Sportfan02-I am curious what your take would be on this...
Say your son is the 152lb HS state champ from last year. He is fired up and ready to wrestle this year at 160. The coach finds out after looking at this years team that there is one other kid who is not as good at 160 and nobody at 171. He asks your son for the good of the team to wrestle 171 because he could handle it better. This would greatly reduce your sons chances of repeating as state champ but help the team. Would you object?
No and I've seen it done on several if not many occasions. Maybe not to the exact scenario you lay out but all the same.
My take so you know, is that your kid in this example would have earned his spot at 160 since he can beat the other kid. He would clearly help the team if he wins another state championship there. Asking him to hurt himself for the good of the team works when there are no individual winners. (like football or basketball), but in wrestling they should help the team but not at the risk of hurting themselves. I would say the kid would help his team more at 160. A kid also can help the team by his leadership, work ecthic and attitude, all of which don't hurt his individual chances.
Depends on the situation of the team. In some cases what you say may be true but in others that same kid just placing and allowing another kid to place might be of a bigger help.
That is my challenge is anytime kids/families want to do anything for themselves, like your exception to Cavanaugh's post, it's considered not for the team. We took my son to Missouri to wrestle all during kids club. We were told we were selfish and not looking out for the team. Now that he is in HS when it's actually a partial team sport, he helps the team quite a bit. He is a positive influence, and works hard, but he is doing his best every day to improve as an individual as that helps the team. He also works all the time with the other kids on his team to help them get better.
Let me know your thoughts,
I know it's difficult for people who have never been around a successful team to understand what is expected from each individual, in what is somewhat an individual sport. But as I think Beeson and others will attest, it is ALL about the team and less about individual accomplishments at that level. The coaches I know and respect (which is about all of them), talk about the team first and foremost.
