Quick question. What is the current rating guidelines for wrestlers at tournaments? In particular, I thought an 'A' wrestler was a State Placer and I have seen at least one tournament posted where an 'A' wrestler was a State Qualifer.

The ratings we used at Rossville tourny. A-state qualifer. B-wins often. C-Average. D- beginner. We may have a AA rating next year for state placers. Thanks for Fighting for our country so my children have a safe place to live. God Bless.

I think instead of adding an AA rating we need to get rid of a couple. D should be Novice, when they graduate to Open tournaments the wrestlers should then be rated either above average or average. My reason behind this is that we had an A wrestler get bumped up two weight classes because he was the only A wrestler in the class. What happened to wrestle the weight you are at, your gonna win some and lose some. I personally am tired of seeing 4 and 5 different brackets at a tournament. Throw everybody together and let the cream rise to the top. Please quit making it FAIR. Maybe we should just make two rankings...(1) I wanna win. (2) I wanna wrestle.

Mill Valley will continue to use the following for rankings:


Rating:

AAA ---- National Placer
AA ----- State Placer
A ------- State Qualifier
B ------- Above Average
C ------- Average
D ------- Novice

Because we get so many quality Kansas and Missouri entries, and we do try to seed properly, we had to come up with some way to distinguish a competitors abilities.

I (and it's only my opinion) have found this as little better rating system. The last thing any tournament director should want is a match between 2 National or State Placers/Qualifiers competing against each other during their first round match.

Jeff Broadbent - Mill Valley Wrestling Club

The only problem I see with the AAA rank is that some kids have placed at National tourneys may not have placed at state or even qualified for state... you may look at amending that to say AAA-National & State Placer and that should cover all the bases!

I think you should put them all together and let them wrestle it out if you win you win if you dont you dont you have to know what its like to lose to know what its like to win.

I have no problem with rating wrestlers for seeding purposes only. If everyone is thrown into one bracket. I have a problem with 4 or 5 brackets at one weight and 4 or 5 champions. I have heard more than one time a brother brag that he got first and the brother that got third say, "yeah, in the C bracket". The kids even know the difference. I plan on not rating Jake anymore, and if we wrestle D wrestlers, Oh well.

I think all the kids should be in the same bracket. Seeding doesnt matter till the end of the year at subs then you get the kids who have been in the d and c bracket getting seded higher than the kids who have been wrestling the tough a bracket all year kids need to learn how to lose i think it makes them better or atleast it did with mine they seen those trophies and medals and know if they work harder than the kids they will be wrestling they would get the medals and trophies.But on the other hand you have the kids that would get thrown in the mix that would never win which i dont like to see either that could make them hate the sport its a touchey question

Whats wrong with trying to get the B&C rated kids in the same bracket. There are kids that practice hard & love this sport that dont have the god givin talent that A&AA&AAA wrestlers enjoy. However if you enter a open tournament expect to wrestle an A wrestler. If numbers allow we will split them up. If they dont we wont. I dont see any sense in bracketing a A with a D if it can be avoided. I dont think it makes for a better tourny for either wrestler. My sons are both A wrestlers I dont care to sit at a tournament all day to watch them pin kids in 15 seconds. I Dont think the wrestlers & parents of the kid that got pinned would feel any different. Somtimes this cant be avoided & I understand that but if you have 8 A-B wrestlers & 8 C-D wrestlers, I say split them up into two brackets.

My problem is when a tournament divides those 16 into 4 different round robins. Why is a D in an open tournament? If all the wrestlers are D's just wrestle the Novice. I agree with you, if it could be divided that way, but it can't. The other thing is when you have one A wrestler and 10 B's and C's, the A wrestler gets bumped one or two weights and told to toughen up. How about the B and C wrestler toughen up and wrestle an A. I know that means one of the B wresters won't get 1st this time, and that's ok.

Didnt say it was perfect, but from my families own personal experience, the kids that are going to some of the National Tournaments and placing, are going to be of the caliber, if not a little higher, than some who are not traveling to find the higher level competition.

Joint - They are all together, but it does need to be SEEDED PROPERLY.

Jeff

You all make very good points. I would just like to say that for some, going to novice tournaments is just not an option. Most of these tournaments are on Sunday's, and intefere with church. Our club has a couple young wrestlers in the 10u and 12u divisions that could use a novice tourn. I would love to take a group of kids to a novice tourn. but my Sundays are booked. I say you make common sense decisions on Saturday's and live with those decisions.

What is wrong with a 4 man round robin at least the kids get 3 matches vs 2 for some.Id rather see all the A n B together then C n Ds . I know this is not possible in all tourny but if possible why not. What does an A kid learn from pinning a kid in 10 seconds what does the other kid learn from getting pinned in 10 seconds. The best way a kid can improve is with mat time by wrestling someone near his or own level so he can try the moves his coaches have taught him in practice
.Not all D wrestlers are novice if you say less than 2 years to be a novice.
Some kids really enjoy wrestling but just do not progress as fast as others. so

I have a son who is a, A wrestler and one who is a C or heck could be a D wrestler. If they both were in the same bracket it would be a waist of time for the one who is an A wrestler. And make my C,D wrestler hate the sport. I have never been to a tournament where they bump a good wrestler up cause he is so much better then the rest. But I have seen good kids get bumped up by their parents in age and weight groups, so the kid gets better wrestling time. To me thats a choice a parent makes not a tournament. When it comes down to your setting meeting the coaches should know who goes where, and if not the best kid will come out on top. So you ask should there be different brackets? Yes, let those who don't have the God given talent also feel good on weekends to.

Personally, of all the tournaments classified as OPEN, I would like to see only 2 brackets for the specified weight. I think you would "seed" A wrestlers and then fill in the same bracket with the rest of the B wrestlers. 2nd bracket for the same weight I would think should be C wrestlers "seeded" and fill in with D wrestlers. That way the AB bracket should see really good wrestling and the CD bracket would give these guys a good shot at each other. Isn't D always a 1st year wrestler and I would see a C as a second year wrestler. Granted I've seen some pretty good second year kids, and you coaches know these kids are the ones who just have the knack and soak up the sport along with having the "attention span", and should slowly rate themselves as B wrestlers here and there at OPENS to see exactly where they are as far as there capability. I just hate to see 4 and 5 brackets at the same weight. Doesn't that just add more matches overall for the entire tournament? Not knocking any one tournament but recently seen where these brackets should have been combined within their own weight classes. I think some tournaments do a really good job and others see the A B C D rating and do as they please. Come on.

Just for fun...when I was a kid they had huge tournaments in Manhattan annually. You would wrestle the first round seeded and drawn. The losers of first round matches would go into a "consolation bracket" in the same weight. Usually weed out about right, and made sure everyone at least had a chance!

I do agree with separating Novice and Open, and wrestling round robins for novice for experience. And what is the harm in occasionally making sure everyone has a tangible reward for participating and giving the effort, even if they aren't very good-YET.

2coach,

Just gotta ask here.

Should we bracket like this...

8 - 40 A
8 - 40 B
8 - 40 C
8 - 40 D

8 - 43 A
8 - 43 B
8 - 43 C
8 - 43 D...

You get the point?!

That way all the kids could "feel good" on the weekend.

Come on, get realistic!

Some may know if it is still a fact or not, but didn't Kansas used to be one of a few states that even offered a Novice and Open division???

I am guessing that some will argue that in order to get better, you must challenge yourself.

Jeff

Each kid should get the chance to wrestle at his level. Not every kid in every club is able to wrestle each and every weekend like most of the really good kids. Its unfortunate that kids get bumped up without permission from the coaches first. We pay enough money by the end of the year and to get the raw end of the deal like that really isnt fair. I still think we need to have the kids wrestle kids at the same level. Those kids at the lower level will probably never be highschool wrestlers but for right now they are involved in something and not out causing trouble. That is what is most important at this young age. Winning should be saved in the highschool level.

I agree with Beeson "just make two rankings...(1) I wanna win. (2) I wanna wrestle."
If you need practice time and want to improve GO TO PRACTICE.

winning should neer be saed for high school, If we start bracketing so that everybody gets a chance to win then this we should just do away with trophies and medals and go to participation ribbons ( congradulations you came to a tournament this weekend ) I see PA wrestling and wish that Kansas had the same depth in the sport, I am not knocking Kansas I love it and want to come back, but PA does not rate wrestlers in open tourneys ( thats what novice tourneys are for ) Opens are for serious competition and kids looking to do more than just participate. Winning early will do nothing but prolong the inevitable for some who are going to find out eventually that the natural ability just isnt there. You can't coach desire and natural ability. just an opinion

Mike Pirl