Hey everyone -
Just wanted to throw this out there. Flu is already rampant throughout our schools and if a kid hasn't gotten it yet, he will get it. With wrestling season starting it is going to get much worse. I know TOHK has been giving daps to opposing wrestlers for a couple years and even though I'm sure they did not start this because of the flu, we may all want to start doing this. I know during a normal tournament I will shake 150-200 kids hands. I'm a huge fan of sending our kids over to the other coach after a match because of the sportsmanship it teaches. If most coaches agree that this is a good idea we need to tell our wrestlers to expect this and why the coaches are doing this. Just an idea.

Bryce Hughbanks
Maize Junior Wrestling Coach

I just hope that parents and coaches do the right thing and keep those kids with any kind of illness off the mat. No reason to get the entire community sick just so your kid doesnt miss out on a tournament. Our club will be monitoring every kid and will not put a kid with any kind of illness in a practice or a tournament.

What is "daps"?

That's what I was going to ask....

Bumping Knuckles

fist bump as opposed to shaking hands

I guess I dapp from time to time.

Aw gotcha.....at home we call that "pound it"
In fact, I'm always "poundin it" with my own kids!! I think that's a great idea!

Are we worried about the coaches getting sick or the kids. After the kids are done rolling around with each other on the mats prior to tournies, wrestling the match, crying on each other, bleeding on each other, etc., the sickness is going to spread. Carry a little bottle of germ - x with you and shake the kids hands. They deserve it. Leave the Daps outside of the wrestling venue!!!!

Agreed Dr. John Moses! We are men and we shake hands!

Church

The knuckles thing looks like a gang thing to me. I will shake hands the same way,my hand was shaken when i was a wrestler.

I know that I have seen some high school coaches do this and I have seen the wrestlers get pd off. Shake hands like a man or woman and go wash your hands if you are that worried about it.

You see refs do it too!
Here's the thing...
This isn't something you can regulate for everyone! Just take 30 seconds out of your season & explain that this is what you can expect, a hand shake or a "dap"!
If you have a preference then tell your wrestler what to do but if the other coach just wants to dap then what can you do!
Sometimes I'm just glad to get a sign of respect from some people, even if it is just a dap!

ok so let me get this right. after you have rolled around with a kid for 1 to 3 minutes your worried about a handshake. come on the handshake has been around for ever so lets keep it that way.

Handshake

I am all good with a handshake as long as the little wrestler hasn't just wiped his nose with his hand!

I think its good either way, its all about respect. And everyone has their own way of showing respect, I've been given daps, hand shakes, a hand shake to a hug. Its all about how someone shows respect. Its not whether its a hand shake or a hand pound, the point is they are acknowledging you for what you did! .. ease up people its 2009, times are ALWAYS changing.

Keep up the daps, high 5's, jumping hugs, hand shakes, etc!!

There is one official at the high school level the kids have nicknamed "knuckles" as that is what he does if you attempt to shake his hand. There are some funny things that kids do to when offered the knuckle - one is the "Gear Shift" I keep watching to see a wrestler do this to "Knuckles"