Just pick when you want your kid to peak. Because one in 10,000 will be a stud at 6 and still at 16. I agree with choice, but I don't believe ANY 5-6 year old can handle 50-100 matches a year that some are doing now and not lose the "passion" by the time they are 16-18. I get all the "not my kid stuff", and maybe I am wrong, but "My kid" was "that kid". And he was not turned loose until 8 not 5/6. Looking back I wish I would have let him go at 10-11.

I am just trying provide some perspective that I am not sure I even would have listened to at that time.

Here is my advise. Get with someone you trust in wrestling. Put together a plan of gains your kid needs to make to jump to each age group. There are clear differences in what wins at 6, 8, 10, 12, 14 and HS. Even more at you look to college. Focus on those goals and how to accomplish them and still have balance and FUN and the titles will come if they are meant to be.

As a parent of a kid who has won 20 state titles, has lost one match at a state tournament since he was 9 years old, has placed AA at 22 different national tournaments, and won 6 of them...We are now looking for ways for him to treat wrestling like he did when he was 5/6. Be careful what you create and wish for.

JMO I am done with this topic. Tell me to stick it if you want. Just trying to save people from their own ambition. Wrestling has changed our families lives in a great way. I just wish I had listened when I had a young one.

Thanks!

The wisdom in badbo's post is probably deeper than many overzealous parents of an exceptional/elite U6 wrestler can comprehend. I might be reading too much into the message that is being delivered, but if it is how I am reading it, I am sorry.

I don't want to let my son wrestle a hundred times a year and I too think that a lot of people stress their child too hard.I haven't said anything about wrestling every tournament that we can and do State also. This was my sons last year at 6u. Everyone asked why I didn't put him in 8u State. A lot of people questioned why I didn't put him in a lot of big tournaments.I believe we can burn them out. I just want them to have the chance if they want it.

My son wanted to go to 8u state and he wants to go to Brute and sunflower games and go to freestyle, but I want him to be hungry for next year.So I am setting him out. JUST TREAT THEM THE SAME.

If everyone is worried about burning them out, do you really think one tournament will burn them out. No it is the constant stress that burns them out.

Randy says it best in his Bronze class. Let them wrestle 3 on one off. And if your high school is wrestling, take practice off and watch them. One practice won't hurt them. We did that after the bronze class and my son loved it.

Not letting them wrestle the biggest weekend of the year isn't the only solution to burn outs.TREAT THEM THE SAME.

Jerry,

There will be many "biggest weekend of the year" if they continue to wrestle. The biggest weekend of the year at a young age pales in comparison to the biggest weekend of the year in high school, college, or beyond. Get that young man to these weekends and your combined satisfaction will be greater than anything either one of you could have hoped for.

When you are talking about burning them out: I personally believe that if a kid sees themself getting better, they will stay interested. We have to keep drilling the right techniques with them, and keep them heading in the right direction. Kids that are killers at 6 and 8, tearing people up with headlocks and snakes, are going to be caught, passed, and probably quit. Just my two cents worth. I think as long as a kid is asking about practice and tourneys, let him wrestle. I did cut mine off when he only asked about wrestling 10 times per day, instead of the normal 20. Now, after watching big brother at Topeka, he is asking about going with Big Bro to wrestle at Brute. I had to break it to him that there is not a Story Hour 43 lb class.............

Doug,

There must be something in your genes that I don't have. Do you wear Levi or Wrangler? Whatever you wear, it must be the right brand because your boys just keep on grappling. So far I have had three on the mat with one yet to come, if he wants to. Only one has lasted the test of time up to this point, one only lasted three years, and the other after three years is a toss up. This sport is not for everyone, and it is nothing to be ashamed of because they can excel in other sports.

By the way, the Brawlers are an incredible club. I am sure that there are some people that wish many of them would burn out.

I wear whatever carpenter jeans I can find for less than $20!! Damned Alco store closed here in town, and they used to have some good heavy duty ones for $15!! Must have closed because tight asses like me wouldn't pay more than $15 for jeans......

I only have two boys, brother Dal has 4 of them. None of them have a choice!!!!

ANY kid that has ba))s enough to step on the mat has my respect. We just have to keep them out. Making them better is the best way. Letting them quit, when they haven't put in the work necessary to reap the benefits, should not be an option. As kids, it would be easier to quit the sport, rather than take a few years of a$$whippings. As parents, it would be easier (and a hell of a lot cheaper) to let the kid quit the first time he said he didn't like it. Remember, anything worth having, isn't easy.

You could probably talk to plenty of people that will tell you that my attitude toward my 5 yr old that just started, is completely different than the attitude that I had when I started Levi. Owen likes it, I had to tell Levi that he liked it!! haha

There are different paths for different kids. We'll see if being more laid back with Owen works for him. If it doesn't show signs of working, I'll have to ratchet up the heat!

As an example for everyone on here, Coach Jeff Jordan didn't allow his son Micah to start going to tourneys til he was at least 8. I believe his boy Rocky is just now starting to get turned loose at tourneys, and I think he is 8 or so. I can't recall what age Bo was when he started, but I think it was about the same. Bo is a total stud, Micah is as well. Bet ya Rocky turns out to be a stud also........

I wrestled Dal once in high school. I really can't remember who won, but I am pretty sure it wasn't me. My son wrestled Dylan last year and I can't remember who won, but I am pretty sure it wasn't my son. My memory is not very good these days, so my son and I could have won both matches.

One thing I would like to point out right way. Did any of you who want 6U added to the current state series happen to look around the Expo Center Saturday morning? Where in the heck are we going to put them? You are talking about 200 more kids and the accompanying relatives. NO WAY will it work. I am going to keep pushing and pushing to shorten the season for 6, 8, and 10 divisions until we make it happen. They should be done mid February. I agree with everything Badbo says. I hope that most of you have the goal of having your kids win HS state. Winning 6U State isn't going to get you closer to that goal.

You should have wrestled me, then you probably would have won..........

I was thinking the same thing, especially after reading Badbo's post last week. My other thought was if they made it similar to Brute nationals. Basically adding a day making it a 3 day tourney, splitting up wrestlers in 2 groups each wrestling 2 days, with different weigh ins and different wrestling days, with finals on the last day. Tough do though, lots more money spent for families and not good during these times.

I do like the idea of shortening the season. We wrestled junior high, took time off during kids, but still wrestled some of the major national tourneys, and ended kids with 68 matches. Still have MS duals. Looking forward to see how it will go next year for the boy in HS, less matches but more practice time. From what I've seen from other HS wrestlers this week at kids, lots of them seemed to have improved greatly after their first HS season.

Sure Doug, try to make me feel better now. Where were you when I needed you (and not your brother) back in the early '80s?

badbo is so right. You can burn them out but some of these guys won't listen. They will ask their son you want go right and they will say yes to make Dad happy. I can hear the guys going "Oh! not my son I know what he is thinking." No you don't you may think you do. YOu be the one that makes them take a weekend off just to be a kid. My oldest wrestled every weekend of the season from the time he was 5.This was in the 90's when there were fewer tournaments. When he was a freshman in HS he said enough. Wrestled again when he was a senior on his terms in his way. He still loves the sport but I wonder if we had slowed him down what would have happened.

I really like badbo's perspective & hope reader's can absorb his message. We are on #2 son (13 years apart) the older wrestled in college...didn't start till 1st grade during those days very few novice tournaments and everyone entered in your weight was in the bracket (ONLY the top 4 kids picked up medals)...btw, $8.00 entry fee in the mid 90's. Played a little BB while wrestling & had to wrestle with a lil "peer pressure" in that realm.

Little 1 comes along with a dream to be "Bigger, Faster, Stronger, Better than Brother". Did not enter into districts until 8 & U, did compete in the large man, average bell curve, standard boy size & several of his friends he met in Ottawa are still wrestling. Quite a few have left the sport & are 10! Took some time off when yeah sure he should have been practicing for subs to watch LCC's MO-KAN classic this year. Picks his summer, picks his weight, doesn't "watch the scale". Places well on podium.

I see burn-out in kids from ("eating next to nothing--dieting"), parents unhappy that the kid didn't WIN or should've done better, when they placed or gave it their all & if you can't simply ask them if they did the best they could? zip the lip parents & that your proud of giving it all that they could. You might after awhile ask them how it felt and if they didn't like how they felt losing then do you know what you need to work on? They & their coaches generally do. I see tantrums --- throwing their ankle band, throwing their head gear, etc .....WAY TOO MUCH.....who really is teaching & allowing this poor sportsmanship?

All in all the kids @ 6 & U are rookies, beginners learning the sport. Several big named coach's across the country including Jordan, Mayabb, Haggerty, Chertow would encourage a later start for most and involve the kids with flexibility...gymnastics esp. coming from Coach Mayabb (Staley H.S.) and OTC Jr. Nat'l team Greco coach. This is one of the HARDEST sports and Wrestling IS TRAINING for the rest of their Lives.

Perhaps adding Rookie division on Friday might be the answer for the 6 & U's with a qualifier for them @ District's...this is still going to make their season L-O-N-G. Shortening to the week of HS Regionals or State in mid to late Feb. isn't the answer.