One of the concerns I've always had is that, while we are great about developing participants, we are terrible about creating fans!
I realize that this is somewhat the nature of our sport but how many of our kids (or for that matter, my fellow coaches) can name even one, member of the World Team!! This is partially due to lack of media coverage but also due to the fact everyone competes on the same day and few ever go to an event to watch!!
A couple of times during the season I schedule an event to watch instead of practice! That might mean a fairly late evening; driving 75 - 100 miles to watch a JuCo dual on a Thursday night but I feel attending an event can be a learning opportunity.
It might be news to a few of you but there is a wrestling world outside the events our kids participate in!! On a limited basis, we need to support these events. Even on the local level, we get clubs squabbling over dates for tournaments. Within Kansas, on any given Saturday, clubs have 2 or 3 tournaments to chose from ... maybe 6 or 7.
In my opinion, when we only think about those things that directly concern us, we are being short-sighted and selfish. I might understand, if some of our efforts were being spent on another sport. We need to support wrestling!
I am like most of you. We are "homers" by nature. I would never root for another wrestler to beat my kid. I support (or did when he was still competing) my wrestler. When my kids wasn't competing, I rooted for my club, my district, and then my State!
But the World goes beyond our State. If a wrestler from my region is competing against someone from any other region; I am a "homer" I root for "my" wrestler.
I almost always root for the AFC in the Super Bowl and the team representing the Midwest in the Little League World Series! Occasionally, I might find an individual I feel I have a special relationship with ... I root for him!
Really ... it is all about pride to me! That pride extends to "my wrestler." That pride extends to "our club wrestlers" competing in the Hooterville Open. That pride extends to "our State wrestlers" that compete in Fargo. That pride extends to "our U.S. wrestlers" that compete in the Olympics.
I am a fan ... I am not afraid to support "my" wrestlers!
