If memory serves; and I have been with the DeSoto Kids Wrestling Club for four years now, the only person that has been asked to leave our tournament last year was an open wrestler that was sand bagging in a novice tournament with the excuse of extra matches to get mat time. The wrestler in question was removed after never having a match past the first round, attempting to intentionally injure his opponent and acted what was judged by the tournament director in an unacceptable / un-sportsman like manner. The excuse of “wrestling up” against an experienced wrestler does nothing to the development of experienced participants. If you will read the Charter for the USA Wrestling for the sate of Kansas, it is FOR THE KIDS and the sport not a parent’s ego. If you like I am sure that one of the board members, senior referees or reputable coaches can explain it to you. If a parent needs gold medals from tournaments for inexperienced and beginning wrestlers that are just learning, I have a big box of gold and silver medals I can give them so they can feel better about their child.
If you will notice the new rules this year regarding what is considered a true novice, they are to level the playing field for the new wrestlers so that they can get experience they will need (Hence “Novice” tournament).
Since these are as you put it “Mommy Matches” at a novice tournament and beneath the abilities of your athlete, why would you take them to a novice tournament? There have been a rare few stud first year wrestler that is a natural and if yours is this aggressive and knows things that are not common for a novice wrestler, then it becomes a question of why isn’t this wrestler participating in open?
For a recent example, I was at the Atchison Tournament last Saturday and the caliber of wrestlers was impressive across the board. One thing that I saw and was impressed by was when a wrestler that obviously out classed his opponent in experience and ability, he did not try and go for a world record pin time or try going for a technical fall in less than the first round. He worked his opponent, worked his own strategy, got mat time and was a gentleman about it; he did not try and rub his opponent’s nose into his lack of experience. Granted he did tech the inexperienced wrestler, but he showed class on and off the mat. He did not at all act like the wrestler that was asked to leave.