I posted this back on: April, 04 2003 04:53 AM

I guess I am just old fashion.


Re: 6 & Under State Championship

smokeycabin
Member

Registered: July, 07 2001
Posts: 898
Loc: Shawnee Kansas 6 & UNDER STATE IS TO YOUNG PERIOD. I know I am not speaking for everyone. I have coached youth wrestling for over twenty years. I have coached 5 year olds and I have coached college all-Americans’. I also vote at the state body meeting and I will never vote for 6 & under state. We do not need to put false expectations into these young children’s minds. A 6 & under state champ may not make it back to state for another 4 years or ever. This creates false expectations in the child and in the parents who think their kid is the toughest roughest rumbler this side of the Mississippi. My son was a pretty decent wrestler at six and under and won the majority of his matches in the two tournaments I let him pick to enter. When he graduated to 8 & under and he was all of 7 years old he was getting it handed to him pretty hard by some eight year olds. When he was eight he dealt some of the 7 year olds a whipping. I think as a whole that is the natural progression the majority of kids make. I as a coach do not want to burn out the young participants when he or she is in eighth grade. I have seen it all too often that a parent is trying to create a national/Olympic champion. Your child is not you and never will be you. So let’s stop all this nonsense for a 6 & under world champ. I have seen parents run their kids out of baseball, football, track, tennis, golf, etc. Do not live your life through your child’s eyes. I have seen parent’s way out of hand watching the six and under group and our sport doesn't need that kind of pressure put on these young people. The boys and girls will grow up at their own pace - not in your or my time frame. THE END!

I did post this on: April, 04 2003 04:53 AM

I still feel the same way 6 years later!

Sean McCarthy