... and common sense is now available in extra strength dosage at your local Walgreen's, Rite-Aid, and your neighborhood pharmacy!

Rarely do I attempt humor (as I usually fail miserabley) but are you attempting to obtain sense, scents (as in fragrance), or cents?

Nailed this one.

Sir Richard ... you're right ... humor is not your forte! But keep trying, no one likes a quitter!

And a word of warning to those of you that are rushing out to buy your "common sense." Be sure and ask for the ask for it in tablet dosage.

Your pharmacist may suggest you try the liquid formulation! In my experience treatments that come in liquid, actually reduce your common sense! But that may just be me.

So many different opinions. It would be nice if there was a guideline to refer to so that if a coach is trying to inform a parent their child should no longer be wrestling novice that they have something in writing to back them up.

Good example there is a little wrestler in our club 6U last year but 8U this year he got 1st in an open last year and placed 1st in several novice however this year is struggling in novice due to the fact that there is no one in his weight class and he is always combined. There will always be exceptions to every rule but we need something to refer to.

Ok here are the guidelines/rules that I think USAWKS should adopt as gospel.

A wrestler can compete in a novice tournament if:

1. They are a 1st or 2nd year wrestler ONLY.
2. They have not PLACED (1 thru 4) in an OPEN tournament in a bracket of 5 or more wrestlers.

I included this because a so called novice wrestler could be entered in an open tournament and place in a 4 man round robin without even winning a match.

With these rules in place, a coach/parent will have to decide whether they want to enter their wrestler in an open tournament knowing that if they place they can no longer wrestle in novice tournaments. I think this will keep novices together at tournaments and open wrestlers in their own tournaments. I know mat experience is important but I also realize that you can't have the best of both world. Like someone said earlier, if you are looking for ways to keep your wrestler a novice then they probably shouldn't be wrestling novice.

There were guidelines that were handed out at the State meeting two years ago.

1. 1st or 2nd year wrestler.
2. Could not have won MORE than 4 Novice tournaments.
3. Could not have won an Open tournament.

Exceptions still remain, like the above wrestler.

Thanks!