Great Conversation Guys. I usually don't post much, but this is an issue that is dear to me.

Beeson - everything is relative. I think a 100-100 kids for St. James is probably a heck of a good wrestler. My program doesn't constantly seek the level of competition they do, but my program would only have 2 kids out if I did. It's all relative.

I will disagree that people don't reward average performance. MOST people in the workforce are average, and they aren't continually fired. Case in point, as a sophomore I made varsity for the first time and went exactly 15-15. 8 of my losses were to state placers, but I never got pinned. The instructions from my coach were to keep the matches close to give our team a chance to win duals. This "celebration of average performance" gave me enough confidence to have good junior and senior seasons.

I am NOT advocating an "everybody gets a ribbon" mentality. I do, however, want every kid to have a sense of pride in being in a tough practice room and surviving brutal workouts. I tell even my least successful kids that they beat everyone that didn't have the guts to come out for wrestling.

Coach Dolezilek