reflection from 6u State and Elementary State

Well I reluctantly post this, but I watched some bad coaching/parenting today at 6 and Under state. Way too much pressure put on kids at such a young age. Overheard many things.
Here is my advice/perspective.

My son didn't place in the Kansas Novice Championships and didn't place at Kansas 6 & under state. I guess he was a horrible wrestler according to some things I over heard today. This is by no means bragging (merely stating to prove a point). ....Fast forward 6 or 7 years. He has placed 1st, 2nd, and 3rd at kids state, and placed 2nd and 4th at USA Wrestling Nationals in Cedar Falls. The importance has always been on improvement.

To further more prove the point. Oddly enough I was able to pull up his 6 & U state and Novice state championships on Trackwrestling from 2011. I was able to click on the profiles of the kids that all placed ahead of him. Only a third of the kids still wrestled. That wasn't the startling thing. Actually what caught my eye. Was how many of these great 6 and under wrestlers went on the next couple of years and didn't place at the majority of their tournaments. The theme was they started placing lower the following year, and then the didn't place much at all the year after that. You put all the emphasis on 6 and under trophies you get an year old that throws fits about not getting first anymore, and then quits. (BTW...my kids have thrown plenty of fits!) but put an emphasis on improvement.

Last I will leave with and conversation I had 7 years ago with my wife(she had never been around wrestling) on the way home from the Kansas Novice Championships in Derby. After our son got beat out by a kid that threw a headlock and pinned us. She said, "Why are you so adamant about not teaching Aiden about headlocks? Aiden is always taking shots, and he doesn't always finish." I told her, "I am not going to teach bad habits to our son, and he may take some bad shots and some good shots. But he is building experience each shot he takes."

Craig Amrein

Correct. The kids being taught technique that will work at the HS and College level, will be the kids still wrestling and standing at the top of the podium when they get to HS.

You are forgetting that this world is becoming increasingly a majority of "I want it now!" type of people. Noone wants to realize it is a marathon, not a sprint.

Our kids club doesn't teach headlocks. Just defense, like rolling through. The big focus is on fundamentals and development for the future. Too easy, and once that's all you have because of the success with it, it's hard to learn other takedowns. Well said Doug and Craig. Too much emphasis on medals, trophies when young. Build a wrestler for the future. Build them in a sustainable way, so as not to be burned out by middle school or high school. They will lose. Losses build character. Learn from losses. They may or may not bring home hardware. But support and encourage the young ones as they are the future of this great sport. Marathon, not a sprint. Prefect analogy.

Great post!!

Mike Sutton

Good Post! Wrestling is such a great sport that teaches so many life lessons. We parents do a disservice to our kids by getting so focused on winning at a young age. I have learned the hard way not to put emphasis on winning all of the time (this was hard), but now as they have gotten older, I'm feeling like my boys are developing a love of the sport.

Life would be boring for them without the thrill of competition that only wrestling can provide.

https://www.statista.com/statistics/268028/participation-in-us-high-school-wrestling/

USA and State Wrestling Leaders need to address some of the why is this happening and they know some of the reasons -

Number of participants in U.S. high school wrestling from 2009/10 to 2016/17
Boys 272,890 – 2009/2010
Boys 244,804 – 2016/2017

Girls – 6,134 – 2009/2010
Girls – 14,587 – 2016/2017

Looking at dollars and not development of the sport as a whole - Problem - Yes

https://www.statista.com/statistics/268028/participation-in-us-high-school-wrestling/

USA and State Wrestling Leaders need to address some of the why is this happening and they know some of the reasons -

Number of participants in U.S. high school wrestling from 2009/10 to 2016/17
Boys 272,890 – 2009/2010
Boys 244,804 – 2016/2017

Girls – 6,134 – 2009/2010
Girls – 14,587 – 2016/2017

My son was the same. Didn't place at 6&U state in 2011. Rough roads of improvement but yes, we worked hard, practiced hard, reviewed videos of his matches. Now, He is an awesome wrestler. Kids Sate Champ, runner up the next, State Champ in Freestyle and runner up and 2 Runner ups in Greco, Elementary State champ, Brute Nationals Champ and placer at Liberty Nationals. He has beaten most of the kids that beat him at 6&U state 6 years ago. How we instill a healthy work ethic to them and mental training will provide positive results. I also witnessed a few "bad" Coach/Parents but also left security know and they interceded in one incident.

I agree with everything you guys have said. Actually guilty of some of these parent/coach actions. Not proud of it, but work everyday to love him and encourage no matter what. My son hasn't had huge Folkstyle success, but its proved very useful in Freestyle and Greco. I'm blessed that he still enjoys the sport enough to wrestle into the spring and summer.
My neighbor is a past State champ, and his only advice for me is to make sure he wrestles in high school and he has fun. I totally agree, and think about that when he takes a beat to an inferior opponent. Love him, encourage him and make sure its fun.

Take it from the coach that almost got kicked out of 6u state at Ottawa 15 years ago for writing on the back of a bracket remember they are only 6. Teaching the love of the sport early is what builds champions in life and in wrestling.