DQ's and Injuries at State

Maybe I just happened be looking at the right time compared to past years but is it me or was there more DQ's and Injuries than previous years? Sure seemed like it, expecially the unsportsmanlike conduct.

It sure seemed like we had a lot of scratches. I'm curious if these were largely illness related or as a result of not making weight?

There were more disqualifications this year than in past years, among the reasons, biting, inappropriate language (cursing) to the mat official, throwing headgear, and other misconduct.

In the eight and under division there was a second place finish vacated do to disqualification!

Too many refs were letting" potential dangerous" go too far.....if coaches are yelling watch his, arm, knee, neck, etc. and the kid is screaming, then you stop the match...saw multiple injuries that could have been avoided.

As for unsportsman like ...it should be called...We had a 8u get DQ' ed. after loosing in the finals.....and yes he deserved it! Lots of Huge temper tantrums thrown.

After hearing some of the comments made by some of the coaches made mat side while my son was on the mat, I am thinking unsportmanlike needs to start getting extended to coaches along with a nice escort out of the tournament. The same coach was mat side with everyone of my sons opponents and they were out to hurt my son. I have never seen my son go out and intentionally hurt anyone, he does not act like he has a chip on his shoulder or act like he is any better than any other wrestler, but it amazes me how many coaches, fans and other wrestlers show an open hatred towards him. My advice to the ones that do this to ANY wrestler, not just my son,-----GROW UP or GET OFF THE MAT AND OUT OF THE STANDS. This type of behavior is very disturbing to a mom that is beginning to doubt why I allow my kids to stay in this sport!!!!!

Some Coaches yell, watch the arm or the knee, just to keep a takedown or backpoints from being scored. The refs need to use good judgement and let it go at that.

This is a coaching and a parent problem. I saw more kids show unsportsmanlike conduct than in years past. The problem, is dad's and coaches not correcting the behavior. They are just let them walk off of the mat, and the coaches or parents blamed the official. Take some responsibility people, take the opportunity to teach proper behavior instead of excusing poor behavior.

I was going to post on this as well so I will "piggyback" on some comments. I agree with Mrs. Hayes. I was watching a match I had no interest in I just stopped to watch some of the little guys wrestle. Mind you that this was 10 and under... There was a kid that got called for unsportmanlike conduct several times in the match (once for purposely eye gouging!) and the last time he did it he was on top with legs in and brought the hammer down with his elbow to the back of his opponents head. Finally the ref DQ's the kid (meanwhile the kid was yelling at the ref), his coach gets up and says to the ref "What do you want him to do, the kid on bottom was stalling!" ARE YOU KIDDING ME!! As a Coach, it disgusted me to watch the kid act that way and even worse, the adult in the situation made an excuse for it. As coaches we are supposed to be apart of the solution, not the problem. I saw several kids get DQ'd and coaches/parents didn't say a word. There was a lot of good wrestling and I enjoyed watching everyone give it there all but there was way too many kids getting thrown out. A kid like that would not make it very long on my team, it's sad that they're not being taught better, especially at such a young age. Congrats to all the kids who wrestled hard and acted like young students athletes should, with Class. Definately a lot more positives than negatives that happened in Topeka but geez, some of those negatives were pretty disappointing.

This is coming from a very reliable source but that doesn't always mean it's true(lol) but the biggest disappointment to me was the young man that was DQ'd for a violent elbow to the jaw of his opponent when he was losing with a few seconds left. He was DQ'd, then HIS COACH/DAD WHOEVER actually appealled this and he was let back in because the ref didn't follow the protocol to DQ him. First of all, I saw this and why would any coach or parent EVER condone this and appeal something like this. 2nd, if this is true, why is there a protocol? Should be no tolerence, plain and simple.

My bad, I understand that there should be some sort of simple protocol but why is it difficult enough that it can be appealed and reversed due to this? Not trying to criticize anyone but the coach or parent who did this, just asking.

I saw a wrestlers who was being beaten pretty badly, taken down near the end of the match and the bottom wrestler intentionally numerous times used the back of his head to butt the head of the wrestler on top. The official, who may not have seen it, said or did nothing, the coaches who clearly saw it said or did nothing. Another wrestlers complained about being pinned when in fact he was from my point of view and the point of view of the official, but this wrestler used some choice language and after his loss which put him out of the tournament was thrown out of the tournament. These are two examples of the way too many incidents involving unsportsmanlike behavior. The coaches and parents have to do a better job. We all know it's an emotional time and kids are kids, but it's disgusting to see kids behavior encouraged or possibly taught by adults. Win with pride, lose with dignity and be accountable for your actions.

By rule, disqualification due to technical violation, illegal hold/manuever, stalling, unsportsmanlike conduct during a match or unnecessary roughness does not eliminate a contestant from further competion in tournaments.

Disqualification for flagrant misconduct will disqualify any individual for the remainder of the tournament.

Unnecessary roughness in a match must follow the following sequence:
First Penalty - 1point
Second Penalty - 1 point
Third Penalty - 2 points
Fourth Penalty - Disqualify

Thanks Richard. The ref actually said to the table workers to scratch him from the bracket, "he is done". The match was over, so I just assumed he meant the rest of the tournament.

i was right there and clearly heard the ref say, "he is dq'd from the match, not the tournament." there was discussion after, but that was the first thing he said to the table. he had given up two penalty points prior to this also. 1 full nelson, 1 locked hands.

The referee in question, of which I think very highly, was disgusted and surprised by the action on the mat of the young wrestler and indavertently failed to follow proper protocol. Referees also are human and will make a mistake however I am convinced this referee will never make this mistake again.

During the grievance hearing all were equally shocked by the comments of the offending wrestler's coach. If there were protocol to follow at the grievance hearing the offending wrestler's coach very likely would have been disqualified for his comments.

Thanks again for your clarification Richard!! When I heard "he's done", I obviously assumed wrong. My apologies, really don't want to be starting an rumors. This was well into the conversation.
I wasn't trying to criticize at all as I felt the official was very professional from what I seen. It all comes back to (for me anyway) the actions of the coach!! Has no business teaching young men and that is exactly what the coaches are....teachers!! Is there a process to go back and review the actions of the coach during the grievence hearing so there is some consequeces for him? Again, just asking.

Unfortunately, no!

I have heard from the father of the young wrestler disqualified after his Championship finals match and I am confident the parents will make every effort to correct this behavior.

The parents are very embarrassed over the matter and I believe enough has been said regarding this particular match.

we wrestled both young men in question here. the first one came back after his unfortunate match, and wrestled hard and clean. he is a good kid, and friends with the boys on our club. in the 8u match i stood by the young man's mother she said "he will hear about this all next week". i told her that it's sometimes hard for these young boys to be expected to handle so much pressure, AND act like adults.

The 8u kid DQed is one of our wrestlers...All in all he is a great kid and a darn hard worker...But he has a hard time dealing with losses...By no means does our club condone this kind of behavior. As a coach and parent I was EMBARASSED to say the least...last match of the day and everybody watching...Not a great way to end a season "dropping the F bomb to the ref and being DQed"....Glad the ref did it, maybe this will help with future problems...just hated to see a years worth of work shot down the drain....I guess there is always next year...If and only if his additude changes.

Emotional melt downs happen in wrestling. The younger they are, the more likely it is that they will have one. Older wrestlers still have melt downs, but they usually are not as dramatic.

My son had his share of melt downs early on. He never took it out on another wrestler, and when he played the blame game (someone cheated, the official made a bad call, the Earth wasn't round, etc.), he always vented to his mom or I. Don't think we didn't vent back, because we did. I am glad those days are gone. He still gets upset, but he is upset with himself for not performing up to the standards that he has set for himself.

I watched a lot of wrestling this past weekend, and I saw a lot of great matches, incredible talent from young to old, and just had a great time all around. I did witness something that really dumbfounded me. During the picture taking on the podium, someone was saying some things to an obviously very talented wrestler. I am pretty sure that the wrestler knew how he good he was, his competitors knew how good he was, and anyone that knew anything about him knew how good he was. I just thought this was a little over the top.

If I had to guess why young wrestlers act like they do, good or bad, I would have to put 70% of the blame, good or bad, on those that are most influential in their lives. I am sure that the percentage is higher than 70%, but I am leaving a little wiggle room one way or the other, because as we all know, kids will be kids.

To stand up for a coach who did the right thing. I am not sure the team or the kid, but it was a high-school kid who got beat stood up through his headgear all the way down the entry way into the exhibition hall and yelled curse words. I am not sure if the official dq'd him or not, but the coach went over to the head table and made sure he was dq'd for the rest of the tournament. Great job coach this sets an example for the young kids in your program that it wont be tolerated.

chad i agree with you that the parent needs to handle it. then you get some mom screaming at you out of the stands when you do handle it that your abusing your kid. my kid throws a temper tantrum i will whip his ass right there in front of the entire damn crowd like it or not. he did it back in 6 and under and hasnt done it since.

Amen.

I saw the boy on mat 2 hit his opponent in the head with his lower forearm/elbow. I understand the ref did not follow exact protocal and therefore the wrestler could not be ejected. In this case...our coaches would have never let the wrestler back on the mat...he would have been pulled. As a parent, I would have pulled him. I also witnessed a parent yelling BS walking up and down the stairs even after his own coach explained to him what had happend in his sons match...it is time for parents to step up and act like parents. More parents need to be ejected and coaches if they condone this type of behaviour.

I just had to reply to this thread. I was there all weekend and I managed to not see ANY of that bad sportsmanship happen. I do want to tell a story about a good sport I saw on the mat right in front of our seats. He was probably a 10 yr old. I do not even remember the mat number now and i do not know the young boys name or club. BUT I watched him lose twice and both times he was so frustrated and mad and upset I thought for sure we were going to see a monster fit.But I could see this very small very young boy pull his emotions together to shake his opponents hand and then as soon as his opponents hand was raised he gave him a huge hug he then turned to the ref and gave him a hug, then went and shook hands with the other coaches and then waited until he was off the mat to dissolve into a puddle of tears. His coach(maybe father) had to pick him up in a ball to get out of the way. I was in tears watching this boy i did not know hold himself together long enough to do the right thing!! I know I am a sappy mom but I wish I knew this boys name so i could tell his mom and dad (and coach) what a great job they are doing teaching him the right way!!

In the big political clubs the parents dictate how things are ran. If the coach gets on to a kid you better believe mommy is going to start bitching up a storm. Even when its not her kid! If mom and dad would stay out of the way and let coach do his job their would be less and less FF'S & DQ'S.

Care to clarify "big political clubs".

Clubs that cater to mom and dad so they won't take their kids somewhere else.

Knowing that you are from the wichita area, I'm curious as to which teams you are refering to that are run by "mommy and daddy" and not the coach? I'm not trying to be a d*** just trying to figure out if you are calling my team out or not.

Bryce Hughbanks
Maize Wrestling Coach

Somebody's paranoid LOL.... referring to a experience I had early this year. Some of the parents in the stands saw me correcting my sons pushups and decided they were gonna go bitch to the director. I could go on and on but let's leave it at that.

I don't remember ever going to a maize practice but I could have been drinking that day lol

HS 189 had two wrestlers DQ'd in separate incidents. One was after a 12-12 OT match that ended 12-13 in triple overtime. For a kid to throw a temper tantrum at this age for such a close match is rediculous. Winning is important but honor is the name of the game. Disgracing yourself after such a hard fought battle is just plain disgusting. This kid doesn't understand or belong in this sport. As for the second DQ, using the "F" word to the ref should be a guaranteed trip to the parking lot.
Todd Durham

I have seen far more good sportsmanship than bad. Something for thought, I bet if you had coaches, dad or moms wrestling in the finals and lost in overtime or due to a questionable call how many ejections would we have than? It is embarrassing for the wrestler, the club, coaches and the parents when their wrestler shows bad sportsmanship. If your wrestler has never done this then you need an award,,,or perhaps it is early in their wrestling
career. I have seen the MOST respectful kids and parents lose it one time or another.
As far as throwing a temper tantrum at "this age",,,,really,,did you see how some coaches and parents were acting?? Todd, I'm glad your not a screening "future" wrestlers for understanding the sport or decided "who belongs" in this sport.. swearing should not be tolerated or unsportmanship conduct,,however,,I admit I have not always been able to walk on water like you..

Dawn

the biggest thing is this. they made a mistake, they were punished. hopefully they learn from it. the most important thing is to give them a chance, to become better.

The kid launched his headgear not just threw them. It was an act of rage. Rage is dangerous in a combat sport. Ask Mike
Tyson.

Now, if he would have launched his opponent's headgear (with his opponent's head still strapped in), that would have been considered an act of rage.

Actually, one of my son's opponents threw his headgear against the wall after one of their matches which cost his high school one team point at a tournament. I applauded the official for making the call since he hadn't even left the mat yet and barely shook hands afterward.

The coaches of the 189 lber that launched his headgear were immediately on him and addressed the issue with him. A sad way to end his senior wrestling year and a tough lesson to learn.

Good point ReDployd. My bad There was no head in the headgear. My point is maybe we are putting too much emphasis on winning and not a great fight that was just 1 point short. I don't think a bystander deserves to be pelted by a flying headgear. Especially when the kid should have been proud of his effort. I agree it was addressed ASAP

Should ejections from the state tournament be treated any different than an ejection from a normal open tournament? Currently the first time offense is 8 days unless special circumstances warrant an additional suspension. With the State tournament being the final tournament of the season for a lot of the wrestlers, coaches, and parents how should we modify our bylaws to put some teeth into the punishment for improper behavior on this final weekend of the season?

All opinions are welcome...thanks.

I would agree!

Add some BIG teeth into the punishment for improper behavior on this final weekend of the season.

Additional suspension of the ENTIRE State tournament the following year.

I have said A few things this year to coaches about how there kids behavior and what they do in a match.Every one of them say the same thing.IF the reff did not see it it is ok.One more was it is the reffs job to see and fix the problem not yours.Though the year I saw a kid 14 years old in the 190 or so clas Jump and drive his nees in the back of the downed kids nees.It was bad enough The kid getting beat on could hardly walk off the mat.
It is sad what coaches will teach the kids to do to win.

Todd,

I agree with you. Totally uncalled for and it shouldn't have happened. We hear about the emotions, and how a kid just lost it because of the heat of the moment. Most of these wrestlers this deep into their career should know better. Again, I agree.

So why do some kids have total melt downs when they get to the high school level? Most of the best have been wrestling for many years. They should understand that they just wrestled a tough, hard fought and close match. Win or lose, they should feel that they competed to the best of their abilities. If they felt that they didn't compete to the best of their abilities, then they need to have a hard talk with themselves, not throwing headgear, not cursing at officials, not storming off the mat, and not being reluctant to shake their opponent's hand.

It is unfortunate that sometimes the parents instill in their kids that win at all cost attitude. I think we have all seen some parents push their kids to the point that the kid tries his or her best purely to satisfy the parent in just about every sport.

I have seen kids come off the mat on the losing end after giving everything they had only to be met by their father/coach and yelled at and sometimes even cussed at for not doing something else. I would hate to see how we as adults would handle that with an employer if we were treated like that at work.

I think when a kid is doing it for himself they still could suffer a meltdown, but I would bet the number of instances would be far less. I will say that I do appreciate some of those bone headed parents...I use them as an example I keep in my head so I won't act that way. I want my boy to love the sport...not do it for me. Wrestling is a great sport and probably the closest team sport our kids will ever be part of. Life is too short...enjoy it!!

Parents put a lot of pressure on their kids. They push winning so much. Is it really about winning or is it about trying their hardest and having fun? I have seen kids on our team get paid for winning and specifically for beating certain kids. Saw one get paid for beating my son!!! And to be honest he usually does beat my son.

I don't know if my son would ever have a chance at the state tournament level, but as long as he is having fun, showing good sportsmanship, and trying his hardest that is all that matters to me and he can wrestle for as long as he wants or decide the sport just isn't for him.

I also know that there are also a lot of kids that feel pressured to wrestle that really just don't care to do it, but that's what dad wants and they either are afraid to speak up or just don't have a choice.

I'm one of those that probably crosses the line sometimes if I don't feel like a kid gives it all he has, but when you talk about doing it to please dad or mom , or whomever, look at it this way: Wrestling teaches life lessons. When my kids make me happy, the house is pretty peaceful. When they don't make me happy, it is not peaceful. When these kids get out into the real world and get a job, they better be working to make the boss happy, or they will be out of a job. Life lessons baby...

There is FOR SURE such a thing as being too easy on them.

Paying them is not a good idea IMO, but rewards of some sort are part of the game. You just hope that the reward they seek is standing on top of the podium.......

Doug,
Good post, life is not going to cuddle anybody and give them participation awards when they screw up at work or act like an butt!!! I get in my kids face and yell at him but not for the sport, I do it for the behavior!! A win at sub-districts with jumping up and down showing a number 1 on his hands got the same reprimand and disapproval from me as storming off the mat after a loss. To disrespect another wrestler or coach is unacceptable to me and I will not tolerate it. In my opinion there are many ways to disrespect an opponent that may not be noticed by all, not giving it your all, cheap shots, taunting, and then being a bad winner or loser, none of these things is tolerated in my house or on the mat by any kids that I coach. Every kid that steps on the mat deserves the same respect everytime!!!! Jmo
Mike Pirl

Mike
I am with you 100%.It is not win or lose it is in the effort.@ of my prowdest days My son got his but kicked.But he did it with pride and gave it his all when doing it.