Unlike in Oklahoma, wrestlers in KS are not permitted to wrestle in two age groups in the same session. (Only when a split format is being utilized and the tournament director approves it are they allowed) Nor are they able to freely wrestle up in age without the tournament director’s permission. This unscientific poll is an effort to gauge the interest of modifying our current rules pertaining to double dipping and wrestling up in age. There are two forum threads pertinent to these issues, should you wish to make comments or read what others have to say check out: “Wrestling Up” & “Wrestling Up in Age”.

Please note: Wrestling in two different weight classes in the same age group is not being addressed.

Should parents have the right to enter their wrestler in an older age class at non-qualifying tournaments? single choice
	YES
	NO
Votes accepted starting: 01/08/09 07:19 PM
View Results

Should parents have the right to enter their wrestler in two different age groups (never down), aka double dipping, in the same tournament session? single choice
	YES
	NO
Votes accepted starting: 01/08/09 07:20 PM
View Results

I say as long as they don't whine about not having a long enough break between matches, they should be able to wrestle two brackets in the same session. As long as they don't expect to put the tourney on hold for them, more power to them. We've seen it in Oklahoma a lot, and it hasn't been an issue. Not going to BS you, there are times when our kid has walked off the 10u mat and walked right onto the 12u mat to wrestle again. It is a good way to get into "wrestling shape", getting a bunch of matches in a day.

I don't have an issue with kids wrestling up. I voted "yes" on both. Having said that, if you are trying to get mat time and increase your matches then I would rather see kids wrestle freestyle and greco. IMO, this is more beneficial because it exposes kids to different styles of wrestling, keeps it interesting for them, and doesn't burn them out during folkstyle season. Just my 2 cents.

Shawn Budke
Leavenworth County Spartans

I find it to be incredibly selfish to enter your child in two brackets at the same tournament. I've seen more than once where a child has had to either delay or forfeit a match because he was wrestling on another mat. While it may not be a big deal to the offending wrestler, it leaves his opponent high and dry. His opponent shouldn't have to wait for or miss out on a match because someone else wants to wrestle in two brackets.

That being said, I'm all for being able to "wrestle up" in a non-qualifying tournament.

Most of your better wrestlers come from parents that let them wrestle in 2 divisons and I think its a very good experience for them. Your kids tend to be scared of wrestling older kids but once they get over that fear they become a better wrestler with more experience.

I voted yes to both of these. We had a wrestler last weekend do it because he wanted to. It just happened that he had ten matches that day. Five in the morning, and then because of split sessions, five in the afternoon. I think that is too much, but you can't do anything about it once you've entered and paid, so that is one of the consequences.

I have always been told, I don't know if it is printed anywhere, that the choice to allow "move ups" was up to the tournament director's discretion. I personally support the freedom to choose unless insurance strictly prohibits it. I actually believe it should be worded "Should a wrestler be permitted to choose to ..." parents should not ever FORCE their kid to do either of these.

Well said Cokely!!!

I don't think that a tournament director should allow two age groups or two weights in the same tournament session. The problem is that there is always a chance that the same kid could come up on 2 different mats at the same time. Then what are you going to do? Hold up the tournament for one kid (not real smart) other parents and wrestlers are going to be unhappy. However, in a split sesion I say if the kid wants to then let him wrestle.

Jess Keith

If my kid was getting ready to wrestle a kid that was wrestling another bracket on another mat, I would gladly tell the table to skip my kids' match versus that kid, to the next match or two, then come back to it. Another 10 minutes of my time, to help a kid trying to improve himself is nothing to me. Come on, let's not make such a big deal of it. It is as simple as taking the boutsheet of my kid, sliding it under the pile two or three deep, and wrestling when it comes back up.

Doug,

Yes, you would do that and so would I. However, there are those that may think that if the kid on the other mat does not show up on time for his match that they have won the match. Not something you or I would do but I am darn sure that this would happen. I am 100% sure it would happen the first time the kid on the other mat is a more advanced wrestler then the one waiting for him to finish his match. Yep throw some gas on the FIRE !!!!

Well, my son has and plans to continue to wrestle two age groups at what ever tournament will allow him too and as long as he wants too. However when he agreed to do it I made sure he understood if he is just done on one mat and up on another its time to wrestle no down time thats just the way it is. He doesn't get to forfeit one match or the another thats not fair to the other kid who is there to wrestle as well. But he wants to do it peroid the wrestler has to want to do it. I don't see the big deal and as far as tournaments that don't want you doing it Johnson County Classic had in bold letters ABSOLUTLY NO DOUBLE ENTRIES!!!! just like that very very clear. No problem let parents and tournament directors make the choice. Who are we to tell someone else whats suitable for thier child/wrestler. My son also rides a bikes and skateboards with no helmet or pads. WE'RE NUTS LIKE THAT

One of my favorite stories... Ryne was wrestling 12 & 14 under at Mill Valley, in the same session. He was in finals on one mat against Alan Waters in 14U and in the semis for 12U in two matches. I asked the father of the 12U wrestler if we could bump the match back a few to give Ryne a chance to recover. He said "Heck no! My boy has never beaten him and this might be our best shot!". Ryne lost to Waters and then beat the other guy 4-0. We still laugh about it. He has been down in OK on the back side and had to wrestle back to back matches in just one bracket! Two years ago in Reno he had to wrestle three in 45 minutes on the front side. When you get to Fargo you might wrestle nine in one day. The more your kid wants to go the more prepared he will be for the day he needs to reach down deep for that big win late in the day in Fargo. I have no idea why a tournament would be against it. They must be, in the immortal words of Denny Crane, "Namby Pambies!" Good luck to all this weekend, no matter how many brackets you are entered in!

wrestling up in age should never be a question. i do believe that "double dipping", is for "greed". wrestle up an age, but just in case things do go in your favor, stay in your own age and win gold. i would never vote against it though. the break between matches is for the safety of the wrestler and should never be compromised, but like will said sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. it's hard to teach/learn anything when you are winning, so push yourself, venture out, go up in age, go to bigger tournaments, whatever you have to do to get better. "if you haven't been beat, you haven't gone far enough out of your own back yard".

My son is wrestling up this weekend for competion. He wrestled 1:08 seconds for an entire weekend at JOC. He only had 4 kids in his bracket. This weekend he will get to wrestle in a 16 man bracket by wrestling up! (Yes I got permission from the tournament director) If a wrestler can handle wrestling up let them do it. My son will not get better by placing first every weekend without having to work for it!

Double dipping does not have anything to do with greed, other than greediness to get better. Kids that are "greedy" for getting better already have a whole drawer full of medal and trophies, so I can guarantee you that isn't the "greed" issue.

do you suggest moving a wrestler up in the age bracket or move them up in the weight bracket

MY OPINION DOESNT COUNT FOR MUCH BUT I FEEL I NEED TO SHARE IT ANYWAY I DO NOT SEE A PROBLEM WITH MOVING A KID UP IN AGE CONSIDERING TO GO TO STATE YOUR CHILD IF 6 AND UNDER WANTS TO QUALIFY HAS TO IN 8 AND UNDER..SO WHETHER ITS A QUALIFYING TOURNAMENT OR NOT ANY KID SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO ENTER AT AN UPPER AGE GROUP..OTHERWISE THEY SHOULD MODIFY THE RULES AND ALLOW 6 AND UNDER TO WRESTLE JUST THAT AT STATE AND NOT HAVE TO MOVE UP TO 8 AND UNDER..ITS KIND OF ON THE VERGE OF BEING HYPOCRITICAL IF WE ALLOW 6 AND UNDER TO MOVE UP AGE FOR THE SAKE OF QUALIFYING FOR STATE BUT DO NOT ALLOW UPPING AGE FOR TOURNAMENTS WITHOUT TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR CONSENT AND NEVER AT A QUALIFYING TOURNAMENT..MY OPINION ON TWO BRAKETS SAME DAY ARE THIS SOME CAN HANDLE IT SOME CANT BUT DOES THAT MEAN WE SHOULD NOT HAVE THE CHOICE? ULTIMATLY IT SHOULD BE THE KIDS CHOICE THEY ARE THE ONES WHO HAVE TO WRESTLE THEM AND NOT THE PARENTS CHOICE BECAUSE THEY WANT THEIR KID TO HAVE MORE MAT TIME..ALSO IF THEY DO WANT MORE MAT TIME FOR THEIR CHILD BUT THE KID DO NOT WANT TO WRESTLE 2 BRACKETS THEN ENROLL THEM IN MORE TOURNAMENTS LIKE THE SUNDAY ONES..I HAVE SEEN SO MANY KIDS GET BURNED OUT ON WRESTLING JUST ONE BRACKET AND TOURNAMENT BY THE TIME STATE COMES AROUND THAT IT SUPRISES ME A KID WOULD WANT TO WRESTLE 2 BRACKETS A DAY. MY KIDS LOVE WRESTLING AND HAVE NEVER GOT BURNED OUT YET BUT THEY ONLY WRESTLE ONE TOURNAMENT ONE BRACKET AND THEN THEY WRESTLE FREESTYLE AND GRECO WHEN FOLKSTYLE IS OVER..BUT TO EACH HIS OWN..I PERSONALLY WOULD LIKE TO SEE A CHANGE IN THE 6 AND UNDER BEING ADDED TO STATE THEN A CHANGE TO THE WRESTLING UP IN AGE AND DOUBLE DIPPING RULES...WRESTLING IS A COMPETITIVE SPORT BUT ALSO A FAIR ONE ITS HARD TO CHEAT IN THIS SPORT AS SO MANY EYES ARE WATCHING YOUR EVERY MOVE BUT SOME OF THE RULES ARE NOT SO FAIR BUT RULES ARE RULES AND WHILE WE CAN NOT BREAK THEM WE CAN AT LEAST TRY AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN CHANGING THEM TO MAKE IT MORE FAIR MORE FUN AND MORE CHALLENGING SO ALL WRESTLERS GET THE FULL VALUE AND MORALS THAT THIS SPORT HAS TO OFFER..

I totally agree with your statment My daughter was winning at every tournament she was in last year she was 6 under 43 it was her first year so I started taking her to bigger tournaments to get her first loss behind her I didnt like her winning everytime and I knew she would get a big head and cocky if she didnt lose soon I felt bad for saying i am taking her to Hutchison or Manhattan so she can lose at least once..but I knew for her to be a better wrestler she needed to know what losing felt like..she was 23-0 before she got her first loss the funny thing was it wasnt at any of the big tournaments i put her in it was a small one right here in our own backyard at the rice co open she got 3rf only won one that day and the first loss well she acted as though it was gonna kill her and be the end of the world..I felt bad for her pain but was glad she felt the loss it only made her a better person and wreslter..

I am wrestling my daughter up in weight right now is 46 pounds but I have her at 49..Her coaches told me wrestling her up in weight is smarter and better than moving her up in age so when she goes to 8 under for subs districts and state she will be use to throwing around 3 more pounds and will make it easier on her when wrestling 46 pounds I not sure if this is true I not a coach and dont know much about wrestling skill or such but I trust her coaches and their suggestions..

I agree with 2bentleymom. I, too, have a daughter that was undefeated until yesterday. She also weighed less than the other wrestlers. I am glad that she got her first loss, because she was getting too cocky. She is ten and you would have thought that the boy killed her when she loss. She wrestles at 76lbs, but weighed in only at 72. We are also having her lift easy weights to bulk up. Do I want to put her in 12 and under? No way! This is her second year and I think we will stick where we are at, for right now. Lol.