Whose clubs have closed practices? By closed I mean not allowing parents to watch and learn from the practice as well? What are your thoughts?

Thanks for your input!

Emporia practices are closed. Parents observe the last 10-15 minutes of the Wednesday practices.

My dads are welcome at Greater Gold. I ask that they give their son and their son's partner individual attention. We show technique or are live wrestling and every group has a individual coach. KP and I walk around and clean kids up. The dads learn and everyone improves! Someone there making sure they are doing it right and getting the most out of our practice time.

We encourage both moms and dads to help coach their wrestlers. However, no "wallflowers" are allowed. If you are in the room you are expected to be actively coaching. We've gotten some great help over the last few years with this philosophy.

Wall Flowers!! that was funny!

If the dad/moms cant help in practice how can they help them at home? I know there is alot of kids that go over there moves at home,If the dads/moms see and help them at normal practice they can also help them at home.

I dislike closed practices for kid's club. How can I help my child practice moves I haven't even seen? In a large club, there aren't enough coaches to help all the kids. Especially the ones that don't pick up on the move as quickly as others. If the parents can watch, then they can go home and help their child get the move down for the next practice. Or, they can help fine tune and practice the move. For those of you who say the child can show you. I would love to see you interpret the description of a move given by a confused 8 year old to a parent who has never seen the move before.
I can understand the coach not wanting half a dozen 'unskilled' parents on the mat. Although you would be surprised how many 'unskilled' parents have something to offer. At least let them sit at the back of the room or off to the side to watch and learn. I have been in a lot of wrestling rooms and the greater percentage of them have an area the parents could be in that was out of the way.

So do you require ALL the people in the room who are helping or giving instruction or overseeing kids performance to have a back ground check and a coaches card???

I agree with you all. I think practices should be open as well. EspecIally when its a Kids practice. I've seen first hand kids not getting moves and not near enough coaches to catch it all. I have my Bronze coaching card and have taken the time to get it. I'm not allowed in my kids practice now. Our club recently initiated a closed practice. Its made a lot of parents upset. Especially when your child wants to talk about things from practice and I can't help him because I wasn't able to watch.

Champions are not made 3 nights a week. It takes dedication at home as well. We totally encourage parents to come on to the mat and help and we we don't have a closed practice but we do require everyone who is on the mat helping or giving instruction to have a background check and a coaches card. IMO anything less is a risk and liability to the wrestler and the club.
And if the "wall flowers" get too loud or cause a distraction we have been known to tell that person to step outside or even clear the room.

I would not allow my son in a practice room that didn't allow parents that weren't coaches also. Anything that has to be done behind closed doors usually isn't something I want my son involved with.

Thanks for the feedback so far.... keep em coming. Glad to hear how things are done at other clubs.

My opinion is that parents should not be allowed in practice room. Some parents just coach their kid & its not fair to the kid he is sparring or drilling with. Some parents are distacting to their own kid. To many parents in practice room takes up to much space in room if u have a full room.To many coaches/Parents in a practice room is distracting to the regular coaches & wrestlers. You have all week to coach your kid! Give the volunteers that coach their 2 hours or less & go home & relax.

I agree with allowing parents in the room to be there with their son's and daughters. I go to practice and most of the time sit there and listen to the coaches. Occasionally I help the kids when they need help and our head coach is with another. If I was not allowed in, I don't know what I would do. I think it would put our son at a disadvantage, because this weekend we are going to a tournament and we are the only ones going. So he has no coach other than me. If I wasn't allowed into the practices, how the heck would I have learned anything. I didn't wrestle in high school.

To Luellen, how many coaches/Parents in the room is distracting? We now have over 70 kids in our club that are broke down into 2 groups. How would they learn if we only allowed a small amount of coaches in the room.

I can't think of another sport where I've heard of closed practice at this level. We encourage parents to help and I have even said a few comments to parents about talking to there kids at practice. I'm proud to say all my coaches coach everyone in the room. One of my main goals was to advance the skill level of everyone in the room (no kid left behind). If your having a closed practice it's beacuse one of two things. One the parents are coaching from the stands or two people are complaining about there kid getting equal coaching time.
In Luellens case I could understand his opinion. There wrestling room is fairly small and the mats go from wall to wall, not really much room for parents. Parents are also in close contact with there children which ads to the problem. I think club directors and coaches should talk to there parents before making this decision to close practice. Let them know that sideline coaching isn't permitted and make your parents feel welcomed in practice as long as they follow the rules. Make the rules clear and follow through. Coach all the kids in the room and if your kid to coach ratio is too big break the kids up into smaller more managable groups

I agree somewhat. I don't want the kids to be distracted at all with parents in the room, but I have helped him for 3 years now and I took the time to get my bronze coaching card. In the past we have always had open practices and I went into this year thinking the same thing. So we paid our money and practice started. Then a week ago we are notified that practices will now be closed. I hate to say it, but that is not right but feel there is nothing I can do. My kid has made good friends with our club and he enjoys his wrestling buddies. For this reason, I bite my tongue cause I know its all about his happiness. I take my turn with the other parents and watch from the 6"x12" window in the door leading to the wrestling room.

My point is SOME parents are counter productive in practice room. So some clubs choose to ban all to stop this. SEK man u have a bronze card & i assume some coaching skills u should be allowed in. But to open the room up & let every parent in is not good for the wrestling club. Most wrestling practices are around 2 hours so that means that u have 22 hours a day minimum to coach your kid. Let the coaches have thier 2 hours. I Dont try to teach my boys any thing when someone that is more qualified is doing it. Let coaches coach. They dont come to your house & try to show you how to parent do they? Its a respect thing brother. I have seen one man coach a wrestling room of 50+ kids year in & year out & be the most productive practices I have ever witnessed. If any parents come out on the mat he tells them get off my mat or get out of here. It dont take a army of people to coach a wrestling room.

You can also hear a pin drop on the mat & the kids are totally paying attention. A _very_ good room with a _very_ fine coach.

Where???

Tony Purler's room.