Coach Brown Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 I had a situation this past Saturday and need some input on. This past weekend I had a wrestler "claim" to have a stomach ache this weekend at the City Wrestling Tourney. He explained to me that he was sick and did not want to compete. We had spent the night at the school and the wrestlers were playing PS3 well the ones, that were not cutting weight and we play basketball to get the weight down and went to bed. Not to metion that he lost the wrestle off on Monday. When we arrived to Tech to weigh-in he call his grandmother to pick him up at the school. When his grandmother arrived he told her he was sick and wanted to go home. His grandmother gave him an anacid and told him that when her kids participated in sports she made them stick it out and to follow through and finish what he started and that the TEAM was depending on him. He then went back to the weigh-in area and then he told me that he left his bag at the school. I had a meeting with the coaches and then sent him home with grandma. Today, at practice his teammates voted him off the team. Is this something to attribute to a freshman being scared of competition or was there some merit to him actually being sick. Not to mention that my 138 pound wrestler had went to the doctor and still competed with a virus. The buring issue is that he is the only 170 pounders that I have and will possible need him at conference. Suggestions are welcomed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1oldwrestler Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 The team did the right thing. Don't bring the kid back into the wrestling room. You guys will be better for it even if you have to fft 170. I've seen "injured" kids make life very difficult for coaches in so many ways. Cut the cord and don't look back. You'll be glad you did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbburn12 Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 Is this his first incident? Has he caused trouble before? Could he actually have been sick? Is this a freshman wrestling varsity? I don't think it is cut and dried. Sure he might have been scared and maybe he just doesn't want to wrestle.However maybe you can do this kid a great favor in his life by keeping him on the team and letting him earn his way back into his team mates graces.I just think so many kids nowadays are living on an edge emotionally Sports or in reality any high school extra curricular activity can give the student the chance he/she might need to succed during his high school years or beyond. My suggestion just from knowing what I read is to give the young man another chance with stipulations of course.It may go a long way to helping him in the future. Just my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twodogs Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 I agree with JB and the young mans Grandmother, if you can coach and mentor him he maybe one of your best wrestlers in the future. He may come back later in life and accualy thank you for and the chance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coach Brown Posted December 20, 2011 Author Share Posted December 20, 2011 Is this his first incident? Has he caused trouble before? Could he actually have been sick? Is this a freshman wrestling varsity? I don't think it is cut and dried. Sure he might have been scared and maybe he just doesn't want to wrestle.However maybe you can do this kid a great favor in his life by keeping him on the team and letting him earn his way back into his team mates graces.I just think so many kids nowadays are living on an edge emotionally Sports or in reality any high school extra curricular activity can give the student the chance he/she might need to succed during his high school years or beyond. My suggestion just from knowing what I read is to give the young man another chance with stipulations of course.It may go a long way to helping him in the future. Just my opinion. No he actually missed aother tounry (westfield) I will keep this in mind and talk with him tomorrow. thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wrestler60160 Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 I also agree with JB. As I tell my freshman, you are 14 I will make all decisions for you.....lol. If his grandmother was the one picking him up, God bless her if she is raising him but Coach, you might be be what he needs at this point in his life. Give him a chance to mature in a stable atmosphere. I know my sons first match at the Capital City, he told me, I thought I was going to throw up. Keep him involved if possible. You both will feel the reward. Just my thoughts.I Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timbo Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 we were in a JV tournament this past weekend. We have an excellent group of freshmen. At this particular tournament our freshmen were wrestling sophomores and Juniors----all our JV's are freshmen. Our kids are hardnosed---but I saw the look on a few of their faces. There was a big discrepency in physical maturity. The discrepency at the varsity level is greater. Bottom line some freshmen are ready for varsity action----especially in the lower weights. Some freshmen however need more time---nothing wrong with that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
somecoolguy Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 give the kid one more chance.. where will he be without wrestling?maybe he was sick and does love the sport! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon H Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 I question whether or not you should pose this type of question on the open forum? May be best to ask just other coaches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueBolt Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 I can say this much...GOD BLESS GRANDMA! She comes from a time and place many of these kids need to expirence today. Should he stay, or should he go...Well you are the Coach and will make that decision. It IS YOUR TEAM after all... But the world needs more people like Grandma! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimtown 138 Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 I had a situation this past Saturday and need some input on. This past weekend I had a wrestler "claim" to have a stomach ache this weekend at the City Wrestling Tourney. He explained to me that he was sick and did not want to compete. We had spent the night at the school and the wrestlers were playing PS3 well the ones, that were not cutting weight and we play basketball to get the weight down and went to bed. Not to metion that he lost the wrestle off on Monday. When we arrived to Tech to weigh-in he call his grandmother to pick him up at the school. When his grandmother arrived he told her he was sick and wanted to go home. His grandmother gave him an anacid and told him that when her kids participated in sports she made them stick it out and to follow through and finish what he started and that the TEAM was depending on him. He then went back to the weigh-in area and then he told me that he left his bag at the school. I had a meeting with the coaches and then sent him home with grandma. Today, at practice his teammates voted him off the team. Is this something to attribute to a freshman being scared of competition or was there some merit to him actually being sick. Not to mention that my 138 pound wrestler had went to the doctor and still competed with a virus. The buring issue is that he is the only 170 pounders that I have and will possible need him at conference. Suggestions are welcomed. Sounds like he doesn't want to wrestle... If he's not in it for himself, what's the point? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1oldwrestler Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 Sounds like he doesn't want to wrestle... If he's not in it for himself, what's the point? Exactly. My original comments were based on personal experience and my son's h.s. which has a lot of pampered mama's boys. If this kid's h.s. is in an economically deprived area, then maybe having a lenient attitude would be appropriate as the kid could gain a lot from the sport. I just think that wrestling is such a demanding sport, if the kid's heart's not in it, then he shouldn't be in the room. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
X_R A T E D Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 It is possible he is burned out of the sport. Have a meeting and just talk to him about his life. Maybe somethings out of school or wrestling are going on and he needs some help. I'd say if he shows any remorse and wants to try wrestling again have him address the team and then he could prove himself to everyone at practice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devils27 Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 Since when do we put a vote to 14 year olds as to whether someone should be on the team or not? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coach Brown Posted December 20, 2011 Author Share Posted December 20, 2011 Since when do we put a vote to 14 year olds as to whether someone should be on the team or not? Thanks for the input guys. As far as, having the team vote it was their suggestion and the outcome. After thinking and reviewing posts last night I call and talk to his mom and discussed my concern for him. She informed that their was some other things going on. I explained to his mother that he needs to finish what he starts and that he is going to have to prove him to his teammates. Now it time to get back down to business. We have two weeks until we compete again and it time to get healthy and improve our technique. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twodogs Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 Good luck to your team and that young man Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Guru Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 Not everybody packs the right kind of gear to be a wrestler. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twodogs Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 sometimes there is adversity we overcome in our life and with help from the right poeple we become a stronger person for it. The greatest coach alive helped me with that Joe Newton is his name. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjacoby Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 Not everybody packs the right kind of gear to be a wrestler. Some kids need wrestling more than wrestling needs them. Good luck coach. I hope everything works out for your team and this young man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ked Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 I would have to take the wrestler at his word. Sometimes as coaches we have to back our wrestlers as they depend on us. As a freshman, he might not be making the best decisions. I applaud any athlete who would dedicate to coming out day after day and endure the physical and mental discipline of sports. Wrestling is an especially hard sport. I think this is an opportunity to help him grow as a wrestler and a man, I would not miss your possibly one and only chance to maybe mold him. My son's coaches have helped make him the man he is today. I think leadership comes from top down. I wish you best of luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frigginhurts Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 Thanks for the input guys. As far as, having the team vote it was their suggestion and the outcome. After thinking and reviewing posts last night I call and talk to his mom and discussed my concern for him. She informed that their was some other things going on. I explained to his mother that he needs to finish what he starts and that he is going to have to prove him to his teammates. Now it time to get back down to business. We have two weeks until we compete again and it time to get healthy and improve our technique. I wouldn't go with the team's suggestion in the future. Converse with the other adults and you can make the decisions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WC182Dad Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 I think wrestling is a very stressful sport to a young man expecially being bigger competeing with older guys a fresh mostly wrestling upperclassmen and being pretty fresh at the sport. I know after sitting out last season my son felt alot of pressure going into his senior year , only to get another injury. I beleive just about everyone needs a second chance, Knowone knows the issues this young man could be going through. I know personally when I was out of work, bills due ect. these kids feel the pressure to, and in wrestling all thoughts and dedications needs to be on wrestling. Personally I wish this young man the best in the future and hope he can be a key player to your guy's soon success. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
awood2 Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 Some of my best memories are when my coach/parents didn't give up when I wanted to in the worst way. Young people don't have the perspective to realize what sports are really intended to teach us; to prepare us for the 'real' challenges we face later in life. Wrestling is the best sport to prepare us b/c many times you have to face those life challenges alone. He needs to know that you believe in him, and that when he isn't at his best your expectations for him don't change. If he needs help working thru something, by all means help him do so. Hopefully, once he sees that someone other than just his grandma (God bless her) thinks he is worth the time to invest in his potential he will get over this. I would be willing to bet that he will likely run thru a wall for the coach who convinces him that he's a lot tougher than he showed that day. Send him the message that he owes it to himself to compete. Win or lose he is gonna come out a better man. His teammates need to understand they have a role in this process too. They have to realize that they can't give up on their teammates either. Coach Nicholson instilled in us the family principle. We were in it together. We were all going to fail at some point. You have to have that guys back. This kid needs a hero... Just like all of us did at one time, or another. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charger.dad Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 Some of my best memories are when my coach/parents didn't give up when I wanted to in the worst way. Young people don't have the perspective to realize what sports are really intended to teach us; to prepare us for the 'real' challenges we face later in life. Wrestling is the best sport to prepare us b/c many times you have to face those life challenges alone. He needs to know that you believe in him, and that when he isn't at his best your expectations for him don't change. If he needs help working thru something, by all means help him do so. Hopefully, once he sees that someone other than just his grandma (God bless her) thinks he is worth the time to invest in his potential he will get over this. I would be willing to bet that he will likely run thru a wall for the coach who convinces him that he's a lot tougher than he showed that day. Send him the message that he owes it to himself to compete. Win or lose he is gonna come out a better man. His teammates need to understand they have a role in this process too. They have to realize that they can't give up on their teammates either. Coach Nicholson instilled in us the family principle. We were in it together. We were all going to fail at some point. You have to have that guys back. This kid needs a hero... Just like all of us did at one time, or another. very well put......help him out coach and show him the way.....it should be great for both of you in the end..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WC182Dad Posted December 23, 2011 Share Posted December 23, 2011 Very well said I wish you all the best, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts