Kansas Wrestling Forums General Discussion Kids Folkstyle Why would this happen?

Yesterday, at the Maize tournament something happened that I'm wondering about? Maybe someone out there can shed some light on this matter for me. There were four boys in a Round Robin, two of them were from the same team. When it came time for the teammates to wrestle one of them scratched, when I asked someone about it I was told that it was "because they were from the same team and didn't want to wrestle each other." This was neither of the boys' first match of the day, so I know that both boys were there. I, also, know that it is always difficult to have to wrestle your own teammate, but it happens to every club at some time or another. I think that both boys should have gone out there and done there best and win or lose hold their head up high, knowing that they did their very best, shake hands and come off the mat as teammates. As I have told my boys when they have to wrestle a teammate or a friend that they have made through wrestling. "They are your friend, but when the ref blows the whistle they are your opponent until the end of the match, and then they are your friend again." I'm just curious as to why this would be done. If it had been done in an 8-man or 16-man bracket it would have kept the wrestler that scratched from placing, but as it was the placing in the bracket was already pretty much decided when this took place. I just think the boys should have wrestled it just like the others in the bracket had. Just wondering. Thanks for any insight on the matter.

I know that a factor in the decision maybe because the State tournament series is coming up and match wise u don't really gain an advantage wrestling your own teammate or some coaches don't want to take a chance of injury....

Was that the peterson and gates match?

First, this was not the Peterson/Gates match. Second, I don't feel that it does either wrestler any good to back out of a match just to protect their record for State. I say let them wrestle and take "the agony of defeat or the thrill of victory" like a true champion and you are a winner, win or lose.

Well at this time of the year, like it or not, the kids and the coaches are thinking about their records as far as seating and placing at tournaments goes. Some teams don't like to pit one wrestler against another and that is their choice. As long as both wrestlers understand what is going on, let them work it out in their own way. They may have just flipped a coin to see which wrestler scratched. And as far as not wanting to risk injury is concerned, with as many injurys as we have seen this year, I think that is a valid reason not to have teammates wrestle. At this time of the year, wrestlers and coaches have to play the game, like it or not.