Just to remind all those using our forums. Any posts which are negative, belittle or defame others (especially youngsters) will likely be deleted.

Our sport needs to keep a positive attitude by everyone!

I most definetly agree. You can express critism in a professional manner. I also feel that clubs need to take a stronger stance against aggressive parents at tournaments that are physically abusive in public toward their children. Lisa

I totally Agree with you Lisa. I have always said it takes a special person to be a Parent coaching your own child.

Perhaps we have new members to our forums that need to be reminded that all conversations or posts on these pages need to be positive.

Well said, Lisa. I also think other adults should take a stronger stand against the verbal abuse that goes on as well. I witnessed a mother put a grown man in his place for yelling and cussing at a kid, and I wish more people would stand up for kids even if they aren't their own.

Randy, I agree 100%. Seems like this forum has turned into a place for everyone to complain instead of a place to help. If anyone paid much attention to this forum, they would think that Kansas wrestling has nothing but problems.

Mike, I do feel that being negative or critical of "kids" is absolutely not warranted. However, I feel the adults in wrestling have a little different standard to uphold.

That kind of pertains to what I was saying. If everyone had positive things to say or less complaining this would be a lot better thing to have.

To clarify ... I believe getting on these boards and stating anything about kids in a negative light is absolutely wrong!

Contrary, if you get on these same boards and have constructive criticism of adults, the way they conduct themselves, or the way they manage themselves, it is a completely different matter.

We should never say anything bad about kids. My Mom taught me, that when I didn't have anything nice to say ... to say nothing. But with all resepect to my Mother, if I have something constructive (that sometimes is less than glowing) to say and if I feel it is warranted, I will say it politely.

I think that IS one thing that these message boards can do that is POSITIVE.

It is possible to be constructive without being negative!

Excellent post! I agree with it completely and I am going to try to follow it going forward. Over the four or five years that I have posted I know at times that when I have offered criticism of something ran by an adult that I have probably not always been constructive and at times have gone too negative in my criticism. Most of the time I believe that I have tried to be constructive but I know that I have not always succeeded. I am going to try my best to follow your advice 100% in my future posts. Thanks for your post, Randy.

I go for that ,no one should ever cut a kid down.But I don't know, maybe it's just me' but it seems to me that you have been taking sides. You have taken facts off my my post site that have been facts.Thats fine I'm okay with that. But when Big Daddy said about Josh not being in the same class as (Nitcher)or any of the above guys that were picked. I know for a fact that J.Rodriguez has beat doizer and perez.So if your goona edit things do it right. Do'nt just do it when it helps the people you knwow. because every kid hurts!!!!!!!

I try to do things right and I take this task of moderating very serious. At time, it gets to be very tedious to read through all the posts to make sure they are positive.

Sometimes, we adults tend to walk on the edge and at times we teter over the edge. In the thread you are relating your inquiries, I have edited or removed posts made by about 3 or 4 adults. If I remove a post completely, you may not know that it even exisited, if I take action before you read it.

Sometimes posters have read a comment and informed me of it's contents. If there are comments on any of the threads in the kids forum that you find questionable, let me know. I will review them and may take action.

The action I took on your post above was to remove a word that had question marks for part of the word. I will never profess to be holier than thou but I try to make sure my written words are proper.

I do believe that you try and do the right thing. And I know it's hard to see all the bad comments, which I know I have made a few. When Big Daddy got on and said J.(I'll Call him). was not in the same class as any of the above. His DAD called me and was so MAD, he wanted me to find out who this person was, he even gave me his phone # for big daddy to call him. I seen that you did take some off of his remarks. But J. saw it and he wonders why it was even on there. I wonder why it was ther for so long myself, I have said things that was not even hurtful but the truth, and it was gone before it was even posted.

I understand your frustration and that of other members. The truth is ... I do not "constantly" monitor this board! While I do have a life, outside of wrestling, wrestling is very important to me. Unfortunately, there may be something posted on the board for a couple of days without being read by me (or by the other moderator).

I usually try to check the boards twice a day ... but at times ... depending on my schedule and the availability of the internet, I might go for a few days without checking!

... but this brings emphasis to perhaps a bigger problem ...

Sometimes, others do not recognize the "glowing attributes" of our own kids! For twenty years, I have been involved in some fashion or the other, trying to judge what kids merit "All Star" credentials. Sometimes, this is less than a democratic process. I find it pretty hard to critique a "coach" selection of his or her team.

... another problem ...

if a person is posting on this kids page and using language (even if symbols replace letters) that is less than positive, it is likely to be deleted.

That is why it is the responsibility of all of us, if you see something improper, to hit the "report post" icon below the post in question.

And Sportsfan02 gets the prize. I can't tell you how beneficial it is to get those post reports. More times than not, those reports are justified and contain information that needs to be edited or deleted. Thanks to those that use the report post option, it makes our jobs much easier.

Okay, I'm New to this and after reading these posts I'm unsure that I want to enroll my young son in this sport b/c I'm not the kind of parent that will allow my child or ANY other child to be be-littled in public OR private. Yes, it is your child and your choice BUT I WILL take you aside and ask you if that was necessary. So perhaps I need to re-think my decision to enroll my child -- Just a thought --

Hello NewMom ... as I hope you've noted, I am in Fargo with Team Kansas. I urge you to keep up on the action that a group of outstanding young men will have over the next several days.

I share your concerns in what some do in the name of sports. No one should ever be belittled or subjected to abusive coaches or over-bearing adults. I think we need a few more Mother's like you in our programs to insure that we stay on the straight and narrow!

It seems, you have a pretty good grasp on how you want your child handled, and also the mishandling of others! Your suggestion that you WILL take some else aside is in my opinion the proper way to handle the situation.

Welcome aboard ... we might bark a bit ... but I think we have a group of great people that are putting Kids First!

Mom, don't know what posts you have seen lately. I will give you my thoughts in brief. I have been involved in sport now for over 30 years as a participant and coach. In all of those years, over many states, I have never felt more positively about the benefits of a sport more than wrestling. In general, while there are exceptions. I have found this sport produces family. I am not native to Kansas, in fact not native to the Mid West or Plains states, that being said, the people I am closest to in my life are all involved in wrestling. There are all kinds of reasons for that, which I won't elaborate on. I will say, like any other sport, you will get out of this sport what you put into it. I know that what I have gotten out of it has been more than I ever dreamed.

Thoughts to ponder and blessings in your decisions.

Randy, see you Sunday, we are likely driving up Saturday night.