I' m not sure about your statement Keith in which if you do not notice an official all day long he's probably doing a "good job".

We noticed just the opposite @ Middle School State in which most of all your characteristics of an exceptional official on the lighter weight mats where he was officiating were present....the younger guys were trying their best to emulate him. He was OUTSTANDING and the wrestlers were very aware that he had their best interest on his command of the match.

Thank you for helping lead the younger officials!!! Not sure of his name but an exceptional individual with a love of the sport!

Because it's important!!! Our club is already scholarshiping one or more kids state tournament expenses each year because their parents can't afford it. We don't need any added expenses and I'm sure many many clubs/parents feel the same. Besides, I broke my abacus trying to decipher your referee assignment formula.

I know it's important, but I'm not ignorant to the fact that if you want to play, you have to pay.

I have an abacus that was modified to accept about another 10 numbers if you want to borrow it

Not that my opinion matters, but until both OFFICIALS and COACHES are required to pass a written test, none of this matters. The Coaches are just as ignorant as the Officials. It is very difficult for an official to take an idiot coach seriously as it is for us to take an idiot official seriously.

There were over 1500 coaches bands given out this year. There were just over 1100 wrestlers. Do the math, 400 more coaches than wrestlers. TOO MANY MOMMA's with their t*&*%$ still in their kids mouths. Get off the floor, you have no idea what you are talking about. Your kid does not need you on the mat...especially since you don't know how to coach.

Until the State gets the idiot coaches off of the floor, idiot Officials will always have a place.

The number of Bronze Certified Mom's went up this year as well...

I guess it will just stay broke, this forum is just a place for us old farts to release some tension... Or add to it

Beeson they're is an old terminology for guys that make statements similar to yours. I will refrain. You don't think some "daddy's aren't in this same picture you paint"? Moison makes a good point more females acquiring coach's bands ~~# wristbands.

After > 30 years associated with wrestling, past 5 years with bronze cert. so I could be safety in the corner when we go to OK tournaments. I spend 8 full weeks and 1 in winter with a National Camp System & go to the OTC (COS) yearly. I would rather not be on the floor but have the best seat scoring a table except @ state. Like to be in the stands & my fellow coach's have always known this. Have an older 25 y.o. that wrestled for 19 years.

I feel for your ignorance Beeson in your quick remarks to categorize all Bronze females. I can certainly tell you a kids strengths & weaknesses when. scouting opponents although I don't film. As well I went through HS with a VB/BB coach like Rutgers Coach Rice. So I do agree with the p.....ification of todays athletes.

Sorry so Long, let's sign this one......
Petunia PIG.

My boys were on mats 9&11 the officiating was very good on both mats. I watched some matches on mats 1&2 the officials were very good IMO. Officials are human. They make mistakes. My son lost in overtime in the finals 2 years ago bc of a stalling call I did not agree with. My son lost the match end of story. It was not the refs fault. To say or tell your wrestler that you lost that match bc of the ref is lame. I believe that time is better spent training,instead of complaining. If the match is so close that one call decides it then the problem is solved by training & prepairing not sniveling & complaining.

AGREE 100% on the comment on IDIOT coaches....Interesting thing Manhattan Kids Club did when I was there,(Ned Price was Head Coach and gets all the credit for this...I was pi##ed but agreed to it), if you wanted to coach, you carried a clipboard and were teamed with an experienced coach your first season (there were exceptions, i.e. - I had a 3X state champ out of NE that wrestled at West Point walk in to practice and want to coach...HELL YEAH)...You also were NOT put on your son/daughters mat (coaches had assingned mats since we were taking 40-50 kids to tournaments every week)...You could go coach matside for your wreslter's match (AS THE SECOND COACH)...As soon as the match was over, it was back to your mat...You also went to practices and helped (none of this crap of showing up on Saturdays and not know the abilities of your wrestlers)...We weeded out the VLLLAGE IDIOTS and those that were only there for their wrestler very quickly...Some coaches actually stuck w not coaching their own wreslter past that first yr.

Couldn't agree more with this statement. (I would say it's both Mom's and Dad's but otherwise this is almost a perfect response to many of our issues.) Officials might not be so grumpy if they were not being berated by people that took a 1 day class and passed a background check.

In a perfect world, it would be nice if at the State Tournament, the only coaches permitted on the floor, were the ones of course holding the Bronze certification, and possibly a different color of USAW wrestling card (EX: Black designates state eligible, Yellow states, they have not completed 2 years of coaching under USAW) that basically states that the coach holding the card has been approved to be or not to be a state tournament coach at THE BEGINNING of the year by the HEAD COACH or CLUB PRESIDENT (which has to be when cards are purchased from Kathy), has completed 2 years of prior coaching while holding a USAW coaches card. Examples of situational ammendments are: A young coach that has no affiliations with a child wrestling (SON or DAUGHTER) that has wrestled in college or out of HS with experience (the head coach of the team/club will be the overall mediator/approver) This will help with several issues:

1. It will keep the floors at the state tournament clear

2. It will separate the newbie coaches from the veteran coaches

3. It will ease frustration with officials/coaches and possibly make the day a little more enjoyable for all

4. It will keep the mommy, daddy, grandma, grandpa, little or big brother/sister, aunt, uncle, friend, or anyone that doesn't know s$$t about the sport off the floor (nothing like coaching a kid all year to have dad barge in and take your place matside and coach his kid and noone elses or having mom or dad there with a video camera on the mat next to you elbowing you while yelling in your ear).

Together we can make this work!

Don't laugh, but here are my credentials if it makes a difference to some who may be thinking I am a hypocrite or a bigot:

Wrestled for the Topeka Tornados from 1979-1981
Wrestled for Chase Middle School in Topeka Kansas for 7th & 8th grade (8the grade took 3rd at the city tourney - no laughing I said!) = SUCKED
Wrestled for Highland Park High School and made it to state my sophomore year just because of an injured wrestler and they needed the points (as Andrew Dice may have said "they needed the points") = SUCKED - Basically I was a positive assistant (practice dummy) for my fellow teammates
Club president/coach for Topeka Blue Thunder 2007-2010
Assistant Coach for SH Thunderbirds 2010-2011
Assistant coach for Lawrence Elite Wrestling Club from 2011-present
Wrestled in the Sunflower State games in 2009 & 2010 only to find out how bad of shape I really was in
Have coached several national/state champions
Have 2 damn good sons as wrestlers/humans
Most of all, many parents that have loved me coaching their sons

I love the sport, and am only trying to help improve things for everyone, but mostly the kids

I wish there was a "like" button! Appreciate the commentary Moison!

Thanks Mark