I do think some of you are missing Jake's point. I do not think he is talking about the kids, I think he is talking about us adults. And, maybe its something we should all look at. The kids appear to be fine, except for points made by Windjammer. My kid has numerous finds on the circuit, but the adults - we got some work to do.

Windjammers first post on this was excellent.

I think for the most part even us Adults get along. Dan Gentzler had Jake and I to his practice this season, he had three wrestlers in Jake's weight.

Ark City had extra rooms reserved we gave them to our good friends from WWC, Ayala's, Mills, and Stuart's.

We also got two rooms for our friends the Schroeder's, Brycen was in Jake's bracket at State.

At the Hotel we hung out and had some refreshments with the Derby wrestling club which we think the world of. The day before we hung out with El Dorado.

Jake warmed up with Tanner Hitchcock at state, his father and I get along great, even though he is ahead of Jake 3-1.

We spent New Years with the Spangler's. Tracy always finds Jake and tells him hi at tournaments.

Two years ago when Jake and Kesean Deshazer were battling against each other, we would practice with TOHK and were welcomed. I still have a good relationship with his father and think the world of his kids.

There are several fathers and parents I have met this year that are great; Tate Steels dad, Kolton Meditz dad, Jared Parenti's dad, Coach Bill, Kevin McKracken (Kales dad), Ryker Sims dad, Kaj Perez's dad, the list goes on and on...our kids compete against each other, and as Adults we get along and respect each other.

Don't let one or two incidents ruin it. There are great people in the wrestling community and for the most part we get along.

I apologize for the great people I left off the list but the post was getting rather lengthy.

Every time I walk on the mat, whether the practice room or at a tournament, I still see Coach Decker congratulating me after winning my first match as a 7th grader. I just hope that I make each kid feel as special after each match, as i did that evening. He had a way of driving you to the edge and then holding you up high when you succeeded. Those of you who know Coach Decker will probably remember a favorite saying of his. He always blamed his lack of chest hair on the fallacy that "hair doesn't grow on well toned muscle". By the way, he was a great government teacher and person, as well as a great coach. Tony and Troy Bettis wrestled for Belleville through "83. I believe that Tony won a state title in '82.

Most of these kids just want to have fun. Yes, they do want to win, but 10 minutes after the match they are off playing with their buddies - who might have just beat them or vice versa. My boy lost to Boo at state last year in the second round, but he will try to watch every one of Boo's matches just to see how he does, and to see how he does it. 5 minutes after his district finals match with Kaj Perez he was holding a spot in the t-shirt line for Kaj, while Kaj went and got something to drink. When he got back in line I would have paid a lot of money to find out what they were laughing and giggling about. He told me it was a secret and would not give in. We all need to remember - KIDS JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN!!!!!

Thanks, Lee.

As for cheering for your opponents, my son, has usually had a kid from his own club (even when we were in Salina) who gets to stay on the front side of the bracket longer...often to the finals, and we are right there cheering him on. We enjoy getting to practice against that kind of talent all the time, too. It can only make both of 'em better.

It is a common site to see either of my sons hanging out with the kids in their bracket laughing and joking ...or trading tips on how to "wrestle" someone coming up that day. The coaches and dads/moms of several kids we see each weekend never hesitate to say hi, give a wave or a thumbs up or high five when one of my boys win a match...or a "you'll get'em next time" if they lose. My youngest looks for Tristan Star and Tyler Harris at all tourneys...and my oldest Tyler Hughes and Spencer Blew...just to name a couple. My husband and I enjoy a laugh or two with the dads and moms. We've come to think of the wrestling community as an expanded "family" of sorts. Some people will ask "how do you sit all day just to watch for a few minutes?" and I'll say .."There is action all day...we have kids that we watch at each tourney that are not in our club..so there is almost never a break in the action for us! We cheer for a wide range of wrestlers...from the kids in 16u who my older son wrestled during varsity wrestling and won't meet again until next year, the one who beat my youngest and went onto win at Wichita. The kids from Paola, from the WWC, Horton, Atchison, too many to mention. We have made good friends from all over...share good times and bad each season. At the end of the season we are already looking forward to seeing them next fall. (as I type this my husband just updated me that along with my son, Lucas, that Tyler Harris and Tristan Star have both wrestled and won their first matches at Brute and will be up and ready to go again shortly....GO BOYS!!! )
So I think the Family is still there....you just make it what you want it to be! So make it a good experience for both your kids and yourself.

Kim Lovvorn

5 Gs Dad
Are you any relation to Josh Gooch? I remember growing up in Wellington and at my age (Josh was in my grade) the wrestling team and coach decker were the kings of the school! They brought home state titles in wrestling and football. We were at Wellington for Subs and to see the guys down there who are running the club just brings back those memmories. Coach Decker was the coolest!

I hope that I don't step on any toes here but there is still a family atmosphere in kids wrestling. At districts my son was wrestling his second round match and after he won and came off the mat I was about the fifth person to tell him good job. There were three other kids and there coaches there to shake his hand and tell him how well he did. He ended up sixth and for his first year that was just fine with me but what happend after was awsome. The boy that beat him gave him a hug on the mat and two other boys he has wrestled all year long took him off to the side and congratulated him. It really made me realize that these kids want to win but also put friendship first and maybe us as coaches and parents could learn from our children a little more. I'm as bad as anyone and want to make the experience as good as possible for all of the kids that I coach.

Josh is my cousin. Coach Decker was great, not only as a coach, but as a teacher too. It was great to see him elected into the Kansas High School Hall of Fame.

I think I have to agree that my own experience in Kansas wrestling as been like one big ol weekend to weekend family. I have to say that Kim Lovvorn I agree with your great post and Tristan loves to look for Lucas as much as he looks for Tristan. I have come to know a group of kids my son Tristan Star has wrestled for the last few years and now cheer for them passionatly every time they step on the mat. It was only a few years ago when Tristan was battling Lucas Lovvorn, Garret Dunlap, Tyler Harris, Taylor Watkins, Sam Carver, and Andrew Blanton every weekend and they were always going back and fourth. Through them I have met there parents and now love to stop and chat and cheer them on at every tourney. It was a great joy this state tourney when some of these kids were called out in the stoplight for the finals one after the other! I kept my camera rolling while cheering just as loud as if they were my own son. This year we have come to meet some new kids, Justin Rieschick and Willy Diekman along with their awsome parents. Tristan battled with them all year long and again great relationships were formed not only between the kids on the mat but also the parents matside! Our wrestling family just keeps growing with every season!

With the job I work and KU making the final four my chance of getting my son to the Brute Nationals and even coaching him in the finals almost didn't happen! Alan Clothier's mother Becky snatched him up and got him to the tourney. And all though I was able to make the start of the tourney with a few minutes, Willy's dad Kurt was ready to jump in and coach Tristan with out hesitating! To you both I thank you. This is why I totally disagree with wrestling not being a family anymore. To me it hasn't changed from when I stepped on the mat for 4th grade 80 lbs back in 1984 in North Dakota! In our Native American language there is no word for "goodbye" and so we always say "I'll see you later!" It has been another fun season. So to my old and new wrestling family, "Me and Tristan will see you later!"

Bronson Star

I am fairly new to this sport and I think the point to all of this is that as a whole this use to be a family sport but now the thing I think it is missing is loyalty. People change clubs and move from one to another constantly. The people that I have spoken to have nothing good to say about the club they left. To me that is not the way it should be. It is okay to leave a club or join a new one or even make your own but dose it really have to be because of drama. Why dose the drama have to continue once you have left. Most of the time when someone leaves a club or what ever it doesn't really have anything to with the children involved, it has to do with the adults that can't seem to get along. I hope this has not offended anyone it is not my purpose. I just want people to stop and think about what all has been said here and then maybe use some of the good advice.
With all of that said I have meet some wonderful and some not so wonderful people just like in any other sport. This truly is an amazing sport and makes the children involved in it truly amazing children. I feel very privileged that my child has chosen this and that I get to be a part of it.

Just so ever knows the post above is from Jakes wife

I don't know.