Yep, it is about the kids! I see nothing wrong with them wearing a college/etc... singlet. I agree that team unity and comradery can still be represented no matter what they are wearing! And, trust me, my son is not into "self exposure". He is humble, probably to a fault and can use all the mental edge he can get. Maybe I would think differently if he were cocky. I guess it is a parental decision if your team allows it.

Heres my 2 cents. It should be up to the kid. Some kids, mine included feel like they have an edge over the other kid when wearing certain singlets. Go to national tournaments high school included & see the swap meet that is going on in regards to singlets. The warm up, hat etc. is plenty in my opinion to achieve the team feeling, sitting together too. But when it comes to the singlet, that is when it is go time & until the team is out on the mat with the competitor he is very much alone with the other kid that wants nothing more then to beat him. I personally do not think it is the coach, parent, or board members place to take anything away from the kid that gives them the edge even if it is only in there mind. Remember what they say, this sport is 90% mental.

Our club requests that our kids wear the club singlets. As a club we have worked to raise money to purchase the singlets giving all the kids the opportunity to have a nice singlet to wear thru out the season. It is not required that the kids wear their own singlets if they are going to a tourney where they maybe the only ones from our club attending.
But going into Subs , District and onto State it is just respectful of the clubs wishes to wear the singlets that is supplied by the club. My sons both have purchased very cool singlets that they would love to wear...and they can at Brute, Tulsa or USJOC or other tourney's that we travel to with out the club. It is something that is understood within our household and we uphold to the clubs wishes that our sons wrestle and show support to our club and their TEAM members!
The coaches have also found that when you have 30+ kids wrestling thru out the day that it is much easier if you can look out across the sea of mats, and kids and see your club singlet!

Good luck to all those wreslting this weekend!

Kim Lovvorn
Jackson County Wrestling Club

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I'll take either. Then I can retire.

Benefit of club singlet, it lets the fans know when a club wreslter is wrestling, and makes it easier for a coach in a pinch get to that wrestler prior to a match. I like the idea of wearing a singlet of choice, when you make it to the championship round, have a reason to get there. I also like the idea of requiring that the awards stand photo require the kid to wear the club singlet if they have one.

I'm a new participater but not a new reader. This is a great post because this has happen to my son lately. My son has a singlet he feels very comfortable with, but is being pushed into wearing a new singlet he received from the club at Salina. I understand the wishes of the club and respect the values of being part of a team. My son would be nothing without the practice partners and the coaches that take the time to make the kids of JCWC the best they can be. I just wish we could give a kid a chance to be a kid because their days of being a kid are very limited. Give them the option of wrestle your tail of to get to the finals and you can wear your superman suit because you will probably need every edge you can get if your in the finals.

Randy Pool

Let kids be individuals. My boys play plenty of "team" sports. When do they get to learn individualism and counting on one's self.

Guess they don't teach that anymore...if you can't get it done yourself look for everyone else to bail you out.

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so our highschool golf team is less of a team than our high school wrestling team?

Or combat sports! Wrestling included.

Heck this sounds like the good old USA. The banks are saying we can't do it ourselves, so please bail us out and make everyone else pay. Well this is a comparison, maybe not a good one but it is one.

We wear our team singlet when we are with the team, but when we go without the team my son wears what he wants. And sometimes it is the team singlet.

I like the idea of wearing the team singlet until the finals and then wearing whatever you want. I don't think we will do that if he was to get there, but I do like the idea.

There are quite a few opportunities to have kids' duals, but not on a club team level. I believe someone is putting together a elementary school duals team from Kansas, Will COkeley is putting together at least 3 teams from Kansas to take to Middle School duals in Iowa, and of course the Schoolboy duals, Cadet Duals, and Junior duals all have Team Kansas representing our state. Park Hill has a duals format in December as well. I HIGHLY recommend getting your kid involved in those events.

Doug

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High school? teamgarate this is the Kids Folkstyle section of the talk forum. It's not an option for the high school teams. Don't know about you but my wrestlers are 7 & 11. They still like to dress up for halloween. Lighten up pal.

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This year, our club did not have a singlet left in my son's size. He wore a standard old black singlet most of the year and was happy with it. Towards the end, he wanted something a little more flashy. So I found one for him. I figured, he has worked his butt off training and getting to this point so why not. I think the team aspect is a good one to remember, especially when looking from the stands and trying to find his teammates wrestling. But I also feel, that when that whislte blows, he is the one on the mat wrestling and nobody else. When he gets older, he have to wear a team singlet so why not have fun now.

and I was just screwing around, I could really care less what my kids wear when they wrestle. If they don't show teamwork, sportsmanship, and good manners, you won't see them at a tournament anyway.