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8th Graders wrestling in HS Yes or No?


MCKAJC

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There are likely a number of 7th and 8th graders who could easily compete at the high school level.

 

Want an example? A Minnesota wrestler was a 7th grader (8th grader this coming fall) just won first place at a Michigan tourney against a high placing state wrestler from Indiana who I believe is a senior this coming season. This wrestler in Minnesota has a chance to become a 6 time High School State Champion.

 

In Minnesota all 7th and 8th graders are eligible to compete at the high school level.

 

IMO there are actually many extremely talented wrestlers who are fully skilled enough to compete.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If your example is Mark Hall you need to do more research or you just think we don't know what is going on and your trying to pull one over on us. Mark Hall will be old enough to drive himself to school as a freshman in high school. I was not old enough to drive to school until I was a junior. He will be 20 years old in January of his senior year of high school.

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I think there are a lot of 8th graders who could compete at the high school level.  You see more and more freshman winning state championships - they could surely have competed the year before. 

 

How many times do coaches send high school kids with no experience out to wrestle a kid that is clearly out of their league during a year - I think a lot.  You know you have seen kids that have no business being on the mat with other kids at every high school tournament you go to - how many are really injured?  Wrestling is a fairly safe sport,  they are already limited to wrestling kids at approximately the same weight.  I think you have to trust that coaches wouldn't send an 8th grader out to wrestle a kid they think would injure them. 

 

Without question!

 

I'm trying to look at this from both sides. And I'm having trouble understanding the down side.

 

There's been mention of the social aspect of younger kids hanging around the older kids. I'm not sure this would be a real issue. We are talking about them training together, not going out or hanging out together. Allot of middle school kids train with HS kids now, it doesn't seem to produce issues that I've come in contact with. I can understand some concern though.

 

This question of wrestling up isn't new. The ISWA has considered allowing second year age group wrestlers(second year novice...) wrestling up to the next age group. Although it's being allowed in neighboring states, it's not been allowed in Indiana. Wrestling up is allowed in Illinois. It's surprising how few actually "wrestle up". I think the same would be true in the HS situation. If it were allowed I don't believe it would be as common as some might think. My guess would be less than 50 per year in the entire state.

Is it just me? Or does anyone think this is the opposite of holding back or redshirting? Might this be an option that would bring down the number of hold backs? Or is it not relate? And have little or no effect on holdbacks??

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Without question!

 

I'm trying to look at this from both sides. And I'm having trouble understanding the down side.

 

There's been mention of the social aspect of younger kids hanging around the older kids. I'm not sure this would be a real issue. We are talking about them training together, not going out or hanging out together. Allot of middle school kids train with HS kids now, it doesn't seem to produce issues that I've come in contact with. I can understand some concern though.

 

This question of wrestling up isn't new. The ISWA has considered allowing second year age group wrestlers(second year novice...) wrestling up to the next age group. Although it's being allowed in neighboring states, it's not been allowed in Indiana. Wrestling up is allowed in Illinois. It's surprising how few actually "wrestle up". I think the same would be true in the HS situation. If it were allowed I don't believe it would be as common as some might think. My guess would be less than 50 per year in the entire state.

Is it just me? Or does anyone think this is the opposite of holding back or redshirting? Might this be an option that would bring down the number of hold backs? Or is it not relate? And have little or no effect on holdbacks??

 

My feeling is if someone is redshirting or holding back their child for wrestling advantages, they've got a screw loose.

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But their kid is going to be the next Cael Sanderson if he gets held back a year!  Having a few state titles on their resume will certainly help them get a job when they are 30 too.  What kid wouldn't want to repeat a grade and be in school a year longer?

 

Amen!

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If your example is Mark Hall you need to do more research or you just think we don't know what is going on and your trying to pull one over on us. Mark Hall will be old enough to drive himself to school as a freshman in high school. I was not old enough to drive to school until I was a junior. He will be 20 years old in January of his senior year of high school.

 

I'm all for doing what's best for your kid, but your kid driving as a freshman isn't going to help him mature, and your puting other kids in the position his dad say's he dosen't want his son in!  I wouldn't want my kid trying to ride with another freshman or even hanging with him, with a 2 yr age diff in most cases as a freshman. also turning 20yrs old at Christmas break of your senior year, lol. He's very good I've seem him wrestle.... Not to mention would you want your 16-17 yr old daughter dating him as a high schooler?? I wish the kid the best though....

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I'm all for doing what's best for your kid, but your kid driving as a freshman isn't going to help him mature, and your puting other kids in the position his dad say's he dosen't want his son in!  I wouldn't want my kid trying to ride with another freshman or even hanging with him, with a 2 yr age diff in most cases as a freshman. also turning 20yrs old at Christmas break of your senior year, lol. He's very good I've seem him wrestle....  I wish the kid the best though....

 

Pretty sure that Grajales(?) kid from Florida was 20 when he graduated from h.s.  Ridiculous for sure.  Wouldn't you feel like a cretin walking around your h.s. as a 20 yr old? 

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It is amazing to me that you people get on here and bash kids you don't even know.  Mark Hall will be turn 19 years old when he is a senior.  He will not be 20.  Totally ridiculous!!!

 

Yeah, thats what I thought, I was pretty sure he'd be turning 19, not 20

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It is amazing to me that you people get on here and bash kids you don't even know.  Mark Hall will be turn 19 years old when he is a senior.  He will not be 20.  Totally ridiculous!!!

 

Sorry I counted wrong. He will turn 19 as a senior. I still think there is something wrong with a kid being old enough to drive himself to school as a freshman.

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Sorry I counted wrong. He will turn 19 as a senior. I still think there is something wrong with a kid being old enough to drive himself to school as a freshman.

I've seen him wrestle at two tournaments in Michigan two years ago. He is a special talent. You have to remember though at 13 yrs old he was obviously as mature as any 15 yr old. He will remain a top talent. But his age group will catch up to him some as they mature. I don't think using him as an example creates an acurate picture.

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I've seen him wrestle at two tournaments in Michigan two years ago. He is a special talent. You have to remember though at 13 yrs old he was obviously as mature as any 15 yr old. He will remain a top talent. But his age group will catch up to him some as they mature. I don't think using him as an example creates an acurate picture.

 

Who would you like to use for an example?

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NO, they are not high school kids. They are middle school kids. If they are enrolled in high school because they were advanced academically, then yes. They would be a high schooler and allowed to compete at the high school level. If this has not happened, they are in middle school and that is where they should be competing. It will happen for them soon enough. Allow them to be kids. Quit trying to make them grow up so fast.

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Who would you like to use for an example?

I could name a hand full of kids from Indiana that would do fine. But that seems like a bad idea. I said Mark Hall was a bad example because he might be the top rated middle school wrestler in the US right now. He's also been held back in school at least one time.

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I say no, not because there aren't 8th graders ready cause I'm sure Cody Philips would have had a good run his 8th grade year along with many other freshmen state champs. I say no because there's more 8th graders that aren't ready than are ready. I know for afact that there would be some 8th graders pushed too early to fill an empty spot on a varsity squad. some 8th graders aren't physically ready as others. If there was a sure way to make sure the ones are ready can than maybe I'd say yes but there really isn't. My Sr year we forfieted the first 6 weight classes but if 8th graders would have been able to wrestle high school we would have had 5 8th graders wrestling varsity with maybe one or two that would have had a winning season out of it. Instead they wrestled middle school and all had successful seasons. Some 8th graders need that last middle school year.

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Some states seem to be able to work it out just fine to allow middle schoolers to wrestle at the high school level. Many of these same states also allow middle schoolers to compete at other h.s. varsity sports beyond wrestling.

 

Does that mean every middle school wrestler is ready to move up? No, of course not.

 

But there are elite middle schoolers who could benefit from further developing their skills in an environment with other wrestlers at their skill level.

 

If an elite middle schooler has the skills that he/she could make a run at regions, semi-state or state at the high school level why not let them wrestle?

 

I am for giving opportunities to those who have the skills to compete.

 

 

 

 

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Some states seem to be able to work it out just fine to allow middle schoolers to wrestle at the high school level. Many of these same states also allow middle schoolers to compete at other h.s. varsity sports beyond wrestling.

 

 

I do not believe most of these states choose to allow middle school participation because they believed some were at an advanced skill level. For many of these states it was to help with filling a lack of numbers in those sports. True from that came some talented youngsters, but the intention was to help schools field a larger team not find a middle school stud.

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Some states seem to be able to work it out just fine to allow middle schoolers to wrestle at the high school level. Many of these same states also allow middle schoolers to compete at other h.s. varsity sports beyond wrestling.

 

Does that mean every middle school wrestler is ready to move up? No, of course not.

 

But there are elite middle schoolers who could benefit from further developing their skills in an environment with other wrestlers at their skill level.

 

If an elite middle schooler has the skills that he/she could make a run at regions, semi-state or state at the high school level why not let them wrestle?

 

I am for giving opportunities to those who have the skills to compete.

 

 

My point exactly. Holding back the limited number of kids that are ready, because most aren't dosen't seem to make sence.

 

bbulldog152 - you make a good point about teams using 8th graders to fill rosters. But, remember in this scenario there is criteria that must be met to insure the experience level of the underclassman. If they don?t meet the standards outlined earlier in the post they can?t compete. The criteria would ensure safety first and address individual development second. The by product would be the advantage for the team reducing the number of forfeits or possibly upgrading a weight class.

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Give some examples of 8th graders here in IN do you think that would of placed high at the tour. I bet more would get injured than placing high over the 110 mark the kids just are not ready yet.

I couldn't disagree more with the thought about injury. Looking at last years Middle School State Championships, not that there isn't some great talent at the lower weights, but even 95# are just too small to compete at HS level. So looking at the weight classes from 102# and up. The top 3-4 in each weight class, without question, could have been quality competitors at the HS level, many Sectional, Regional qualifiers. As well as a some potential Semi-State qualifiers . Some may have even ended up on the podium. The real question is, how much more would those kids have improved wrestling at the HS level?

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I couldn't disagree more with the thought about injury. Looking at last years Middle School State Championships, not that there isn't some great talent at the lower weights, but even 95# are just too small to compete at HS level. So looking at the weight classes from 102# and up. The top 3-4 in each weight class, without question, could have been quality competitors at the HS level, many Sectional, Regional qualifiers. As well as a some potential Semi-State qualifiers . Some may have even ended up on the podium. The real question is, how much more would those kids have improved wrestling at the HS level?

 

To answer your question about improvement I would have to say enough to make the difference between a Fri. night win or loss as freshman or even sophomores. We all have stories of losses that we can positively attribute to stage fright.

I agree that the top 3-4 in each weight class, without question, could have been quality competitors at the HS level, many Sectional, Regional qualifiers.

 

Kind of shooting for the stars there aren't ya...lol

 

 

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I feel like you should let them all wrestle or none of them. Why let the 8th graders that are already top wrestlers improve while the others have to wait til freshman year. They can wrestle up in freestyle and Greco if they want. You can't always predict what 8th graders are going to go on to be top wrestlers and which aren't. Some peek later than others.

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