MAY, 2019
TO: SOUTHERN PLAINS COACHES & STATE LEADERS
FR: RUSTY DAVIDSON
RE: NATIONAL COACHES COUNCIL
Coaches and Leaders,
Here we are… one week out. Our Regional Championship is something to look forward to and brag about. I’m gonna’ offer a little pep-talk, in just a minute. But, first, business calls. Your State Leaders recently received an update about SafeSport requirements. This will impact several of your athletes preparing for FARGO.
Beginning June 23rd, each and every athlete who is, or will be 18 years old before September 1st, MUST complete the SafeSport course. Already 18 year olds can simply log in to their membership and be directed to the online course (just like you did). If a kid is currently 17, but will turn 18 before September 1st, have to add PARENTAL CONSENT, before they can complete the course.
This will be a process and we will have to coach each other through the details. The important thing, right now, is to Get Out In Front of the Need. We all have to own up to the fact that we’re living in turbulent times. The things we, and kids, and parents have to deal with are complex, new, and sometimes aggravating.
It’s up to us, as the ‘Professional’ ‘Volunteer’ Coaches of USAW, to market this as the positive it will be… for our sport and for the organization. SafeSport is real. It’s not going away. You and I didn’t create the need, but the need is creating us.
We need to put on a responsible smile and let our athletes and parents know that USAW is way out in front of ANSWERING the need. Having the Opportunity to satisfy SafeSport demands, with the support of our parent organization, will become a great service to our athletes and families. Many of our best compete in events, sanctioned by other groups. USA Wrestling’s proactive diligence is offering our member families a responsible leg-up. Please, keep your head up and approach SafeSport requirements positively. Any news I get, you’ll get.
Back to next week’s Southern Plains Championship. I mentioned that we have some Bragging Rights. We can look forward to wrestling in a beautiful new facility, in Mulvane. The Kansas organizing team go far beyond the norm in preparing and making the administrative chores pleasant and efficient. Our Regional attracts many of the Nation’s finest athletes, anxious to be challenged by the kind of kids we produce. We have Referees from every other region that spend a lot of time and money to be with us. It is our quality that attracts ‘em.
This means we have to Walk our Walk.
Attracting great athletes means that some of our home-town heroes are gonna’ get beat. Celebrate! Attracting great officials means we don’t have to worry about that part of the process. Our developing referees, inside the Region will be getting coached by some of the best. Please share this philosophy with ALL of your State’s coaching delegation. Many of our coaches, at the Regional level are Parent Coaches. They need to know that the Opponents will be Great and the Officiating will be Honest, but never perfect.
Regional competition as a critical transition for our kids. Keeping our youngest in the sport, for the long haul, is one of our greatest challenges. Getting beat by great kids, from somewhere else, is a very attractive motivator for our own great kids. Much of their perception depends on ours. Trophies are nice, now. We have to remind ourselves, first, and then our kids, that the best trophies are way off in the future.
Take a breath, Mom and Dad. It’s gonna’ be OK. Don’t forget to stop for Ice Cream, on the way home! OK… Pep Talk complete. Get on that SafeSport thing. See you in a few days. Safe Journey.
Rusty
