Kansas Wrestling Forums General Discussion High School Derby Wrestling on Kansas.com

Any Validity to the story about the Derby Wrestling Team at the Garden City Tourney?

If not, that is a horrible prank!!!!

If what is said on the web site is true what would they be able to be kicked off for, they could fight that and win so I'll still have to have derby in the top 3 of 6a.

I certainly do not believe what may be nothing more than lie a on a website.

I have not been on here all year, but this is important to wrestling. I don't mean to be rude... but having alcohol on a school trip is not worth being kicked off for. I believe coaches have been fired for doing this!!!!!??? I am a huge Coach Ross fan and like Derby wrestling so I wish no harm on any of them. I just want to know if it is true!!!

I would not have believed it if I had not gotten a phone call late last night telling me the same thing before I read this post.

Church

Very interesting. Well worthy of posting Michael.

From my information, there was a problem that happened after the tournament in Garden City. The post made on the other forum has “greatly” overstated on what actually happened. The correct disciplinary action has been taken. Coach Ross is “not” under fire by anyone from Derby. Give the team a break and let things take their coarse. They did nothing that hasn’t happened before by others. I know some will take this opportunity to throw mud on a great bunch of kids and a very good coach. Anyone with class will let this post drop & give support to the team to get through this. Remember there are others on the team that were not involved.

Mr. Furches, can you clear this up for everyone so we can all know what to believe.

I won't say much, but will say this; much of what has been said has been blown out of proportion. There is so many untruths at the Kansas.com post which I saw this morning that it makes me sick. I will also say that Derby has dealt with the situation, appropriately in my opinion. Some high school students made a stupid mistake, one I and I suspect many others on this forum made at one point in their lives, certainly not all, but many. I again, truly believe that Derby High School and the Coaching Staff have dealt with the issue appropriately. Anyone wanting to know the truth about my own son's involvement is welcome to call me at 316-258-3952 and I will share the truth, otherwise I won't say anything else on these forums. I will say, my son as a result of being singled out on the Kansas.com forum, has decided that he wants to make a post later this evening, dealing with his own actions, no one else’s. I will also say that many of the comments on the Kansas.com forum are totally false, not just about my son, but some of the others involved.

Let me be clear, I personally hold my son responsible for his actions. He is learning a hard lesson, one I suspect many parents would appreciate as I am a strong disciplinarian. I also believe in the concept of serving punishment willingly, and learning from your mistakes. I am saddened today as a parent more than anyone here may realize. I ask those on the forums to be careful about singling out these students, especially when the truth is not always known by what is typed into a message board. Anyone who truly knows me, and knows my family, knows this is something that is unacceptable. They also know I love my son.

... and you should!

Mike,
I don't know you personally but by reading this forum, I feel I know you. Let me introduce myself, I've been around this sport for over 50 years as a high school wrestler at Norton, college wrestler at K-State, a former coach and now as a fan.
Over 30 years ago as a young coach, I signed a form written by our athletic director stating any athlete breaking training rules would be eliminated from the team. One of my senior wrestlers went to a party and drank some beer. I eliminated him from the team, a decision I regret to this day. My decision on this matter could have had a more negative influence on his life than drinking a few beers. At that point in his life, he needed wrestling more than wrestling needed him. Thank God this young man didn't let my decision effect his life.
I know Derby High School, Coach Ross and the parents are very disappointed in some of the wrestlers. I'm just telling you from experience, make the punishment reasonable. Jake Durham, my coach at Norton, had the philosophy that all kids are 99.9% good: we shouldn't dwell on the .1% when they screw up.
Ron Tacha
Manhattan

Jake seemed to have a little success with that philosophy. Sometimes kids make mistakes. Hopefully they live through it and learn from them.

EVERYBODY, not just kids, makes 'mistakes' every day of their life. Sometimes justice is needed. Sometimes grace is needed. Sometimes a bit of both. You don't need a tank to kill a fly. May Derby have the wisdom needed in dealing with this situation appropriately.

Knowing Nathan as well as I do, and having discussed it with people who know the situation, most of what was said is complete rubbish. Yes, there was some stuff happen that was against the rules, and those involved are being disciplined appropriately. Speaking from experience, most high schoolers take part in this stuff at least once in their life, and many kids do it every weekend. It seems a little unfair to me that because of Nathan's name, he's held to a higher standard than other kids his age. However it's something that will happen no matter what, and I think this will be a great lesson for him. I expect Nathan to mature a lot in the next week.

The High School & Coaching staff has done so.

Great!

The only mention of an involved students name on this thread was by you.

Was there mention of any standard, let alone a higher standard for specific individuals?

I learned of this matter Sunday evening and choose to stay quiet as it was simply none of my business, and I believe Coach Ross to be an outstanding role model for high school athletes. I learned of the Kansas.com post yesterday evening and did not read the thread until this morning. I do know my high school daughter (a wrestling cheerleader) and high school son have been in similar situations and chose to inform their friends of the dangers of their destructive behavior. My son was recently called at 01:30 A.M to pick up a wrestling teammate who had too much to drink. My wife and I allowed my son to pick up the teammate as we were thrilled the child chose not to drive. The teammate knew Ryan was sober as they were at the same party and Ryan choose to leave when the alcohol arrived.

There are children who have been taught the dangers of this type of activity and make the appropriate decisions.

To suggest that one individual is held to a higher standard is ludicrous when ten (10) of fourteen (14) wrestlers and four (4) team managers have been suspended from school and the four (4) managers reportedly kicked off the team. My source for this information is one of the suspended students parent.

At first blush, and if the managers were indeed kicked off the team, (the students parent assures me she was kicked off) it appears as though the managers were held to the higher standard, and not your friend who you so loyally defend.

So since the managers are kicked off what is the fait of the wrestlers, I can't see them kicking off the whole team ecspecially when they are pretty good

Mr. Salyer I doubt few people on a message forum know the whole story as to what is going on. I certainly know that some of us posting on this need to be careful about commenting about appropriate use of alcohol. I will say this, last night the young man's name was mentioned and there was certainly clear indication as to blame being cast on him when in fact, after some effort today, I realize that is an unfair dispersion of blame. Thankfully, The Wichita Eagle has removed the thread from their forums; maybe it is time usawks does the same.

i don't really see a reason to shut this thread down. we're dealing with an incident that really happened, no one has made any intense personal slams, and it effects the course of the season in wrestling.

I agree. I always prefer that we do not mention wrestlers by name in these type of situations and isn't it unusual that the most gossipy types are our younger members of this board. I believe there are "good examples of bad examples", at least that's the way an old boss used to refer to me.