Will,

I understand what you are saying. I also like your idea about having clubs sponser high school kids getting certified. What I won't change my opinion about is having coaches attend not just the rules meetings but the clincs. You are correct stalling is not an issue that is discussed in detail at the KSHSAA meeting, it is mostly to discuss rule changes and updates. HOWEVER the area rules meeting do and will. If you have ever go to one of the series 1 or 2 rules meetings you will almost always learn something that you didn't know or hear others opinions about topics. Even I learn something new everytime I go so I make it a point to attend. When you go to these area meetings its kind of a free flowing atmosphere and you are encouraged to ask questions. That would be the perfect time to bring stalling up and ask all the questions you can. Obviously these meetings are limited to an hour or two so you can't get everything in but at least its a start.

My hope is that maybe sometime in the next couple of years we could get the USAWKS board to sanction or at least sponsor a series of rules clincs, maybe 1 in every district, once or twice a year much like KSHSAA does. A few senior level officials would volunteer to conduct these in each district. Coaches and officials would attend and have an opportunity to discuss rules and how they are applied and interpreted. While I don't know if it would be possible or advantagous to require attendance it would be well worth the time. The people that attend could then take this knowledge back to their clubs and spread it to their other coaches. I believe this would exponentially decrease the amount of false assumptions that happen at tournaments as I see it. I know this happens alot because every time I referee I hear coaches say things like "Well his knee came down first" When their wrestler is called for a slam. And maybe other things like this. When I hear things like this I just can't believe that someone told them this and they believed it. The fact is that many coaches at the kids level have never actually read the NFHS rule book in its entirety much less own one. Perhaps USAWKS could start including these in the cost of the coaches card so that everyone has one.

I believe that if coaches in USAW had to take the NFHS test this would encourage them to read the rule book and explore it for themselves. I know that even as long as I've been officiating I still have to go through the book and look up answers at the beginning of the year to refresh myself. I also know there aren't very many officials no matter how long they have been in that can take the test, get all of the answers right, without looking in the book at least once. That is the point of the test and why it is open book, its not about how much you can recall from memory but to challenge you to come up with the right answer based on the rules.

I also believe that if USAW coaches would get themselves certified and officate some tournaments they would gain a HUGE appreciation for what officials do out on the mat. They would understand what its like to have coaches mad at you and why its annoying to have coaches at the table questioning a judgement call usually with no factual rule knowledge. You may not want to officiate another tournament as long as you live after the first one, but I bet you'll be a lot more quite the next time you go out to coach.

No Will, I don't mean to have a detrimental tone, my ideas are meant to spark curiosity in those that particpate in our sport and ultimatly make it better for all of us. I know that no official is perfect, myself included. I also know that sometimes coaches are right in the things they say because an official may just have made a mistake. But once its happened the only thing you can do is move on and hope that you coached your wrestler well enough to overcome adversity. Call me crazy but I honestly believe in my heart that there isn't one official who honestly goes onto a mat hoping to cost a wrestler a match. Even officials at the division 1 NCAA tournament make mistakes. The more we know as competitors,officials,coaches, and even fans will be better for all of us.