What is the best way to rank a wrestler? What would you consider a beginner and average and above average? I've been seeing a lot of kids listed as beginner and they seem they should be doing open tournaments and not novice. They are dominating these novice tournaments.

Jdill72,

This topic is currently being discussed on the forum. See the link below.

http://www.usawks.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=224449#Post224449

Coaches should have a pretty good idea how to rate wrestlers. You should talk with the coaches in your club to see what they recommend.

These seems to be a hot topic again.

A novice is typically defined as 2 years or less experience and has not placed in the top 2 of a Open tournament with 6 or more wrestlers to include themselves. Also keep in mind many tournaments classify 6U as one and try to group by rating but won't always work so you may mix novice and open there.

It is a very fine line and someone is always going to think their Johnny is getting hammered by a kid that should be in Open.

We wrestled a Novice kid a couple weeks ago and he took 1st with 2 majors, 1 pin and a decision. He is 4, was his 1st tournament and had been practicing for 2 weeks. Typical? Maybe not but I bet there were some parents saying exactly what you are claiming. He is not ready for open yet based on age and time.

I understand some people trophy hunt but you are just going to have to deal with it unfortunately. Focus on your wrestler and help them get better, don't focus on the fact that they are getting hosed. It is not the norm so if they are practicing and getting better themselves it will pay off.

So (D) Novice is defined above, (C) Average is not a novice but normally doesn't place or doesn't place very high unless in a small bracket. (B) Above average almost always places and usually high. (A) State qualifier/placer, speaks for itself. There is a difference in A and B, B could be defined smaller local tournaments and A would separate those that place at National/State tournaments.

Many different interpretations out there but I think that is close.

Daniel DRW,

This is a very fair assessment and pretty much on target. The 4 year old you describe, it sounds like this young wrestler could make some serious noise later on in his career. I have seen some very young wrestlers that have the natural gift, the drive to use it, and the mental balance to keep it all together. I wish him the best.

To keep parents grounded, I also want to mention the young talent I have seen along the way that didn't finish, in some cases didn't start, their high school careers. I have always been dialed in to my son's thoughts concerning wrestling and whether or not he was still having fun and loving the sport. He is a few weeks away from finishing a pretty successful high school career and for that I am very proud. It hasn't been easy; there has been a lot of blood, sweat and tears along the way. You have to be supportive, you have to talk with them about their feelings, and you have to tell them how proud of them that you are for competing in the hardest sport that there is regardless of the outcome of a match.

I trust our coach a lot. He does a great job of being open and honest about where the kids need to wrestle. I just don't see how these other clubs are doing it? I watched a kid who pinned all of his opponents in a 5 man round robin all in the first period. And this was a novice tournament.

I am glad to hear that you trust your coach because that is important. I coached Kids' Federation three years as a volunteer when I was in college and another nine years after my two oldest boys started wrestling. My third son also wrestled three years and my fourth just started this year. You will always see wrestlers that shouldn't be wrestling novice tournaments yet they are. As Daniel DWR said, you should only worry about your wrestler working to get better. The wrestler you mentioned may wash out or your wrestler may close the gap and eventually be the better wrestler. Focus on the future, support your wrestler and stay well grounded. Most of all, always tell your wrestler how proud you are of them because this is not an easy sport and they will need you in their corner throughout their career.