Just wondering how many clubs have a mandatory rule of youth wrestler having to wear club singlets in every match?
I know the club we used to be with made the kids wear the club singlet. The club we are with now does not and my son loves that. He'll wear the club singlet for a match and then change into another one. It kind of empowers him!!! I like the idea of being able to change into a cool singlet if you want to, especially on a weekend like state where you might be wrestling a second day in that same singlet! I wouldn't want any ringworm coming back on that singlet to be worn a second day! Not all hotels have washing machines and who wants to do laundrey while at state!
its a preferance of the parent,,, id rather teach my son team comradery over self exposure,,atleast at this young of an age
Our coach let the boys wear what they wanted if they made it to districts. I think it was more of added incentive. There are a group of boys that continuoulsy do strange things to their hair...all of them are from different clubs...but they run eachother down each weekend to see who out did the other. I think between the hair and the singlets....it gives them a chance to play around and try to out do eachother....it's all in fun
With our team we wear what we want. So when we go to a tournament with the team we wear the team singlet. When we go to other tournaments; (Liberty, Cliff Keen) where we might be the only one we wear whatever we want.
ya i can see ur point,, but i personally would rather my son show team spirit,, instead of who can out do who,, ill leave the who can out do who for the mat
for us it is not about outdoing others. It's about his favorite team, a country that he likes or just a really cool singlet that he likes. We can have team spirit without wearing the same singlet.
outdoing eachother may not have been the best choice of words. Its fun for them and it gives them just another reason to love wrestling. And look forward to seeing eachother every weekend.
Isn't kids wrestling about the kids? They show up and bust their butts in practice for 5 months, why not let them have any type of mental edge when stepping on the mat? Team unity or comradery can still be represented regardless of what they are wearing. At the end of the day, standing on the podium, holding their bracket and medal, what are they wearing? T-shirt and shorts!
thats a better post than the one u just deleted...lol..
it is about the kids and the team they belong too,,
they bust there butts inpractice with there team,, u need a good partner to make a good wrestler,, im just sayin for me as a parent i would rather my son..represent his teamand the guys who helpedhim get where hes at right now,,
imnot sayin imright or wrong its just my preferance,,
As a head coach of a kids team this is an issue that I personally struggle with every year. We try and promote team unity and teach the kids how to be members of a team. Because of that we have our kids wear team singlets during the folkstyle season. We used to do that for the freestyle and greco but now leave it up to the kids.
My personal feeling is that our job as kids club coaches is to try our best to prepare our kids for their high school careers. One of the biggest challenges I see, because of the open tournament format, is that kids don't fully grasp the team concept sometimes. We don't have duals at the kids level so it makes it hard to teach them that part of the team aspect. By having team singlets it allows us to teach the team concept as well as teach our older kids how to be team leaders.
Not saying we are right or wrong....just the way we do business based on our club goals.
Shawn Budke
Leavenworth County Spartans
its all just up to you as a parent,,,
do want to have a T.O. as a son or a Tom Brady
thats pretty well put shawn budke, i agree
If the kid was participating in a Dual meet with his team I could certainly understand the importance of competing in a "team singlet" ... unification, team comraderie etc.
But, when it's open it's open. Why not have some fun? By choosing to wear different singlets that express themselves. When they get wrestling in school there will be no choice.
Just my .o2
I don't think that kids or even some parents are aware that some tournaments do have team points and trophies.
Weather report says that Topeka could have snow Saturday, travel may become an issue, those of us traveling a couple hours better get a room. Any ideas on motels left with rooms?
i personally would like to see duals in kids wrestling,just to promote that team concept,,.. sorry smokencody imnot sure about the hotels in topeka, butthe weather i seen shows snow wont start till monday night here in emporia, im just 45minutes away from topeka...
teamgarate,
Thanks.
inittowinit,
I totally understand your point. Another consideration into our decision is that by having team singlets we get help to purchase those from businesses and fundraisers in the community....what that really means is that we can make this more affordable for the parents (they don't have to purchase singlets). Again, that's just the way we do business. I don't think either is right or wrong.
Shawn Budke
Yep, it is about the kids! I see nothing wrong with them wearing a college/etc... singlet. I agree that team unity and comradery can still be represented no matter what they are wearing! And, trust me, my son is not into "self exposure". He is humble, probably to a fault and can use all the mental edge he can get. Maybe I would think differently if he were cocky. I guess it is a parental decision if your team allows it.
Heres my 2 cents. It should be up to the kid. Some kids, mine included feel like they have an edge over the other kid when wearing certain singlets. Go to national tournaments high school included & see the swap meet that is going on in regards to singlets. The warm up, hat etc. is plenty in my opinion to achieve the team feeling, sitting together too. But when it comes to the singlet, that is when it is go time & until the team is out on the mat with the competitor he is very much alone with the other kid that wants nothing more then to beat him. I personally do not think it is the coach, parent, or board members place to take anything away from the kid that gives them the edge even if it is only in there mind. Remember what they say, this sport is 90% mental.
Our club requests that our kids wear the club singlets. As a club we have worked to raise money to purchase the singlets giving all the kids the opportunity to have a nice singlet to wear thru out the season. It is not required that the kids wear their own singlets if they are going to a tourney where they maybe the only ones from our club attending.
But going into Subs , District and onto State it is just respectful of the clubs wishes to wear the singlets that is supplied by the club. My sons both have purchased very cool singlets that they would love to wear...and they can at Brute, Tulsa or USJOC or other tourney's that we travel to with out the club. It is something that is understood within our household and we uphold to the clubs wishes that our sons wrestle and show support to our club and their TEAM members!
The coaches have also found that when you have 30+ kids wrestling thru out the day that it is much easier if you can look out across the sea of mats, and kids and see your club singlet!
Good luck to all those wreslting this weekend!
Kim Lovvorn
Jackson County Wrestling Club
its all just up to you as a parent,,,
do want to have a T.O. as a son or a Tom Brady
I'll take either. Then I can retire.
Benefit of club singlet, it lets the fans know when a club wreslter is wrestling, and makes it easier for a coach in a pinch get to that wrestler prior to a match. I like the idea of wearing a singlet of choice, when you make it to the championship round, have a reason to get there. I also like the idea of requiring that the awards stand photo require the kid to wear the club singlet if they have one.
I'm a new participater but not a new reader. This is a great post because this has happen to my son lately. My son has a singlet he feels very comfortable with, but is being pushed into wearing a new singlet he received from the club at Salina. I understand the wishes of the club and respect the values of being part of a team. My son would be nothing without the practice partners and the coaches that take the time to make the kids of JCWC the best they can be. I just wish we could give a kid a chance to be a kid because their days of being a kid are very limited. Give them the option of wrestle your tail of to get to the finals and you can wear your superman suit because you will probably need every edge you can get if your in the finals.
Randy Pool
Let kids be individuals. My boys play plenty of "team" sports. When do they get to learn individualism and counting on one's self.
Guess they don't teach that anymore...if you can't get it done yourself look for everyone else to bail you out.
so our highschool golf team is less of a team than our high school wrestling team?
if u want someone to teach ur kids individualism put him in golf..
Or combat sports! Wrestling included.
Let kids be individuals. My boys play plenty of "team" sports. When do they get to learn individualism and counting on one's self.
Guess they don't teach that anymore...if you can't get it done yourself look for everyone else to bail you out.
Heck this sounds like the good old USA. The banks are saying we can't do it ourselves, so please bail us out and make everyone else pay. Well this is a comparison, maybe not a good one but it is one.
We wear our team singlet when we are with the team, but when we go without the team my son wears what he wants. And sometimes it is the team singlet.
I like the idea of wearing the team singlet until the finals and then wearing whatever you want. I don't think we will do that if he was to get there, but I do like the idea.
There are quite a few opportunities to have kids' duals, but not on a club team level. I believe someone is putting together a elementary school duals team from Kansas, Will COkeley is putting together at least 3 teams from Kansas to take to Middle School duals in Iowa, and of course the Schoolboy duals, Cadet Duals, and Junior duals all have Team Kansas representing our state. Park Hill has a duals format in December as well. I HIGHLY recommend getting your kid involved in those events.
Doug
High school? teamgarate this is the Kids Folkstyle section of the talk forum. It's not an option for the high school teams. Don't know about you but my wrestlers are 7 & 11. They still like to dress up for halloween. Lighten up pal.
This year, our club did not have a singlet left in my son's size. He wore a standard old black singlet most of the year and was happy with it. Towards the end, he wanted something a little more flashy. So I found one for him. I figured, he has worked his butt off training and getting to this point so why not. I think the team aspect is a good one to remember, especially when looking from the stands and trying to find his teammates wrestling. But I also feel, that when that whislte blows, he is the one on the mat wrestling and nobody else. When he gets older, he have to wear a team singlet so why not have fun now.
and I was just screwing around, I could really care less what my kids wear when they wrestle. If they don't show teamwork, sportsmanship, and good manners, you won't see them at a tournament anyway.
New question: What should be the consequence if this is club policy & a kid repeatedly shows up in a singlet that is not uniform? Kick him out of the club? Don't let him wrestle? Push ups? If this is a policy of a club (which it is in ours) there should also be outlined consequences. FYI, my son has adhered to the club policy 90% of the time. But I guarantee if he makes the finals Sunday, he's going to be looking for a phone booth to change into Superman.
My son had never had anything on except a club singlet untill this weekend. His coach told him he could do what ever made him feel better...he loved the idea and it seem to give him an edge...he gets to wrestle this weekend and can wear whatever makes him feel best. This is his first trip to state as a wrestler(we go every year to support his team mates and show comradery) If he makes it to the finals...he wont be the onlyone that will need a change of clothes!
teamgarate,
We will have to agree to disagree. Wrestling in my mind is the ultimate individual sport.
My boys are 8 and 10 and I have yet to see a team point kept at any of the events they attend.
I guess it would be cool if they could do the tag-team thing where if my boy is getting it handed to him he can slap hands with someone from his club and they can come on the mat and help him out...
so our highschool golf team is less of a team than our high school wrestling team?
Of course its less. But if there is a question about it the only fair way to settle it is to wrestle.
Greater Gold of Garden City lets their wrestlers wear whatever singlet they want. Having said that once a wrestler is wrestling for a medal they must wear their Greater Gold Singlet. The parents know this and more importantly the kids know this and we have no issues what so ever. Good luck to all at state.
My son has wrestled in a singlet that my wife purchased while I was gone last year. I think they missed a couple of practices prior to the first tournament when the club singlets were given out. I was very pleased to see what she bought him, a singlet with the exact same colors as the team singlets, just a little different design. He is proud to be part of the club he wrestles for, just like he is proud of being a member of his Jr High wrestling team.
Wrestling is definitely an individual sport when it comes time to strap on the ankle band. As he learned from his first year in Jr High, it is a little more special when you are part of a team where your individual points really do contribute to the overall success of your team. I recognize that team points are kept at Kids' State as well as some of the other Kids' tournaments. It really isn't quite the same as it will be when they are competing for their schools.
I have no problem with kids wearing singlets that are not from the club they wrestle for. When the time comes, and they are wrestling as part of a team where their individual results contribute to the outcome of the teams' success, I believe they will be very proud of wearing the school colors.
so our highschool golf team is less of a team than our high school wrestling team?
Of course its less. But if there is a question about it the only fair way to settle it is to wrestle.
wrestling the golf team....that would make my kids quicker, ducking clubs, avoiding spikes...yeah...I like that....as long as the golfers are all dressed alike.......
I always try to have my boys wear a singlet that has my sponsor’s logos on it. Walker likes to wear the Powerade Mystic Mountain Blue singlet, it really looks cool with some sweet mountains on it. He loves to sport it when we wrestle at Rocky Mountain Nationals. While Texas Ranger wears a mean looking Big Red singlet that has flames surrounding it. For finals I make sure both of them wear a Laughing Clown Malt Liquor singlet, because they were my first sponsor.
its now how you look on the mat its how you wrestle on the mat
I always try to have my boys wear a singlet that has my sponsor’s logos on it. Walker likes to wear the Powerade Mystic Mountain Blue singlet, it really looks cool with some sweet mountains on it. He loves to sport it when we wrestle at Rocky Mountain Nationals. While Texas Ranger wears a mean looking Big Red singlet that has flames surrounding it. For finals I make sure both of them wear a Laughing Clown Malt Liquor singlet, because they were my first sponsor.
The cougar singlet would be a good preliminary look as well but for the finals, you have to go with the tuxedo singlet.
IMO it should be up to the kid. Anything that will help them feel more confident when they are going onto the mat can't be a bad thing can it? I agree with the team support as well but I don't think that the support of a team is based on what singlet or sweats or hoodie is being worn. It is based more on the relationships that the kids and parents build. Just my opinion.