This IS a hot topic. I don't think that there is enough talk getting us to an actual solution to the Novice definition. Until then I think coaches should be the ones to dictate who should be novice. Not every first year kid is a novice and not every third or fourth year kid is an open wrestler. I have had kids who we would not let wrestle novice after their first couple novice tournaments. On the other hand I have had kids who needed to wrestle novice every week into their third year. Along with coaches dictating who wrestle at the novice level, parents need to adhere to that decision. Some parents feel their kids need "extra mat time" so they put them in novice tournaments. How about having them wrestle someone else in the wrestling room. Someone that would push them. I feel this would help them more than going out and spending 2 minutes on the mat on a Sunday pinning kids who have no chance. The whole idea of a novice tournament is to alow new kids to get the quality mat time they need in order to get them excited about the sport and the confidence to stick with it. It is not here to give more talented kids a feeding ground to build their ego. We as coaches are responsible for that.