I watched and listened closely during introductions of finals participants Sunday afternon and was very dissappointed in what I seen to be very poor taste and dissrespectful towards their opponant,,,,, Is it just me or is acting like your talking on a cell phone at the middle of the mat dissrespectful,or while your opponant is waiting at the middle of the mat for a handshake/high five you have to do several back flips to reach him,or flat out just walking and or struting to meet him,I know we used that to our little guys on not how to act when the spotlight is on you...... Hear your name,run to middle,slap hands and exit the mat,it is awesome accomplishment to reach that level,dont tarnish it by acting out of line!!!!!!!!

i thought it was pretty funny when one of the little guys only walked a quarter of the way and made the other kid walk the rest of the way to him. A lot of people may think it's showboating and it's disrespectful but I disagree. I think the sport needs more people like this. It's entertaining, and a lot of times wrestling can be far from entertaining. For example I think Ben Askren and Johnny Hendricks and their antics have been great for the sport. It's given the people in the sport something to talk about, as well as given the people around the sport a reason to watch it.

It's rediculous to wear shades, act like Terrell Owens with the cell phone, etc. Be respectful, then kick their tail on the mat.

24/7

I have to disagree with you on this one Curtis. If the other kid stopped right in the middle where they should, would they ever shake hands? I don't mind the shades or a back flip AFTER they shake hands, but I think the cell phone or not extending your hand is a sign of weak character to disrespect a kid that got to that final the same way you did.

Curtis, I will chalk up your comment to still being young and a little full of yourself. I have to agree with Chief. There is a difference between showing confidence and being disrespectful. You can still do some showboating and also show respect for your opponent and the sport. The antics mentioned above are disrespectful in my opinion.

I think it's completely unacceptable. Even the NFL doesn't allow it, and USAW kids shouldn't allow it either. Do you think it's funny to the nervous young kid in front of thousands of people that he has to go 3/4 of the way to meet his opponent? I think that anything other than meeting your opponent in the middle, shaking hands and leaving the floor should result in an unsportsmanlike conduct and forfeiture of your championship match.

Just curious. Did the kid who went halfway and the cell phone kid lose in the final? If they did, did they show up for the picture?

I have always taken pride in the fact that this sport had an outstanding show of good sportmanship and respect. We teach the wrestlers to shake hands before they begin their matches and at the end of every match. They shake hands with the opposing coach and sometimes the officals. I think they gain character and self-discipline by participationg in this behavior. I was disgusted by the behaviors that I witnessed before the finals! I don't think there is anything entertaining about this type of behavior, whether it comes from USA kids, NCAA, or NFL. It show a deep lack of integrity and good sportsmanship. It also shows how shallow and disrepectful you are. Let your confidence show on the mat with great speed, strength and knowledge of the sport. That will speak louder than any other actions you have.
I was also an unfortunate bystander at the 16's championship mat when a wrestler lost a match and then refused to go to the podium for photos. I know he was disappointed in losing and there was also a dispute about the officiating. But, nevertheless, you are 16, not 6. Be happy you got 2nd. There many others who would give anything to place 2nd at a state tournament.

I agree with Curtis. I thought it added to the ceremony Sunday. It has definately added to this message board today. Look, this is not a cookie cutter sport like so many others. It doesn't matter where your from, what race you are,how tall or short you are. If your thin or over weight. There is room for everyone, including kids that are a little over the top. What happens when the whistle blows is what I'm there for. So, if a kid who is on the biggest stage he has ever been on does something silly, no big deal. If he refused to shake hands that's one thing, but emulating T.O. I thought was kind of funny. The back flip was sweet; the making you opponent go further then 1/2 way is a little questionable,little Alpha Male thing, but overall I enjoyed most of the antics. Hey, there was also some great wrestling that followed!

I did not like the showboating. I remember the advice of one of my son's earlier coaches who would sit you out for this sort of antic. He told the guys they should have class and act like they'd been there before.

I have watched Askren and Hendricks for the last 4 years. Never have I seen them fail to go to the middle for a handshake, or act anything but respectful to an opponent in the period immediately before or after a match (during is another story!) The celebrating, and "showboating" is done off the mat, not in someones face. To me that is the difference between class and a "wannabe" who thinks its cool to make a fool out of themselves. A shame that someone would teach a kid to act like this, either overtly suggesting it or failure to discipline the small things that happened before.

I think the antics during the introductions are uncalled for. That is a time to show respect for your opponent, not a time to showboat yourself.

In contrast to that, I quite enjoy some of the things that happen AFTER a wrestler wins the finals match. Be it a back flip or a skip. That is the time for celebration, not before the match. I wouldn't allow my kids to do it.

I agree with disqualifying these kids for acting like they did and disrespecting a great sport. My proudest moment as a parent came last Summer at the AAU national track meet. My daughter had finished fifth in her race, the girl who finished second was also from Kansas, she was the two time defending national champion and had never lost a race at nationals, she was very upset and sat alone crying at the finish line. My daughter went over, helped her to her feet, put her arm around her, and walked to the awards stand with her. She showed true championship charecter that day. For the most part I have seen kids that can be proud of their actions during the introductions, it is a moment to be proud of, it's ashame that a few spoil it for many.

I understand that we are tlaking about poor sportsmanship with the wrestler's but what about coach's and presidents of clubs?

I was under the impression that there was a President of a club whom is also a coach that caused a scene cause his club didn't get enough coachs passes and he couldn't get one from another coach in time to coach his child. So therefore he inturrupted a coach while coaching a match and demanded his pass while they were on the floor! Now that is really showing our wrestler's sprtsmanship! It shows them how to act if we don't get our way. LOL...and we wonder why our children act the way they do sometimes!

How do you know the kid on the cell phone was not talking to sick relative. the last time i checked the only way wrestler becomes rich and famous is the WWE. So better know how strut with style just ask Bobby Lashley. Why does the state ignore the most famous wrestling celebrate from Ks

Captain Keg Man,

Really?

Some of you need to lighten up....after 4-5 months of training, 4-5 days a week of training--while at the same time going to school, doing homework--these kids needed to have a little fun! I don't think that the intent was to "disrespect" anyone--like another person stated--they were in the spotlight and enjoyed their few seconds of fame.

I think these kids just made themselves look like idiots. They looked like a bunch of little street thugs. It's disrepectful to the sport, their opponent, their familes and it needs to be stopped.

I have to clear the air about the child who walked only halfway out. If it was the wrestler, in the 8 and under weight class, he was a novice wrestler who worked hard to get to get to state,and reach the finals. He was a very nervous and didn't realize what he did and for sure didn't mean to disrespect anyone. I spoke with him right after the intros and he said the glare from the light hitting the mat made it hard to see and he was scared he might fall or something. He is a great kid, and does not display that type of behavior and would never disrespect any wrestler like that. No, I am not his father, but one of his coaches.

I do agree with others in that the cell phone antics and such were over the top and very disrespectful and should not be tolerated.

Talk about disrespectful---why would you say that they looked like "little street thugs"? Don't you have better words in your vocabulary? Are you saying that the kid that did the flips looked like a thug? He looked like an athletic young man to me. Or are you saying that by wearing sunglasses that puts you in the category of a thug? I am sure that you own a pair or two. You could have said that it was inappropriate, or something in that vain----instead of going for the jugular. If you are trying to make a point, try constructive criticism--it goes alot further than negative criticism.