many of you know that parents get excited when watching there kids wrestle. Parents need to calm down and not be so rude to other teams. It is a hard sport which involves a lot of discipline, but you have to take your wins and loses all the same. But keep you parents calm so we can also have fun whoopin on someone.Another thing why do your parents sit in the stands and try wrestling while you do? It is funny!

Your are so right, parents do need to calm down. The problem is I'm one of those parents that gets worked up watching my kids as well as many other matches. As for sitting in the stands and wrestling along with the match, you wait until your a parent. It's not easy to just sit there sitting on your hands.

I totally agree with you guys in the whole parent thing. there was a parent from SFT that wouln't quit running her mouth if I remeber correctly it was at the basehor sft dual and it was the last match when matt gillett pinned his man from sft and we went crazy and all she had to say was ohh well we still beat you anyway. I think it is pretty bad that the parents have to act out like that and embarris there kid when there not the ones in the sport and on the mat. They need to sit back and support all the kids in all the matches, and be happy they have the chance to experience such a great sport like wrestling.

I also agree, it's tuff watching your kid wrestle

Now I'll finish my reply and not hit the send button. It's tuff on any parent to watch their kid wrestle. I've been the wrestler, the coach, the parent, and been announcing the match over the air while my son is wrestling on the mat. Try having your son on the mat wrestling your nephew,(his first cousin), your wife in the stands, your wife's first cousin as the opposing coach and you announcing the match on the radio. All it takes is self control and remember the word SPORTSMANSHIP.

As an official, I think that the problem with loud and embarrassing parents starts with KIDS wrestling. With the exception of post-season tourneys, parents are allowed to be right on the mats running their camcorders and their mouths. I've been involved in this sport for 22 seasons now, and I have yet to see a KIDS tourney where there wasn't at least one screaming mother or overbearing dad/coach that just embarrased their club or hometown by making a total fool of themselves. When these kids get into high school, it seems as though their parents can't grasp the idea that their son has ONE coach who knows exactly what his wrestler needs to do to win a match. These parents may not even realize it, but when their son is on the mat, and "in the zone" he can barely even hear his coach that's 20 ft. away, much less his parents in the stand. There's nothing wrong with cheering for your son, but leave the coaching to the coach. He's the one that knows best. I can remember from my first years of wrestling that there were a few mothers that stood out in the crowd (loudly), and they kept doing it all the way up through the 3-2-1A tourney in Hays. By that time, they were probably more well-known to other fans than their sons were. I know this forum is for high-school wrestling, but no one can deny where these parents actually get their start. This past weekend at a KIDS tourney, I saw a mother screaming for the whole 3-minute match at her SIX-YEAR OLD. He lost a close match, his mother repeatedly slammed the mat with her hand, and guess what the result of that was? He refused to shake the other kid's hand, started balling because he had obviously disappointed mom, and screamed at his mom for several minutes, before she finally picked him up and carried him out of the gym. I also saw a coach/dad throw his son's sweatshirt into his face as he walked off the mat after a tough loss, and another coach/dad that told his son he was going to "call the hotel in Topeka and cancel their room for the state tournament if he was going to wrestle like that". What a great example for these kids to follow!

Wrestlers, do yourself and your hometown a favor. Tell your parents to cheer in a positive manner, the other fans, coaches, and officials will greatly appreciate it.

Thanks!!!

Believe it or not I have been to a number of kids tournaments this year that officials and the tourney directors have run people off the mat. I agree with your point though. I just wanted to let you know that in eastern ks the tournaments I have been to the numbers on the side of the mat have lowered. People listen to the officials while out there the people know the ref is the authority out there. The officials can run kids and parents off the mats if needed. I know i do.

I argee it's embarassing when parents get carried away during matches. I have, as I said earlier have been one of those parents on occasion. Thankfully I get better every year. As for parents leaving the coaching to the coach, there is more to it than that. You have many parent/coaches out there that do a good job. You have many coaches who do great jobs, but when you have 30+ kids at practice there are wrestlers that the coach just isn't familure with. You have coach/parents that do know more about a kids wrestling skills, have wrestling experience, and want to help. It isn't always a bad situation when a parent coaches his own kid. I try to only help coach kids that I am familure with and that includes my son. We have other parents who coach on our team and almost all do a great job, most better than me. I think saying, "leave the coaching to the coaches" is over simpifying the issue. I've had my son ask tell me he wants me to coach because he understand the moves I tell him to try. There are those times when parents get carried away and need to let someone else do the coaching. I hope I realize when that time applies to me. I hope everyone understands emotions are at times very difficult to control, and that emotional people can make good parents and coaches too.

I used to be one of the wrestlers when I was going through high school that would listen for my dad and brothers voices it was just easier for me to pick out been they had been helping me with wrestling. My main coaches in high school were my brothers and my dad, I continue to coach my younger brother when I get the chance to attend his matches.

First of all I would like to say that wrestling in the state of Kansas wouldn't be so great if it weren't for all those parents that dedicated their weekends to haul their kids all over the state of kansas for numerous years.I think it would be rather boring to sit in a gym all day and here nobody cheering for their kids or their team..come on give me a break!! Of course their are parents that step over that line once in awhile,and maybe some more than they should but they are the exception not the rule!!In the past 10 years of wrestling I have seen some great sportmanship displayed by kids and parents alike.Tournaments are exciting not only because of the kids but the fans make it exciting also,I think wrestling parents are some of the nicest people I've been around....take me to a wrestling match anyday over basketball...