I have a concern which I have noticed this year that I hope we can get a grasp of. One of the things bothering me this year as I observe kids wrestling is the cancellation of tournaments.
Has anyone else noticed this? How can this be good for our sport?
I know many have expressed concern about this tournament, or that tournament and many have quit going to certain tournaments because of their concerns. I don’t know who to blame, or if there is blame needed but the bottom line, is we need as many opportunities on the weekends, or through the week, (thanks Coach Knox for the Duals starting up) as we can get.
There are a couple of reasons I think this is happening, and the main one crosses many groups. The primary word is respect.
Tournaments, respect your wrestlers, coaches, and your refs. Do everything possible to start on time, provide a quality setting and a quality tournament. Above all else, treat the wrestlers special, good officials, good clubs, and good parents will notice this. I also think a part of this process is making sure that table workers are trained, they may be volunteers, just as others helping with the tournament are volunteers, that doesn't change the fact they have the responsibility to act professionally and take their role seriously.
Parents and I say this as a parent who had to learn as well, but learn the rules and get away from the edge of the mat. If you aren’t coaching stay in the stands, the truth is, all of the yelling and screaming does more to harm your kid than it does to help. I would recommend that if coaching, it should be mandatory with your club to have a Bronze card. It should also be mandatory that you are in the corner and quite while you let another coach, coach your kid. If you yell, you only yell what the coach is yelling. As a parent, and a coach, I will tell you one of my old adages, you can’t teach your kid anything new while they are wrestling. I really believe that. Teach in the practice room; let them wrestle on the mat what they already know, let their own instincts take over. Sure watch the clock, ask about a rules interpretation, even question a call in the appropriate way, but let the kid wrestle. My personal recommendation to any parent though, if going to coach, read the thread on parents coaching, it is a great one with a lot of good insight.
Clubs have to stop this, you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours mentality. I understand it, know why it happens, but I question if it is good for the sport when tournaments have to cancel because they don’t have enough wrestlers helping out. At some point, clubs and others, have to look at what is happening and do what they can to help out. I saw this trend happening last year in freestyle/Greco and will tell you it was not good for our wrestlers. We have to see to it that we provide opportunity. I would also suggest that the club control out of control parents, and coaches. They do exist. Each club is dependent on wrestlers; the wrestlers join the clubs at the expense of parents. Parents, expect, and demand, professional behavior from the clubs, when the clubs are demanding that and the parents are out of line, there is a problem with the parents, and ultimately the kids the clubs coach. I guess a part of what I am saying here is there has to be mutual respect, but…, the bottom line of authority lies with the club. If you don’t want a parent or someone else mat side, don’t let them there. Establish your guidelines, and keep them.
Officials, I started officiating a couple of years ago now. There are a few things I have learned that are imperative. Find a good mentor to teach you. I have three and value others. The three I have, have been there to give me good advice and help me out. There are others that are developing and I make certain that they know I appreciate them. The fact is though; I know I am personally still learning. Try to approach the coaches, table workers and wrestlers with respect. When needing to stand firm, stand firm, when making a mistake, do what you can to make things right. Then understand that those mistakes are going to happen. Now on this note, coaches have to be patient; I also know we are running away new officials. If you think that the officiating is bad now, wait until we get to the place where people out of the stands are being pulled mat side to officiate. I will tell you there have been tournaments I have been to that we were not far from that happening. I’ll also say this about officials, don’t jump the gun and officiate at a level you shouldn’t too soon. I know there is a need, but learn first, I admit, I am still learning, still making mistakes, but most importantly, still learning.
Truth is, some take a I don’t give a darn attitude and criticize, complain, and everything else without stepping back and thinking about if they are hurting our sport or not. Some get involved when in reality they are involved more for themselves than they are about doing something FOR the kids. I know this to be true when I see their actions hurting the sport more than helping it. Bottom line though, the clubs, tournament, and state organization has a responsibility to build the sport, not tear it down. I for one have to wonder, when we see tournaments canceling, for whatever reason, I wonder if we are all doing what we need to do to really provide the best environment and opportunities for the kids and the sport. I know most are, and thank you from one who has fallen in love with this sport. But for the others, please read Randy Hinderliter’s signature, “Are you making a POSITIVE difference in the life of kids?” If in relation to this sport, you are not, you need to either need to readjust or get out. Some will say they are, while at the same time trying to run good people out of the sport because what they think isn’t in agreement with what the majority of others think. In those situations it is likely the view of the one person which is wrong. Remember the old saying, “if it looks like it, smells like it, it probably is.” There are some among us, even me at times, who needs to start looking in the mirror, and smelling what we are acting like. If we can’t see how nasty we have become, and no one else has the power to take the actions needed, God help our sport, because until we start cleaning up the garbage, we will be doing more harm for our sport and kids than we are doing good.
Again, in closing, I realize as I point one finger out, I have three more pointing back at myself on this issue, but it is time we address the problem of less and less opportunities or our sport is in trouble.
