Consider doing some research if we are really concerned about the health of our sport nationwide.

http://www.nwcaonline.com/many-kids-quit-sport-age-13-2/

Why Do So Many Kids Quit Sport by Age 13?
by NWCA June 9, 2016
The answer to this question is simply too much, too soon, and too intense! A few weeks ago, I read with great interest the NWCA blog from Heath Eslinger the University of Tennessee Chattanooga wrestling coach regarding his take with youth sports that children should play and not pay. Don’t pay to play on travel teams for the U-10 age groups? He encouraging playing and not paying and cited the fact that as many as 70% of children who begin playing a sport before the age of eight won’t make it to play in middle school. A major reason for this dropout rate is in part due to the fact that children simply don’t have fun.
But what is fun? Although research is not exactly clear as to what defines fun there are many thoughts on the topic. For instance, for many young wrestlers fun is associated with positive movement experiences. This appears to be a key ingredient for keeping children involved in sport. Visek, et.al., used concept mapping to determine a more research-based concept of fun in a study of youth soccer players. They concluded that we as coaches and administrators “should advance the understanding of positive, fun movement by establishing a youth sport ethos” (1, P.428). That is, a sport ethos that relates fun to the trifecta of being a good sport (social), trying hard (internal), and positive coaching (external).
I also read with great interest an Associated Press story on sport specialization versus becoming a multi-sport athlete. They discuss high rates of burnout and injury associated with single sport participation. Therefore, states such as Michigan that are creating task forces to increase multi-sport participation. Professionals such as Urban Meyer, Jordan Spieth and John Smoltz have also spoke out in support of multi-sport participation (2).
So why do children drop out before the age of 13-specifically in wrestling? Any of the following will play a roll, however, the main reason always comes back in some way to the lack of fun.
• Children don’t get successful experiences in practice and competition
• Children do not get meaningful and positive praise on a daily basis
• Parents set unrealistic performance goals based on the parent’s view
• The elementary season, in most cases, is just too long!
- See more at: http://www.nwcaonline.com/many-kids-quit-sport-age-13-2/#sthash.Sp6tScb1.dpuf

Consider doing some research before setting some policies if we are really concerned about the health of our sport nationwide.

This report, comes from decades old research! The NCEP Bronze clinic has been using these findings for over 20 years!!

Today's kids, coaches and parents may shy away from the word "fun" and embrace the word "enjoy" more!! You might read from Cody Garcia and Chad Parks ... they credit Mike Denney for this new emphasis!!

Randy,

Good point - it seems we have people ignoring decades old research as well as the latest term "enjoy". But if we keep going younger and younger rewarding kids to travel, state this, state that, nationals this and that, - youth orginations are forgetting about the development process of all their members and they are beginning to gear activities for mainly the state placers. We now have 5 state tournaments - when there use to be only one. Serious - I know for the majority of kids in middle school there goals maybe some day is to make the varsity team, start on the varsity team, win 50 percent of the time, qualify for state, win a few matches at HS state, etc that is the majority who want to get better and be part of a team or something bigger then their self.

We need to stop the bleeding by not helping the attrition rate - that means changing our thinking a bit. That is my opinion - when the dust settles and people
currently making decisions for all the kids and not just the ones that effect their kids they may get it at another time. We (OE/STA) have about 100 kids in our program now - there will be several kids every week all the way through high school that will do well in the win column. I want everyone of them to get to high school and through HS still enjoying the sport. High school will be a grind and we need to develop them and prepare them (each one will be different) for the path.

....and yet we want to consider adding a 6&U division to the state series in the face of the decades long findings. Nuts, simply nuts.

well in light of all that it still makes more sense than a second "kids" high school tournament or even a 14U division that at the end of the year you gotta guess which weight class is gonna fill up the most with high school freshman who were disappointed with their year on JV

We already have a 6U State, what difference does the logistics matter in regards to burnout?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/are...m=.7061a0c9d349


“The system is now designed to meet the needs of the most talented kids,” said Mark Hyman, a professor of sports management at George Washington University and the author of several books on youth sports. “We no longer value participation. We value excellence.”

I dont believe that the problem is a lack of sports opportunities where participation is valued over excellence, community sports leagues where anyone can sign up and play are a dime a dozen. We lament the "everybody gets a medal" kids sports model all the time...the problem is a large number of parents think their kid is the next Joe Montana/Pele/Cael Sanderson/Serena Williams and they aren't and they are never going to be. Coming to terms with this fact is nigh impossible for a generation of parents who all their own lives they were told how exceptional they were in every phase of their upbringing. When all you hear is "you can do anything..." all your life without any qualification like "...but you will have to work your ass off to do it" lends itself to a generation of parents who think their kids should be the next Einstein/Mohammad Ali/Margaret Thatcher by birthright alone. When the kids realize that they suck at sports they quit because heaven forbid they waste anytime putting the work in to get good, that is too hard and takes way too much time...time better spent at the $1000 space camp. Because who wants to waste that time trying to be the next Michael Jordan when you clearly are meant to be the next Neil Armstrong.