Jenny, you are wrong, coaches don't have the right to protest a call, its this attitude that has caused so many problems between coaches and officials this year and its gotta stop.

Nigel, wow, for once i agree with you. Kansas is the only state I have been exposed to where there is the "attitude" that you can protest a call. I think there needs to be a concerted effort on educating coaches and parents on this.

After reading these posts, I have come to the conclusion that alot of "us" don't want burn out for our kids, yet we think they should not only participate in folkstyle but freestyle/greco. I am not sure how alot expect to keep burn out from happening. I DO know with my children that what we have done has worked for us. We have not participated in freestyle/greco in the past. I always thought and still do, that it is good to take a break and let the kids decide if they would like to play baseball, swim, or just be a kid in the summer months. We have them attend wrestling camps during the summer and have participated in the Sunflower Games. Plus, our club doesn't have a freestyle/greco program, but that is NOT an issue for me. Keeping my children interested in wrestling is.
The adding of the 6 & Under to the State Tournament has always been a hotly debated issue. After looking at the numbers decline more and more every year in the 16 & under age group and the numbers increase for 6 & under, I think it's time for the little ones to get receive their place at State. I think it can be accomplished quite easily by using Jr.High (or Middle School) weight classes for the 14 & Under kids and using the High School weight classes for the 16 & under kids. That could give that age group more competition and it would certainly have alot more full 16 man brackets. They have been wrestling those weights all season 4 more weeks should not matter.
As for volunteering at the State tournament, I have worked as table help, and I can honestly say that I think if they would have a table workers meeting the night of weigh-in or the morning before wrestling gets started that might eliminate some of the problems. Some people have never ran clocks like that or any other kind before and some may have never even seen a bout sheet much less tried to do one.
Things are getting complicated due to lack of communication. Whether it is input from the parents and kids to their club director's or the club director's to their district director's or maybe even going on higher up. I do know alot of "us" see problems, but how many of "us" see solutions? Or for that matter, listen to any?

"Some people have never ran clocks like that or any other kind before and some may have never even seen a bout sheet much less tried to do one."

I've been kind of surprised the clocks at state haven't been more of an issue.

Matmopper, you make some intresting points. My son is starting to get burned out on wrestling, so instead of "making" him free-style, he is just going to continue at Purler Wresting Academy until football starts and maybe pick up a clinic here and there. Everyone has been pushing him to freestle and we starte too, now after reading your post, I am going to back off and let him be a kid while he still is.

J&N

I should have qualified the statement by saying not necessarily all coaches are looking at Fargo, but many of the top level divisions certainly do. Of course the different divisions are not all fighting for the same kid.

If Iowa wants wrestler X and so does Colby Community College - rarely is there a contest.

Both of us will agree that college coaches are looking for a kid that does something more than sit on his duff from March to October. The freestyle season demonstrates that desire to "work in the off season."

If this who I think it is, I'm glad your son is a Bird.

The College coaches pick the kids that do freestyle and Greco because that is when they can see the wrestle (not because they are doing freestyle). The coaches can't watch them during the High School season because their season is going on too. The reason you wrestle in the summer is to get exposure to the college coaches, then when it comes down to making their picks it is easier for them to decide if they know you.

I had a high quality high schooler who was being recruited by Ivy League schools and OU in Jack Spates first year, he was told that if he had wrestled freestyle during his high school career that he would have been a blue chip recruit, he was a 4.0 student, over 120 wins in high school. guess freestyle did not make a difference in his situation

Oh, we can debate the exceptions to the rule. Sure grades go into the equation, no one said different.

Multiple variables are involved obviously. The initial intent is to point out how to put the odds in your favor. If you and I had the same grade point average, the same win/loss record, the same amount of state championships, etc., but I have been putting in extra time on the mat to better prepare myself, I'll lay money down that I'm taken over you.

That's the purpose of the topic, finding a way in making all things that are equal, unequal in your advantage.

It sounds as though everybody is so concern with burnout. Well being a parent I believe burnout is caused by the parents. If parents would just support their child and not push them into wrestiling all the time I strongly believe burnout would be avoided. Let the child decide as to what tournament they want to participate in. But do give them all the information you can about being successful. Items such as the article written by Steve Fraser on "Do you know WHY?, have them attend camps with successful college and olympic wrestlers teaching at them. But as parents maybe you should go back and watch "The Reversal" and understand the plot to this great movie.
But as I hope I stated in my previous post, watching my sons development in the sport of wrestling, I strongly believe that to be successful in any thing an individual does needs and has to be concentrated on a year round basis. And I do think that Freestyle and Greco are a great way to improve ones style in wrestling.

"Jenny, you are wrong, coaches don't have the right to protest a call, its this attitude that has caused so many problems between coaches and officials this year and its gotta stop."

Nigel, Actually there is a procedure to protest a call. According to the NFHS Rule 7-6-1 Article 2, "The coach may approach the scorer's table to request the match be stopped to discuss the misapplication of a rule."

But they do have the right to stand in front of the table workers and block their view so then they can grip because the score or time is wrong.