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Feb 28, 2005
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CraigSimmons
Joined: Nov 17, 2004
Posts: 11
Location: Manchester |
We've been doing Youth Tournaments for 4 years now and have seen a lot while having more to learn.
As a parent and a Coach, one thing I have been witness to is Coaches misrepresenting their wrestlers as pertains to being seeded.
A Coach who lies when reporting their wrestler's record to gain a lower and easier seed is doing their wrestler and themselves a disservice.
They are showing their wrestlers that winning is more important than learning how to wrestle, and that it's okay to lie to make it easier on one's self.
I recently saw the 2 best wrestlers in a bracket as the two of the lowest seeds in the group. It is obvious to me how they ended up being seeded so low.
Is it worth compromising the integrity of the sport, yourself, and your wrestlers simply to get them an easier draw in the interest of winning a tournament?
Not to me it isn't.
As a Coach isn't it our objective to make our kids better wrestlers and better people? Don't we extoll virtue as one of the outcomes of being invovled in wrestling when people question whether their school should keep a wrestling program on it's rolls? It isn't very virtuous when we lie about our kids' records to make it easier on them.
While I have your attention, we need to stop living vicariously through our kids and wrestlers. I used to and sometimes still catch myself being guilty of doing so, and it is embarassing to our kids and ourselves. Understand that when your kid loses it isn't personal or has nothing to do with your ability as a parent or Coach. Losing happens. If we demand our kids act like good sports then we as adults need to set the example for them to follow.
Why am I writing this? Because so far this year I've seen parents berating their kids for losing...and most often it is done in full view of other kids and other people. The last thing a wrestler needs after getting beat is to get mentally abused by a parent who takes it personal when their child loses. I've seen parents cursing their kids, belittling them and their abilities, embarassing themselves and their kids.
Conversely I've also seen parents being supportive of their kids win or lose. But it seems that the majority of parents are more negative than positive, and as a parent and Coach I use their example in learning how to better react to my kids' efforts be it win or lose.
I used to live vicariously through my sons wrestling...until I realized how it made me look and made him feel. Now as his Coach I try to keep my talks with him based on his mat work and his needs for learning. I try not to take it personal or as a hit to my abilities when he loses. He hears it when he wrestles lazy or not up to his abilities...but I try to speak to him on a level a Coach would and not a Dad whose son's just got his butt handed to him and thinks it reflects upon my manhood or my parenting skills. It doesn't.
Thanks for letting me get that off my chest.
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Mar 4, 2005
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singleleg1
Joined: Mar 4, 2005
Posts: 5
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I AGREE WITH YOU SOMETIMES IT IS EMBARRASSING TO EVEN WATCH WHAT THE PARENTS DO TO THEIR ATHLEATS. SOMETIMES I FEEL IF YOU CAN DO BETTER THEN TAKE ME TO THE MAT.ALL THESE YOUNG WRESTLERS ARE CHAMPIONS JUST FOR STEPPING ON THE MAT. IT IS A SPORT THAT TAKES COURAGE AND A STRONG WILL TO COMPETE EVERY WEEKEND. FOOTBALL,SOCCER BASKETBALL ETC DO NOT LAST FOR 8-12 HRS A DAY FOR 9 MINUTES OF COMPETITION.IF WE LET OUR CHILDREN ENJOY IT WIN OR LOOSE THAT IS ALL THAT MATTERS,IF NOT MAYBE WE NEED TO TRY A DIFFERENT SPORT ,CHESS ,VOLLEYBALL OR BASKETBALL.
ABOUT THE SEEDING?, WE ALSO NEED TO ASK OURSELVES IF PUTTING OUR KIDS IN A LOWER WEIGHT CLASS WHEN IT IS HONOR WEIGHTS IS FAIR TO THEM OR THE REST OF THE COMPETITION.THIS IS A SPORT OF WEIGHT,LIKE NO OTHER AND TO LIE ABOUT WEIGHT AND SEEDING LOWERS THE INTEGRITY AND DOES GIVE A DISADVANTAGE TO ALOT OF FUTURE CHAMPIONS.LET OUR CHILDREN PLAY FAIR AND THEY WILL LEARN TO BE FAIR IN THE FUTURE , LET REAL CHAMPIONS ON THEIR OWN ABILITIES AND HAVE INTEGRITY KNOWING WIN OR LOSE I PLAYED FAIR AND HAVE NOTHING TO FEEL BAD ABOUT
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