatchet job on another individual without providing one once of evidence.
As I often read comments on this site, look at some You Tube sovereign citizen and auditor videos of individuals who feel that they can act and speak any way to want without regard to being polite or actually speaking the truth, I find this thread to be one that needs to be taken down.
If you, indeed, have facts and evidence of misbehavior there are outlets for reporting such and it isn't on a public forum. Let's be real, I am surprised you didn't wait until he passed before posting this stuff, as that would seem to be a more likely scenario for someone who doesn't even have the decency to post his real name.
A couple of things, as I have seen such attacks before on this site against other coaches, including female coaches (Lake from Brown comes to mind).
The freedom to post allegations of misbehavior by a coach using a fictitious name indicates to me a callous approach to do harm without taking responsibility for what you write. I decided to use my real name, because I am not afraid to state my thoughts to those on this site. If you are going to make such heinous accusations, I would strongly suggest you use your real name. If you graduated from the Naval Academy, it would seem to me that you would be man enough to do so.
To attack a 90 year old man, who lost his son in a boating accident, lost his wife to cancer, lost one of his top runners to a shuttle disaster (Willie McCool), lost 4 runners in a car accident during a cross country camp travel to buy some food and a coach who spend many, many years coaching men at the Academy who would sit next to him after they graduated and treat him like family.
Al Cantello loved his family, his team and was a lot of fun to be around. I have known him since 1968, spend weeks with him at camps, went to Australia with him to coach young kids. Never, ever did I see or hear of anyone make the accusations you have made about him.
I hope that Al never gets wind of this, because to me this is nothing more than someone out to do a hatchet job on another individual without providing one once of evidence.
As I often read comments on this site, look at some You Tube sovereign citizen and auditor videos of individuals who feel that they can act and speak any way to want without regard to being polite or actually speaking the truth, I find this thread to be one that needs to be taken down.
If you, indeed, have facts and evidence of misbehavior there are outlets for reporting such and it isn't on a public forum. Let's be real, I am surprised you didn't wait until he passed before posting this stuff, as that would seem to be a more likely scenario for someone who doesn't even have the decency to post his real name.
I'm glad there's a few good men who can stick up for the man. Thank you.
This post here is very telling that you are no better than the way you describe Cantello. Nobody I've ever met who graduated from a service academy would ever say what you did in point 1. NEVER. It's dishonorable and disgusting.
You won't even go on the record in this thread! Maybe if you go on the record here, it will inspire more to go on the record following in your footsteps. Be brave.
The truth is there are 100x more men who would say they'd die for Cantello than there are people like you who still cry about him.
If you, indeed, have facts and evidence of misbehavior there are outlets for reporting such and it isn't on a public forum.
I agree 100%. Since you were at Navy, you obviously had a Congressional nomination. If you would have called him/her and provided the same information as you did on this thread, I guarantee there would have been a phone call placed to the Academy chain of command. Heck, he might even have called the Superintendent directly. Congressmen have that kind of power.
What does it matter that he's 90? The man retired several years ago so he no longer has any contact with the team. Even if everything you say is true, how does it help anyone now? It doesn't. If the accusations you made are true, then you had an obligation to do something about it for the sake of future team members. Even if you were too intimidated to do so as a midshipmen, you should have contacted your congressman shortly after graduation. The accusations you made are quite serious and certainly would have led to an investigation.
This post here is very telling that you are no better than the way you describe Cantello. Nobody I've ever met who graduated from a service academy would ever say what you did in point 1. NEVER. It's dishonorable and disgusting.
You won't even go on the record in this thread! Maybe if you go on the record here, it will inspire more to go on the record following in your footsteps. Be brave.
The truth is there are 100x more men who would say they'd die for Cantello than there are people like you who still cry about him.
(1) you're seriously telling me that military service members don't swear?
(2) I am going on the record. I told my identity to Wejo and Rojo, and I went on the record when I submitted this to the Inspector General at the United States Naval Academy
(3) your last point may or may not be true but it absolutely does not change the facts of what his behavior was