WingMan Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 This post is for the parents who have been involved in Indiana Wrestling for the last 14 to 16 years. I start this post with my son starting wrestling at the age of 4...many can relate, many won't... 1. How many times did you have to dry their tears when they got their butts beat at the age of 4? The age of 5 , 6 and beyond? 2. How many times did they want to quit? 3. How old were they when they decided this was their sport? And when did they decide they were going to be a state champion? 4. Did you buy a wrestling mat to support their passion? 5. How many different clubs did you sign you kid up for and how many miles did you drive to get them there? 6. How many confrontations did you have with parent who you wrestler ended up being great friends with? 7. Did you ever buy a food-steamer to assist in weight management? 8. How many conversations have you had regarding the "right" tattoo. I still want a crib sheet to know the tribal tattoos. 9. How many times did you bring the "extra" pair of wrestling shoes with you because someone other than your wrestler needed them? 10. How many times have you seen those parents that were your wrestler's opponents at an event and you prefer to speak to them before you want speak to your own school's parents. 11. Have you ever given your Copper wrist band to another parent so they could be mat-side. 12. How many times has your wrestler been beat fair and square and comes home and tell you play-by-play where he screwed up. Not angy, merely a lesson. 13. How many times has a parent approached you mad... and embarassed their own. 14. How many times has your wrestler lost only to have the official come up and say they "screwed up." 15. How many loads of laundry do you do for your wrestler? 16. Does your wrestler freak out when you over-react to a mosquito bite because you think it skin-funk. 17. How many times have you used bleach on skin-funk? 18. How many family vacations were to go wrestle (trust me...for non-wrestling siblings this is a big one) 19. Does your wrestler get really mad when you ask their weight. 21. Have you ever thought of buying stock in Gatorade or Power-Aid...because water isn't cool. 22. Have you ever thought "is this worth it?" I am posting this and will respond with my answers in the next post. I am posting this as most of the State top three have been in these situations with me...should be a fun post to read for moms and dads. I am sure there are more as my experience with my wrestler is about 15 years...my school parents don't understand the time, fun and friendships that develop in this sport from such a young age. I have answers, and could give names to everyone of these items. This is it for those of us who are parents to seniors... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WingMan Posted March 10, 2012 Author Share Posted March 10, 2012 As promised. Here are my responses.. 1. How many times did you have to dry their tears when they got their butts beat at the age of 4? The age of 5 , 6 and beyond? Until he was 8 years old. 2. How many times did they want to quit? Every day until he started wining around the age of 8. 3. How old were they when they decided this was their sport? And when did they decide they were going to be a state champion? 8 years old. 4. Did you buy a wrestling mat to support their passion? Fell into the mat at little money as he was beating the heck out of the living room. 5. How many different clubs did you sign you kid up for and how many miles did you drive to get them there? No way to post the number of miles...IN, OH, TN, IL 6. How many confrontations did you have with parent who you wrestler ended up being great friends with? One where they accused Tanner of grabbing a kids stuff...the dad and kid apologized but the mom was very mad at my wrestler's dad. That's a funny one as we have seen the family many times since and there has been no mention of this "event" since the day it happened. 7. Did you ever buy a food-steamer to assist in weight management? Yes, and Tanner gets to shoot it before he leaves for college. I raised my kids on fried foods and butter...and it hasn't killed them yet, but the steamer helped. 8. How many conversations have you had regarding the "right" tattoo. I still want a crib sheet to know the tribal tattoos. T wants a tattoo...he needs to convince me why, what...I am still paying the bills don't give a crap how old he is. I am ex-military and don't have one so this better mean something really special. 9. How many times did you bring the "extra" pair of wrestling shoes with you because someone other than your wrestler needed them? Every meet I have two pairs of shoes with me. 10. How many times have you seen those parents that were your wrestler's opponents at an event and you prefer to speak to them before you want speak to your own school's parents. Every event starting at Confererence but the best is at State...We all know each other. 11. Have you ever given your Copper wrist band to another parent so they could be mat-side. Yes I have...DJ's mother was the recipient of mine. 12. How many times has your wrestler been beat fair and square and comes home and tell you play-by-play where he screwed up. Not angy, merely a lesson. That happens win or lose. Points are points and the wrestler knows when they were given an advantage and when they were not...it's the wrestlers character that takes them through that. 13. How many times has a parent approached you mad... and embarassed their own. I cannot even count...but one comes up when my daughter wrestled and beat the kid...mother approached us and told us we were a total disgrace. I assume she and her son own a dress shop somewhere now. 14. How many times has your wrestler lost only to have the official come up and say they "screwed up." Never with my wrestler, but truth be told, it happens a lot fom what I hear from coaches from various schools. 15. How many loads of laundry do you do for your wrestler? School days, 3 loads of laundry due to the work-out gear. 16. Does your wrestler freak out when you over-react to a mosquito bite because you think it skin-funk. - Every time... 17. How many times have you used bleach on skin-funk? - When the prescriptions don't work... 18. How many family vacations were to go wrestle (trust me...for non-wrestling siblings this is a big one) - Every vacation since 1996 19. Does your wrestler get really mad when you ask their weight. - Everytime...the scales travel with us where ever we go. 21. Have you ever thought of buying stock in Gatorade or Power-Aid...because water isn't cool. - Blue anything needs to be outlawed. But his senior year he finally figured out that water is just fine. 22. Have you ever thought "is this worth it?" Every day I think back to when he was little and what he has done and sacrifices he and the family has done (see vacations) and yes, every family member would agree that it has been worth it. The friendships, the lessons the struggles...it makes champions and champions are not defined by wins and losses...it is defined by character. Anyone want to buy a steamer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muckman_1999 Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 Great post, wingman. It sure does go fast doesn't it! I don't know any other sport that ties parents and children together as much as this one, especially for those that hit the road from the time they are little at tourney's and the such. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevinl Posted March 12, 2012 Share Posted March 12, 2012 wingman, I have been there and done that twice and it is sure hard to hear that final horn sound. Luckily I have one more to go and another three years to enjoy this sport with him. I am definitely not looking forward to that final horn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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