This topic is debated every year. I don't think Ginny is by any means trying to seclude kids that place by default.
HOWEVER, I think many of us who run novice tournaments do it so that new wrestlers have a chance to experience wrestling at their level before being exposed to open wrestling. It is not meant to be a means for easy wins for experienced wrestlers. Too often that is how novice tournaments are or at least appear to be used by some.
Common sense is a big factor and one that I think the adults in these situations sometimes lack or ignore. We held our novice tourney 2 weeks ago and there was a lot of novice wrestling. It made me smile to give those kids the opportunity and most were not ready for open competition.
Then there were the moments that a wrestler did a takedown move into a pinning combination in about 10 seconds or the wrestler that put a kid into a tilt that was pretty impressive by open standards. These wrestlers should probably start seeking more open type settings.
Now in saying that, do I know for sure that the wrestlers mentioned above didn't do what they did by "accident"? No, I don't but their coaches for sure and their parents maybe would know and should select future tournaments accordingly.
Novice should be a stepping stone preparing kids for open tournaments. Every child is different. Some may never even start novice, some may move to open after just a couple of tournaments, some kids may need the full two years given and yes, some probably need more time than that, but the goal should be to prepare the wrestler for the next level, not bask in the easy wins a wrestler can get against unexperienced competition.
If a wrestler can win or place consistently (not just by default)at open tournaments, IMO that wrestler has outgrown novice and is at the next level. It does not serve well that wrestler OR the novice competition to leave he/she down at the novice level.
Randy's quote I believe applies here in many ways....prepare the wrestler, not the path.......
