Smokey

Good work! I didn't know those types of discussions were happening in the hospitality room. I am going to have to start listening in!

Parents of 6U: My biggest question to all of you is: What do you remember about playing sports before you turned seven years old?

So there is mention of his achievements in the 12U class?

i will assume your boy is around 19, so he would have been 6 13 years ago did they even have 6 and under 13 years ago for him to put on is resume.

I agree, not many kids will remember their six and under success or failures; But I think for the very young kids out there that experiance competition at such a young age, will condition them to the growth of it in their lives; be it wrestling, or a hard experiance in adulthood. So what I am saying is the sub-contiouse effect they gain from early competition has its place as they grow older. I personnaly feel wrestling at a very young age is a great eye opener for kids, lifes difficult, and with the right parental nurturing, coaching, family and friends, the very young wrestler will have an advantage over the kid that just plays video games, eats, and is helicoptered out of difficulties most his or her young life. I say yes to six and under, and hope that all parents, coaches and good friends help with the correct developement.

I am as rabid a fan of wrestling as anyone out there, just ask me and I will tell you. My son started at six and didn't even wrestle open tournaments or Sub-districts until he was eight. He made it to state for the first time last year at the age of eleven. He is still wrestling this year (for those of you that might be mathematically challenged, that would make him twelve)and is going to have a very difficult time just making it back to Districts. Hopefully, come next fall he will wrestle his first year of Jr High and should be very competitive. The key is, he is still wrestling, and I don't have any regrets.

One more thing, these kids, if they are still wrestling into high school, will get plenty of matches. My last two years in high school I wrestled a total of 47 matches. A lot of high school wrestlers get that many matches in a year these days. Your kids will get their matches, they will have their opportunities to compete at State, and if you are fortunate, they will still be wrestling for years to come.