RW177
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The head coaching position at Decatur Central is open. I am heading back to WA. This is a good opportunity Decatur has a brand new wrestling room and some devoted youth parents. It will take time but this could be a good program again. Currently there isn't a teaching job.
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In my opinion blaming the people running the sport is similar to blaming teachers for failing schools. The ones doing the work are the easiest to blame. Obviously everyone can do a better job, but sometimes there simply isn't a solution that is available to the powers that be. If the powers that be were in charge of parents I'm sure they'd tell them to get out of bed on Saturday and get their kids involved. They'd tell them to help coach, and run tournaments, and support referees. Besides is all this youth wrestling really helping high school wrestling? I'm not sure it is. The very best kids are better now than they've ever been, but from top to bottom I don't think year around wrestling helps. I took over Decatur Central this year. It's been a daunting task. Without year around wrestling we would be 3-5 years behind, but because everyone starts in kindergarten we're 5-7 years behind. Is this good for the overall health of the sport? I'm not sure it is.
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My son is six and started the season Novmeber 1st and is still practicing. I think about that and realize who in their right mind would do that? If you look at total numbers who at least wrestled some section of the season I think our numbers are still really high. I had over 40 kids attend at least one tournament, but only three attend freestyle state. Only one of those was truly ready. Should I really be upset that parents don't want to spend $35 bucks and a Saturday to go 0-2?
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http://blogs.indystar.com/preps/2011/05/03/ifca-playoff-proposal-would-alter-football-playoff-system/ With coaches in every sport pushing year around programs this means that many more schools will have a chance to win and encourage kids to turn out. By not adding classes for individuals and teams we are going to take a step back while other sports take a step forward.
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We are getting bigger as a society because we are getting fatter. Why support this in wrestling? I know from walking the halls that there are more big kids than ever before. I don't agree with encouraging more overweight kids. Obesity is a national epidemic why cave into this in wrestling? I also realize that there aren't many kids in 103. I say, so what! It has always been the most forfeited weight and always will be. I look at it from the standpoint if not for wrestling these kids wouldn't even be able to compete in athletics at all. Wrestling is the only place for them to excel in athletics. Why take that away?
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An interesting study would be to find out years of experience wrestling at the state tournament. I could be wrong but I'm guessing there are far more upper weight kids who started late. At the lower weights you have to have a ton of experience. If you are a super athlete and big you can pick your sport but if you're small wrestling is the best option.
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I had 4 freshman over 215 pounds and all should have been under 171 and not just for the sake of wrestling for the sake of their hearts and overall health. I agree that there are a lot of freshman in the lower weights. My point is what are the juniors and senior 103 pounders suppose to do? Quit sports altogether? Should every sport cater to big guys? A 103 pound athlete is going to have a tough time even in freshman sports when it comes to football, basketball, baseball, etc. Why not allow small guys to have one sport they can truly succeed and be the best at what they do? I want wrestlers not football players who wrestle.
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Why take away chances for smaller athletes? What other sport can small athletes be considered the best in the state? Sorry for not sympathizing for a 215 pound athlete that is being left out. Show me a legit 6% body fat 215 pounder who isn't good at practically every sport he does. There are dozens of 6% body fat 135 pounders who because of size aren't going to have opportunities at any other sport. Everyone will have some story about a small guy who is a stud but at the upper levels of sport size matters. Why as wrestlers where size doesn't matter should we cater to larger athletes that have dozens of opportunities in other sports to be the best?
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The only reason the weight classes are going up is Americans are overweight. Being overweight is becoming okay even in wrestling. Wrestling has always been a place for smaller athletes to succeed. Just looking at weigh ins is too simplistic. The percentage of high school athletes over 190 pounds that aren't overweight is tiny. Why encourage more overweight athletes? Shouldn't we at least demand that wrestlers are in shape?
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Has Freestyle and Greco wrestling run its course?
RW177 replied to PTK-time's topic in Past Discussions
I sure hope that it hasn't. Being able to wrestle three different ways is wonderful and if you throw in jui jitsu you can wrestle four. All styles help every other style and I think help with burn out. I think folkstyle state should be the week after the high school season and then freestyle and greco should start. Folkstyle season starts November 1st for most high schools and clubs. Four months of hard wrestling aren't enough? I know after the high school season I'm ready to coach something else. -
If you get a chance see the movie Win Win. It's about a high school wrestler and his coach. It's playing at Keystone Art. It's rated R for language.
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If I were in charge of wrestling in Indiana I would set up wrestling state in the following way: I would start with four classes with the top eight in each class making it to state. I would then run four seperate brackets and crown four champions on Friday night. Then these wrestlers would wrestle off for a true state champion on Saturday. The back side of the bracket would look like a normal bracket with all classes mixing together once they lost. For team state I would take the top two from each classification and have a dual tournament the next weekend. All sports except football could run this way. Basketball could set up their tournament the same way and give a small school the chance to win two games outside their class and win the overall championship.
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class wrestling vs single mat under the light?
RW177 replied to navychiefmatt09's topic in Past Discussions
I'm glad you mentioned the Olympics. Many states, Indiana included have become so obsessed with finding out who is best, all the way down to pee wees, that our Olympic wrestling styles, where we do truly see who is best have all but disapeared. Finding out who is best is important, but at what cost to our sport? Should we continue to lose market share to forward thinking sports? While wrestling complained about title nine men's soccer added college programs. Wrestling's antiquated ideas have cost us countless college programs, and when budget cuts come they will cost us high school wrestling programs. It will start with small schools and move up the chain. No one will really notice at first because those programs don't get in the spotlight. Adding classes could help change that. Maximizing good press helps! Like it or not it is about money and fan support. On another note, should there only be Division I wrestling? Should Division II, III, NAIA, JC just fold up because there is someone better at the Division I tournament? -
class wrestling vs single mat under the light?
RW177 replied to navychiefmatt09's topic in Past Discussions
I'm also a former WA coach and wrestler now coaching here in Indiana. Obviously one mat and one champion from a that day perspective is far better, but for me that is a poor arguement against class wrestling. I think anytime you can add numbers of fans and competitors you should do it. There would be more fans in the stands for a classed state tournament with more total competitors. Thus producing more revenue. As a sport two of our chief concerns should be adding competitors and increasing revenue. -
I in no way meant to high jack the thread. We are talking about saving team state. I'm saying that saving it starts with building fan bases at individual schools. I think the best way to do that is by adding duals to everyone's schedule, not just mine. I'm just using my schedule as an example. Everyone is free to schedule how ever they want, but my opinion is that going away from duals has been bad for the sport in a lot of ways. Again, I could be wrong and these are just my opinions, but I really believe the problems with team state go deeper than just the format of the tournament.