How to stop Novice Medal Hunters.

I would like to see someone in the state body create a rule that will end the “What is a Novice” and “Why can't we have six year olds at the state tournament” debates. I think I have an idea that will stop one of the issues once and for all.

How many of you would agree to this:

Wrestlers must declare by Jan 1 Novice or Open status. Once declared, no wrestler can move up or down in status. Open tournaments will still allow wrestlers to be ranked A – D for bracketing/seeding purposes.

This will either eliminate discussion of adding six year olds to the state tournament because they will have to choose novice or open status. If they chose novice, they will lose their eligibility to compete in a state tournament. Of if given the option of state tournament or novice status, most coaches will opt for open status because they realize that six year olds are really all novices so they aren't hurting anything by feeding the kid to the sharks because the sharks are in fact other beginning wrestlers. If the wrestler opts for open status, then there will be no reason for anyone to complain because they opted for the open status.

I do have reservations about calling a six year old an advanced wrestler when he or she can't spell "advanced' and still takes naps. Then again, that's just my opinion.

Lastly, an attempt to discredit me through what I have understood to be perfectly legal of a JV wrestler wrestling for the club after his JV season was finished by an official that: 1) doesn't understand the rules that he is supposedly enforcing , 2) does not have the decency to approach me or a Tornado representative on a one to one basis, but instead puts it on the web for everyone to see, and 3) puts my name on the internet while hiding behind the anonymity of a screen name further illustrates a need for a message board rule requiring names of posters to be disclosed on the post.

Of course I understand that it would be mission impossible to impose such a rule, but hiding behind a screen name is cowardice. We should all strive to set good examples for kids as coaches and officials. I have no qualms in stating if I was in the right or the wrong and I have no problems putting name on something that I have written. I think you will find there are many people that agree or disagree with me on a multitude of issues, but the respect the fact that I am a stand up guy.

Jeremy Gibson