Just wanted to share a story for all those kids and parents ready to give in and quit wrestling. I wrestled since I was 8. never wrestled tournaments until I was in highschool. went to state once in highschool. Never really put in the effort to be that good. When my son started his first year he was 4 and we started wrestling early in the season. he was 0-8 going into the Andover novice tournament at the end of the year. I was told by my cousin after my son lost his match that his son also lost his first match then moved on to become a kids state champion. my son won 3 of 4 matches at Andover so we stopped. All I wanted was to watch my son win a wrestling match. That happened, then all I wanted was for my son to want to wrestle the next year. I didnt even have to ask. he asked me when it started so we signed up again. he was around 12-10 and I took him to 6under state and he won 3 matches in a 48 man bracket. didnt place but finished off well. He took 5th place the next year at 6under again. had a decent year last year at his first year at 8under. took a different route and worked with a new program this year and worked a little bit in the summer and went to a great camp. He placed 5th at Tulsa Nationals this year. Just came off the Park City Classic beating 2 national placers at Tulsa. One of them being an Oklahoma state champ. Has a very good chance to win state this year. Just remember its not a race its a marathon and the most important thing is they will get better every year if the work is put into it. I push him when I think he needs it and lay back when I think he needs it. So dont give up on your kid if he isnt winning right now just keep at it if he is still interested in it and hang in there. It will get better. Thank you.

Scott,
I think that ANYONE can fall in love with this sport if they have a chance to. Some kids get pushed away because of parents expectations or coaches or they just dont hang with it long enough to find that momment when this sport embraces them and they in return embrace it back.
I hear every word you are saying. My son went a whole year with out winning a match. We ended up switching clubs and nothing really changed. He he learned more and was more competitive but he still just wasnt into it 100%.
Then we were at Salina. He was doing well. We lost our first and was running through the back side and one more win to place. We were up by one and the kid reached on the inside of his leg and pinched him. He let out a scream and just let the kid go and stood up and the kid reversed him for 2 and we were done.
That was the momment! That was the day my son became a wrestler.
Next year we were state bound, the next year he was a state champion and the sport has become a passion.
It used to be that we did wrestling to stay in shape for football. Now we play football to stay in shape for wrestling.

This sport has the ability to change everything about a kid...
It was Schroeder that said it best: A lil saying for wrestlers to live by AWEEILIE.... After Wrestling Everything Else In Life Is Easy.
Good Luck to EVERYONE for the rest of this season!
Go Big or Go Home!!!

What a great topic. It really hits home, our son is in his top year of 12U and stuff is finally starting to gel. He's been in the practice room since he was 4 and before that was exposed to wrestling more than most. Until this year, we could not easily measure success the same way as most do, but we took it one small goal at a time and built on it from week to week, month to month, season to season, etc. and now some of those marks that the general public would look at as success are begining to surface. It's been a long and hard road that we hope to continue on, the one definitely less traveled and worth every step, not only for us as parents, but for the character, confidence, humility, pride, etc. that it has helped instill in our son. Never give up, it will pay off in the end!

Pete Eck

might as well add this. now on my 2nd son wrestling. just turned 5 in sept. nice birthday lol. wrestled here and there. finished up placing 4 out of 6 tournaments. 2 opens he didnt place. placed 6th at the derby novice championships. ended the season 15-9 and learned how to put the legs in without ever working on that with him. i asked him where he got that from and he said big brother showed him. he just knows how to stick them in but doesnt know how to do moves with them. he has me very excited for his future. he is a stocky little red head that never stops smiling. you will recognize him the next few weeks watching big brother.

Another good story of sticking it out through the tough times.

http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2007/mar/28/local_wrestler_bounces_back_slow_start/

It is hard not to give up when your son has wrestled since he was 5 and we hit the bottom of the 12 and under this year- since the very first bracket we have had atleast 4 state placers in it. Automatically he thinks he's going to loose and does not try his hardest- just goes through the motions- gets pinned in moves he was taught to get out of when he was younger?????I don't get it! We try not to get angry but we know he is much better than that.
This weekend we will make it through subs but with 5 state placers wrestling south we will not make through dist- not to mention the ones in his bracket-. We always say there is next year but when is it going to click?

Piv
This sport is amazing like that. I watch kids every night step into the practice room and destroy other kids. Then come Sat they beat the same old kids but then here comes that one or two kids that just seem to be their Kryptonite. They wrestle TOTALLY different. They know in their head that they are beat and they wrestle differently. Its an amazing social experiment. lol
I suggest you video their matches. Let them see the difference with their own eyes and have them try to walk you through what they are thinking during the match.
Again it is amazing how the mental part of this sport has such a huge impact.
Also set goals and rewards for a match. If you keep the score within... you get... OR If you try this many...pick a type of move.... then you get...
Again its all about what drives the kid.
Just know that you are not alone.

Mr. Bockover
You hit the nail on the head when you mentioned "it is not a race it is a marathon." Sometimes as parents we are guilty of not making it fun for our kids by putting to much emphasis on winning now! Yes my son has had success but I always tell him that we are working for bigger goals. Our main goal is to get better every year and the rest will fall into place. Good luck to all at state and remember to hug and tell them you are proud of them, win or lose.

just because some of the kids are good now doesnt mean they are going to be good later. just because some kids are not good now doesnt mean they wont be good later. i watch lots of kids wrestle. i watch alot of coaches coach. I look for what are the coaches telling the kids in the corner. I look to see what moves the good kids are actually using. it amazes me how many times I hear headlock or cow catcher. I then look to see how good the highschool team is and you would be amazed how that works. yeah the headlock and cow catcher, neck wrench work now but go watch the highschool state and tell me how many kids win and lose matches with those moves. it takes the kids a while to learn the moves. then they have to learn how to recognize those moves in all different situations. thats why i love this sport cause anything can happen at any time.

Thank you for the best quote this season.

Oh how I enjoyed the marathon! Long trips to Pittsburg with my son to weigh in and then watch tv and talk at the seedy hotel on the south side of town.

Lots of fun driving around Pittstate and making a wrong turn and ending up on a bike path with our VW Beetle.

Helping coach Olathe South young men.
Wins and losses but even more "I am proud of you!"
A good journey and well worth it!

no one remembers who was 6u state champion, except his family. every wrestler who steps on the mat, need to know they have your support. some kids don't get it until they are much older. a great family friend never finished a kids club season, they moved to iowa and he told his dad he wanted to go out for the team. they were going for their 4th or 5th straight state championship. dad says i won't stand in your way son, but i don't think you know what you are in for. long story short, he ended up winning the state championship his senior year, so did his team. btw he was down 13-5 going into the third period, he took him down and let him up to get withing 5, threw a lateral drop and pinned him with .02 on the clock. NEVER GIVE UP. the tape still gives me goosebumps.