I didn't see any THOK coaches act like this but I did see one of their wrestlers do this then right after that my son wrestled so when he lost out on placing I watched how he acted when he lost and not only did he shake his opponents hand he shook the refrees hand and the other teams coaches hand. I would like to thank the coaches of GBKWC for teaching my son this,by the way I also told my son how proud I was of him for the good sportsmanship he showed.
Brenda H

Did you see or hear what the people that got flipped off did? Are you saying that this coach just did this for no reason. If people cheered every time when my kids lost they would be lucky if thats all i did. I want to make clear i dont know any one from hard knox & i am giving my personal opinion. I have seen & heard what the crowd does to these kids. They cheer in excess when they lose & boo when they win. If you are one of the people doing this your the problem. I have seen hard knox coaches fight for calls in a match. What good is a coach that wont fight for calls for his wrestler?? Quit disrespecting thier werstlers & this will help. All I see is people disrespecting thier wrestlers & then complaining when they react.

I was about 4 mats away from where the match took place that the TOHK kid was booed. It sounded to me like that there was people from almost every secton of seating in the expocentre that was booing this young man. One of my coaches said to me, that is sad they way they are booing that kid, it is uncalled for. I agreed and told my coach, you know there is 14 mats here with kids wrestling on them, and whether if you like the TOHK or not there is one thing they have accomplished. When they have a kid wrestling people are watching. TOHK has a great group of very talented wrestlers and have done a great job of teaching them the sport of wrestling. As far as conduct of coaches goes, it is the responsibility of the referees and tournament officials to keep the rules and policys enforced. If they do not, then maybe the people that are not happy should talk bad about them. Just remember even if it is the coach you are booing the wrestler hears it too, and that young wrestler may feel like your booing him/her also. Now I did not see the match but I am sure that the TOHK wrestler gave 110 percent during that match because that is how that team wrestles. Isn't that what we ask from all of our kids, to give 110 percent. How can a person boo that? Again, if your not happy with the conduct of a person talk to the tournament directors and referees about keeping policies and rules inline. TOHK has produced some excellent wrestlers, keep up the good work.

If you had read my earlier post, you would have seen that I said it was never OK for ANYONE to boo a kid, so I am not "one of the people" doing this. I do understand that tensions run high this time of the year and there are definitely more emotions, but you can not justify those kind of actions by coaches or parents especially when it happens year after year. There have been coaches ejected for basically nothing, but nothing done when the actions are flagrant.

My question is---Did you see or hear what the people did that got flipped off??

Luellen- Correct me if I'm wrong but are you saying that behavior was justified? from a coach that is acceptable? If so that is insane!!!!

Boo-ing kids is not good

Standing up for "bad" calls or calls you don't agree with is fine, it's how you approach it.

Surely I'm misinterpreted your statement,,after all you are quoting the psalm

Teams are going to support their wrestlers when they win so are you going to react if they clap for the wrestler that just beat your kid? There is a winner and a loser--

ridiculous

Well in my two years of experience with Kansas kids wrestling, i have seen several things go on that included a TOHK coach! Last year one of thier kids lost and the coach took the winning kid and told him he just got luck and that he was supposed to lose! This year they rush the mat during a match and thier kid takes advantage of it and scores , because the columbus kid thought he had won ! then the coach had the balls to call the kid a slimmy SOB! And yes i was also sitting in the area that got flipped off! These are just a few examples of thier actions now tell me why anyone in thier right mind would have any respect for these so called coaches ?

To answer your question..I did not see the whole match, I was standing just outside a doorway when the coach flipped the crowd off. If the crowd was booing or whatever they should be ashamed of themselves too.

I am saying i will protect & fight for my family & that you can count on. You expect hard knox coaches to be your door mat? Because I am a christian dont mean I have to submit to ignorant punks screaming at my kids!!! What i have seen & heard the disrespect from the stands against these kids is WRONG & needs to stop. This is the point i am trying to make.

One of my boys wrestled a TOHK wrestler all season last year during GR/FS season. At regionals on of the TOHN coaches came and found my wrester and had a very respectful talk with him. My wrestler beat the TOHK wrestler for the first time that year. Both the wrestler and the coaches were very respectful and the two wrestlers even walked away from the mat talking and hanging out. From that point on my wrestler will go out of his way to say "hi" and talk to the TOHK coaches. I don't think you can judge the whole team by the actions from one or two members of the club. IMO TOHK always has some very good wrestlers and the wrestle with alot of heart and emotion. I wish some of my wrestler would wrestle with the amount of heart and emotion.

There were many other coaches getting upset, using foul language and getting in the refs faces and being disrespectful. If you are going to call out people for poor behavior then call them all out. I'm sure my name would bbe put out there a few times. Or even better don't call anyone out in a public forum. Follow the rule my parents beat into me 30+ years ago "treat others the way you want to be treated" I'm sure the way the TOHK wrestlers were treated is not how any coach or parent wants there wrestler treated.

Andrew Steele

I agree with Mike Booing my kid or one of the kids we coach which is wrong and you can count on the fact that the Fight will be brought directly to your front door Everyone knocks the TOHK but you cannot argue with the fact that they always bring quality wrestlers with great technique period. And like I say its easy to hate kids and clubs you can't beat. And aggrisive always gets confused with dirty when you know wrestling. no I don't agree with the TOHK antics But booing any KID is wrong.

quality coaches definitely
unprofessional coaches typically but experienced coaches definitely!
Sorry if it seemed like I was "hating" on the wrestlers, not my intentions - we beat them so I don't feel like it's a matter of winning or losing, it's a matter of conduct.

Defending your family is understandable
After all I did defend this country for 7 years
Showing up on a doorstep, possible
So if you see a 5 ft 2 in female in combat boots and BDU's,run the other way , lol

cdzmom we do have a code of conduct that our wrestlers,parents and coaches sign every year. If the kids aren't big enough to read it is read to them. They are ask if they understand what is being read to them. We hold them to it we have a committee that they have to answer to if they should get out of line. Punshiment could be anywhere from not getting to practice, not getting to attend a tournament. One thing they always have to do is make an apology to whom ever it is. That includes other clubs coaches or kids and our coaches and kids have gotten an apology from our kids.

goamry -- I agree the quality of the TOHK wrestlers and coaches is very good. I also don't think all the coaches are unprofessional. My kids have wrestled against them numerous time and only one or two bad experiences. I can say the same for a lot of other teams. Don't knock the whole team for the behavior of select individuals.

Andrew Steele

Why are they singled out? 1. Because they are winners on the mat. I have nothing but the upmost respect for Coach Knox. He has done a tremedous job with young people in this sport. Yes, I think that some of the behaviors and actions can be better controlled but I feel every club is guilty of displaying some sort of poor behavior at one point in time. I've witnessed poor behavior by parent/coaches after their own kids have lost. I've witnessed parent/coaches grabbing their kids after losses that would constitute physical abuse. I'm not calling anyone out but before we start talking about just one club lets be honest; some parent/coaches are just as guilty. Some behaviors toward kids that I have witnessed through out my wrestling travels to various kids tournaments are very appalling. In fact I was speaking with someone this past weekend about how their son was disrespected by another coach after a match. Finally, why are they signaled out? 2. Because of their race. There, I said it let the bashing begin.
Here is my info. to show I don't hide from what I say.....
Carlos Prieto
620-271-2668 cell
Address: 107 Oldweiler Holcomb, Kansas 67851

Pulling the race card is a bunch of CRAP the reason is because of some, not all of the coaches and parents, that simple. They are disrespectful and dont deserve respect back plain and simple. I agree people shouldnt be booing kids that is also crap but I have been around TOHK for 26 years and they have always had coaches and parents that cause problems. I said it its that simple so leave the race card in your pocket.

This is my favorite thread every year! lol

And every year I get on here and talk crap on TOHK.
There is not alot of love loss between me and some of them.
BUT I will say that this year was the best I have ever seen them act.
I think the TOHK chants from the stands is an awesome sign of team spirit!
Even though I have always had a problem with the way some of their coaches have acted I have ALWAYS respected the talent that club has to offer.
Maybe they just have worn me down over the years but I even tried to extend an olive branch this year and it was recieved (I HOPE). It did cost me $4 and it was a K State air freshener but hey its a start! LOL!

But there is one point I will make. There is a Coach Knox out there that has made a HUGE impact on his club and that I have the HIGHEST respect for.
Thats Coach Knox from Chapperal!!!!
Same FIRE!
Same DESIRE!
But the way he acts and treats others puts him on a whole new level.
Maybe The teachers could take a lesson from the former student about behavior and earning and giving respect!

I don't think anyone is saying that the coaches for TOHK aren't good coaches and no one is saying the kids are quality wrestlers.
I am just saying you don't have to rant and rave and be disrespectful to be a good coach. I have not put down the wrestling ability of any of the TOHK wrestlers and I am not saying that all of the coaches are disrespectful. I personally had a nice chat with their head coach on the side while we were both watching matches. Decent guy polite and friendly. He even mentioned to my husband in a conversation on Sunday after learning that both our boys would be wrestling his wrestlers.."maybe you should be wrestling for TOHK". Thanks but no thanks.... IF my husband or any of our coaches was to act the way that his coaches act their butts would be getting tossed out of tournaments right and left. I have witnessed at every tournament we go to the atmosphere around a match invoving the TOHK coaches (not kids COACHES). My husband is vocal and will argue any point he deems necessary to win a match! But there is a point where you have to draw the line...My husband and all of the other coaches for our club ALWAYS shake the other kids hand and offer words of encouragement or a slap on the back..win or lose! They will not allow one of our wrestlers to get away with displaying bad sportsmanship. They are great coaches and we have a great club with a lot of talented wrestlers! There are no other teams that behave this way to this degree. If you know of any please let me know. I am not saying that there are not individual coaches that act wrong...I have witnessed several along with parents in the stands from other clubs. But I don't see it time and again tournament after tournament! You do not have to act that way to have a great wrestling team! Their wrestlers are good and we know we'll get a good match when we meet up with them. I am not knocking the kids at all. I am not saying the coaches don't do their jobs in the practice room! They just need to clean up their act on the mats! And race has nothing to do with it.

Kim Lovvorn

Are you kidding me???
you pulled the race card coach prieto??
I am hysterically laughing

Don't pull the race card and come up with that is the reason coaches are being singled out, if control yourself than congratulations- that is what we expect from a coach
There are several clubs that have wrestlers of every race. Next what will it be??? because some coaches have hair an others don't?? Call the NCAACP and see if this is a racial thing, it's not
Its about behavior not skin color--
oh btw i have a multi-racial family!
I don't think anyone questioned the job that Coach Knox has done

i think what really needs to be addressed is the definition of sportsmanship. i want my wrestlers to take a loss like a man, but some teams it seems gets to comfortable with the idea of losing. to me you should coach your kids to win. nobody has fun losing, and if they are in wrestling for that they are in the wrong sport.

as for knocking the wichita west kids club, you guys need to take a look at them a little closer. when i see coach knox's kids club i see nothing but good things. ya they are aggressive, its a physical sport though. i see a group of coaches that dedicated there lives to helping kids that would maybe be nothing in life, perform at the highest level in the sport of wrestling. you critics say there coaches are disresptful but if you went to freestyle and greco tournaments ten years ago you seen danny deshazer, coach knox, coach taylor and others supporting team ks in the same aspect as you see them pushing tohk kids at the kansas state tournament. you critics should go talk to the coaches from tohk some time. talk to them about wrestling and general, keep an open mind and see if you dont come out of that meeting with them with different ideas!