My son works his butt off every practice all year,he practices with 3 kids who have each been in the state finals twice ,and he went 33-5 through middle school and kids club,but once he gets to districts he loses it and just cant wrestle as good. Any ideas on how to solve this problem?

I have the same question. My son was killing everyone this year and then gets to qualifiers and bombs. I just don't get it either. There is no way he should have lost two of the three matches he had today at districts. I wish I too knew how to fix this problem.

I think I'll join your club. Perhaps it is too much pressure. Internal pressure, is what I am talking about. My son got 4th. One of his coaches asked me - what was the biggest tournament he went to this year - pretty sure it was Salina - where he wrestled 5 matches - 3 wins, 2 losses. I try very hard not to make him feel bad. He just wasn't the kid today that I am used to seeing wrestle. (Don't get me wrong - the boys that beat him are great and if I had to see any in his bracket place above him it is those 3 boys) On the other hand, he handled his 2 losses today in a manner that we have worked for all season long...but dang - I wish I'd seen my "normal" kid today!!

4th place at a difficult state-qualifying tournament is nothing to shake a stick at! We had several wrestlers finish 4th today and I couldn't be more proud of them!

By the way my son got 3rd at the wichita classics ...but did not make it to state.

It's not that I am not proud of him... because I most certainly am - I told him I didn't care if he came in 42nd (and I meant it). He just seemed a bit "coach dependent" today and it affected the way he wrestled.

Well Ihave to agree maybe the boys are placing to much have to win gotta win? My son is 6 I sent im to districts 1 st round with the eight year olds and got 6th and next day went to attowa got got seventh, the two boys beat him in district got 1st and 3rd and at 6 and under state those boys were 3rd and fifth so look at the boys that beat are kids before we say wow what happenede sometimes the dice just fall that way man hate to see it but they do rather see kid beat my kid win it all than beat my boy first than lose out before mine though

well... it is the end of the year and he just might be burned out,, i have seen this happen to alot of great wrestlers...

I am extremely proud of my son and told him several times today. He has really improved this year and will keep improving I am sure. He is very dedicated to this sport and we live for it day in and day out. His choice. As a mom that has to do both the mom and dad role in everything everyday. Coaching, hugging, consoling,and all else, I try my hardest to make sure he understands that win or lose on the mat he is a winner in my eyes. I always tell him the positive things when he comes off the mat first then we talk about what he learned from losing and what he will need to work on. Today he just wasn't there. Not sure if it had to do with being at his father's house for spring break and working with another coach and club (thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking him in this week, you know who you are) or just plain worn out from a long season. I just don't know. His moves were there but he was so slow and sluggish it didn't matter what move he put in they just weren't fast enough today. At 12U 84 he has a very tough bracket and the boys he wrestles all year are a great group of kids and we enjoy meeting them every week on the mat. To the 2 boys he lost to this year (not counting today) he will get you one day. We may not have placed today and will not be going to state this year but we will work hard to make it there next year.

Don't wrestle so many matches..Start your season 2-3 weeks later..Just a couple of ideas..Everyone has a burn-out time..

Here is a mistake that I have made in the past when coaching kids. Look around real good and you might be doing it too. It does not help young people!!
Sometimes its the pressure of the moment. I have coached other sports as well as wrestling and I learned that when it is GO TIME, END OF THE SEASON, PLAY OFFS, DISTRICTS, or STATE that a lot of time coaches get nervous too. We start to stress as well. We think to ourselves "Have I prepared them well enough?" or "Should I show them some new SPECIAL moves (or plays in other sports)". The answer is NO! Keep your routine the same. Anything you wanted to teach them should of been started weeks ago (even longer if they are younger). Don't get them all confused. If you know of a SPECIFIC situation that has POPPED UP (like you know one of the kids they will be facing is a kid from TOHK (this could be any club) and he is probably going to try to throw a hip toss) then it is OK to drill the defense of that move. But new moves, new training routine, NEW STRESS does not help these young people.
We only lost 1 game in football this year. What we were doing was working. It was working REALLY WELL! We get into the bowl games and we are adding plays, moving kids to new positions, changing what had worked for us! This caused confusion, stress, and took all the fun out of what we had been doing for the last 3 months. Needless to say, we didn't do too good at the bowl games. We catch ourselves trying to pack all this EXTRA STUFF in before its too late. It doesn't help. Make this time as stress free as possible. They have enough on their minds already. Most of these kids know what's at stake and how important it is. Don't get me wrong, continue to DEMAND what you have been DEMANDING ALL YEAR LONG! If it is not enough then work that into your plan for next year.
We all make mistakes! We should share them and learn from them. I hope by me sharing my mistake that you won't make the same one!
GOOD LUCK TO ALL THE KIDS (and parents and coaches)

I know as parents we put a lot of pressure on our wrestlers to get to state. Going into districts we knew we had to win that first match or it was going to be a tough back side.Being first seed you have very high expectations but it is proven that you have to be on your toes all of the time. Our son lost this weekend and it is very hard to except. It is also much harder to believe that maybe it just wasn't meant to be or that it wasn't his time. It was also a lesson in being humble. Our wrestler went into this with the wrong attitude- and it started with practice the week before- not practicing to the full extent because he thought he knew it all. He is now aware that the laziness last week affected the outcome of his performance. I know it was a real shocker for him to go home without a metal or going to state but hopefully he has learned not to be so high on himself and also us as parents.

Good luck to all of the wrestlers this weekend!!!!!!!!!!!!

It happens to kids clear through their high school career. Every year in my sons regonial he had 3 kids ranked in the top 5 a a couple of qualifiers and then just some all around tough kids.
There were 3-4 kids my son beat several times throughout the year make to HS state but my boy didnt't

We all know that there are kids staying home from state that have beaten other kids from another district. That is just the way it is.

My suggestion is not wrestle for a week or two before subs and give them some rest and come in fresh.

Or maybe bribe him....lol

It was dippin dots for District. Chinese buffet if he wins State. Bribes are cheap at 10 years old.

I have seen many wrestlers with losing records qualify for high school state and some even place.... Doug Stoot had a losing record at Andale in 2005 but came out and placed second at state. To me this just shows the more hard matches the kids have and the harder tourneys the coaches line up can only make a kid better. No good comes from an easy ride.

That is cheap, it cost me some ugly (more than likely) singlet once we get to state.

Very true statment, but with kids it has to be done in moderation. They all need an easy ride every now and then.

Agreed considering if as a little kid you lose alot you lose the love for the sport which always happens. Easy matches can be a confidence booster but you cant rely on crushing everyone in the regular season and expect to do the same come state.

Which leads to another topic, what about the kids that have been wrestling in the "b" and lower brackets all of a sudden coming up and making it to state.

I understand if there weren't enough or easy or something but I seen two in my boy age and weight that we never saw either kids because they were in the "b" bracket all year long. I now see that they both made it to state in a fairly tough district.

That is weird to me. If I had my boy in the "b" bracket all year I don't think that would have been

1) very fair to the wrestlers that belong there
2) pretty boring for my boy
3) hard to get him up for a tough match

I just hope the two wrestlers don't suffer in the long run, but I think if that is how his parents or coach is going to enter them they will feel its effects sooner or later.

Now you tell me that 10 year olds can be bribed for cheap...I bribed my 10 year old with a Live Lobster dinner at Red Lobster for taking 1st at State...I should have set the price tag a little lower...