I personally have had two wrestlers in the last two years who have tried to break the takedown record at our highschool,it stands at 107(one wrestler is 30 away from breaking it). Is that any different than other sports where, sacks and home runs are counted? Does Barry Bonds feel bad when he strikes out more times than he gets on base? Does he feel "bad" for embarassing the pithcer? We are, I am speaking as a coach, trying to get all kids to that level-taking people down at will. Coach Mills is right in that most State titles are decided by a takedown, we lost a state title last year by a takedown.

I was embarassed in school many times, I didn't find the salvation of wrestling till my sophmore year, one from Jeremy Vath sticks out clearly. Do we want them to be men? I have two young sons and I understand that they will get beat badly at times, wrestling is about "dominating" another opponenet-not about worrying about his self-esteem. This sport is too damn tough to think about those things while you are out there, you do what works-if that is taking someone down and letting them up then so be it. Neither of my former wrestlers ever teched someone by doing this, but 7 or 8 takedowns before pinning someone has happened.

Now I am, and will always be for, good sportsmanship-the rules state that it is only un-sportsman like if you let them up from their back or near-fall position. I do not tell them to do this, and I have chewed wrestlers out who show poor sportsmanship. You will never see me laughing at another wrestler, at my own perhaps, but never at an opponenet. Once again, this sport demands that we be gentlpeople off the mat-and animals on it!

Just my two-cents, sorry if I ruffled some feathers. I do not condone embarassing someone-but I have no problem dominating them.

Coach Brown