I agree with timbob the mental pain of not being successful may push alot of kids away from the sport. Working hard in the practice room through the week, facing tough practice partners then getting beat out on Saturday can end up taking its toll. As coaches and parents we can talk about not putting pressure on kids to win but winning is the name of the game and the kids know it. Nobody likes to lose and hearing that you gave a good effort sometimes isnt enough. When a kid cant hit a baseball and his teammates can after a few seasons if he cant improve or keep up they will most likely move on. There are lots of activities to participate in. Some kids are not atheletes and they figure that out before the parents. Our society puts high value on being an athelete but there are many ways to compete without sweating. When kids give up on a sport there may not be anything wrong with the kid or the sport it might just be that its not their thing.
I will agree with westfahl though that 2 coaches mom and dad and sometimes more in one corner screaming dose not help anything. If all it took was effoft to win I know alot of kids who would win just on that alone but it takes some phsyical gifts also. I think some parents dont know how tough it is to wrestle off your back or not go there, they should try it themsleves. Just because a kid makes a "stand up" look easy dos'nt meen it is. The kid that makes it look "easy" may have a great work ethic and great physical gifts too. That is Not always easy to remember but its a fact that parents and coaches need to keep in mind.
I think kids quit when it stops being fun, either because they cant compete and get tired of losing or thier parents dont have a realistic veiw of thier childs abillity and puts unfair expectations on them.
I see plenty of parents and coaches giving the right kind of support to our young wrestlers every weekend and some of those kids will still quit to try other things. Most people spend their whole life searching for the right thing. When a person dos'nt like something we like we began to think there must be something wrong with them or wrong with what we are doing. Maybe they just dont enjoy it.
Jon Murray
PWC
