Panter Elite,
I was just wondering how many kids do you have for your club?
Is the new club a lot smaller then the current DWC or was there a pretty even split?

Hpechic if they meaning the Harringtons are doing it for the love of the sport and the kids and they spent so many years with the Derby Wrestling Club then why would they leave the club? Why hasn't this question been asked? Panther Elite said call me and I will discuss it...... Why not post it and let everbody know so they could make a clear decision???? I think there is a lot to be said for silence.

Wrestling Minds---sometimes not all laundry (dirty or clean) needs aired on a public forum. I am not sure what has happened but at times adults see things differently. I am sure that Jeff has the kids best intrest at heart. If not he wouldn't have been allowed to be the head coach at DWC for so long. Good luck to both clubs and it will all work out. Remember, it's all about High School results.

JMO

As a parent of wrestlers I hope that both clubs will stay out of the muck, and not fling accusations at one another. I would lose respect for both if this turned into a "He Said, She Said".

TFuller

RE: The Boos' and Andover comment
Boo didn't go out and recruit his team. He has a son, a nephew, and one of his best friends' kid on the team who do really well. He didn't go recruit the ELITE kids. He takes good kids and makes them better with his coaching, motivation, accountability, discipline etc. He gets approached every week at tourneys from parents who would like the opportunity to join his club, but he keeps the numbers small so he can focus on the kids he has.
I know that you made a second statement that you weren't bashing anyone, but you still made the comment to sound as if Boo's success came in recruiting. It came through ability and hard work from him and his kids.

KMAC

I agree as I stated, I have a ton of respect for the Boos team both kids and coaching. You do not see one of their kids get pinned then throw a fit like many other teams. I am sorry I mentioned their name before or the Jaguars. If the Elite team can attain half as much respect and talent as either of those teams I would say it would be successful. We just have to wait and see.

Just for some clerification.
To the question of where of I been.
I had not intended to be very active in wrestling this year as my son was in Middle school wrestling and I was wanting to spend more time with the rest of my family. Unfortunatly he wanted to go back to club wrestling. It was his choice and I supported it.
Not until a few weeks ago did I realize how much I missed the sport. Wanting to get back into it I thought that I could add value and utlize my coaching experience to help develop quality wrestlers. My intentions are only for the kids and not for anything else. The Derby wrestling club is a very good club. Myself and many others put many years of hard work into it so it could stand up through the test of time and it will. They have a fine leadership team established and will be around for along time. As with any club there will be unhappy people or wrestlers who may not get everything they would like in such a large club. All I am doing is offering a alternative to what is available. If I have 2 kids or 20 it is not about the size of the club I care about but just teaching and coaching wrestling.

Thank you,
Jeff Harrington

From what I know of Jeff- he has respect and love for the sport and does not want to say anything negative- why does starting a new club mean something bad had to happen.

Exactly you didnt contact all just a few which makes it immediately apparent you want a division of talent. Im curious - Are those other kids bad?? only on JV?? not expereinced enough?? too small?? too big?? or just not worthy in your opinion??

There is a huge difference between rec teams that kids play on all their life thus switching teams regularly and taking a middle school or high School team and taking a select few from that team to become 'Elite' and then saying their wont be animosity between both groups during the regular school season.

I am also curious, I am not familiar with the politics of the club but why wouldnt you want to bring in your expertise and just strictly work with the older boys. I agree Derby is big enough for 2 clubs but why not at least for the remaining of the year stay as one club but work out a way to have extra/different practices for your elite kids that are more tailored for the experienced older boy?

Can't we as parents behave and just do whats best for the team or do we teach are kids the whole is not as important as the part, thus that every man for himself philosophy. I hope that when my son is at the age that his high school team will not be governed by whats best for ME but whats best for WE

I did not take what Jeff had to say the way you did! I thought he was saying that there were some phone calls made and it did not take long for the word to spread.
If there was a group of people in Derby that wanted to go in a different direction then what their club was going then they should have every right to go do their own thing. Jeff is a proven leader and excellent coach. It is better for the Derby wrestling community to start another club then a group of people having to drive to different towns just to have a place to wrestle. As long as there is not a ton of mud slinging or other negitive things that will take away from the kids (who just want to wrestle)then I think it is perfectly OK for them to split!
I rather see them split and go seperate ways then to stay as one and cause people to leave the sport over differences of opinions or hurt feelings! NOT EVERYONE SEE EYE TO EYE!

BLT- Your right not all read the views the same way because I am not mud slinging and I never said they dont have a right to split off, i have the utmost respect for Jeff as a coach. I just think the way the elite went about things was not the best. I believe in the long run it will hurt more than it will help. Thats too bad. But again I state I'll bet hands down they will have an awesome team, and I wish all the wrestlers the best. As a Derby resident I will make it a point to cheer on DWC and Panther Elite equally- Go Derby!

"BLT" your right if somebody wants to form another team they have that right, but from what I witnessed the other day at the Derby Wrestling Club practice (Thursday) I'm sure you would be happy with. Lets say that another club decided to stand outside the doors where you are practicing and started recruiting some individuals. Would that make you happy???? That is exactly what they did. I am a Derby Wrestling Club parent and to see this coming from a club that has a wonderful coach and person as some would say is just WRONG. The Derby Wrestling Club has done nothing to deserve this. Again I think you and everybody else should be asking why he left. I am. I have asked the Derby Wrestling Club board why Harrington left and they have been very upstanding and told me that they didn't want to comment on the issue. So the only club I see that is doing the right thing for the kids is the only club that is in Derby the Derby Wrestling Club.

WOW!!! I also was there when there were two parents who are going to other club were there. But everyone percieves things differently I guess. They came up to get there wrestling cards, and as they have friends who are still with the DWC visited with some of them as they left. They were not recruiting anyone. I am so disappointed that anyone from the DWC would misrepresent what has happened. From all of the Posts that I have read the Panther Elite have conducted themselves with dignity and have not hurled insults at anyone or made false accusations. I have been struggling with which club to go to the past several days, even though my child has made it clear that they want to wrestle for Jeff. When members of the club go off half cocked with only a little information that makes the decision a little easier.

I will be cheering for both Derby clubs!!! As long as kids are wrestling that's great!! I love the sport and believe that it teaches so much more later on in life. If a wrestler has the courage to step on the mat in a one on one competition then other challenges in life will seem easier. Change is good in most situations. I believe (or hope) that both clubs enjoy teaching the sport of wrestling. If that is the final goal than we as a wrestling community win in the end. Good luck Derby Wrestling Club and Good luck Panther Elite!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I would like to say that I have the up most respect for what Skip, Jeff, Eddie, Cindy & others have done over the years with the Derby Wrestling Club. Their past effort has had a huge affect on the High School program over the years. Just look at the High School team this year. Almost every member of the Varsity team has had years of training from this family. Their efforts to continue this tradition is appreciated.

In my opinion, the current DWC & the new Panther Elite will both continue to send quality wrestlers in to the High School program. I think Derby can support both teams.
It actually could be a plus, make the teams a little smaller and being able to give a little more personal attention to each wrestler making them even better.

I think any suggestion that there is any “ill will” intended by either club or by any individuals is totally false. “If” there are differences between members, I would rather see them part ways than to cause tension within the club. I’m sure that each team will have wrestlers follow the coach that they feel most comfortable with, be it with the DWC team or the new Panther Elite team.

I wish both teams well – I know that the tradition of Derby wrestling will continue with either team.

Rob Downs
Derby,Ks.

Proud dad of senior Tyler Downs – H/S state placer – 215lb.