I wanted to address several issues posted on this subject in no particular order.

First lets define what KSHSAA has to say about the coaching issue. From the KSHSAA Handbook:

Rule 10. Article 5.

"During the school year, but outside the season of a
sport, coaches/coaches’ aides may not coach in practice
or competition those students they will be coaching
the following year in that sport."

Meaning graduated 8th graders and above who will be wrestling in high school the following year cannot be coached by Head OR Assistant Coaches in their school during the school year.

There is another article that allows coaches to coach their kids in a voluntary manner during summer break, and hold a 1 week camp but that is not at issue here.



Couple of things here. What you stated is incorrect. Just not being in the corner does not meet the burden of not coaching regarding the situation describe in article 5. If you as a high school coach are in the vacinity of a match in progress and you are providing instruction to that wrestler then you are in fact coaching them and in violation of the rule. This would also include providing instruction to them away from the mat at the tournament or in the practice room. If you were just telling them good job or making general conversation that would probably be okay. The easiest way to think about it is, if you are providing instruction to the wrestler that you would say inside of a high school sports season then its not going to be acceptable to say as much outside of the season. To try and skirt the rules like the above situation would likely draw the ire of KSHSAA even more so than just plainly violating it, and it is unethical according to the Coaches Conduct Policy. The people at KSHSAA would see right through that. In this day and age of everyone having a smartphone I would think a coach would not like to have someone videotaping them anywhere near a kid they are going to be coaching the following year.

As has been mentioned the likelihood of someone reporting a coach doing this are probably pretty slim, but if they do you are going to be hard pressed to come up with an explanation given the physical evidence. And risking your job or the eligibility of your wrestler definately isn't worth it.

Now on the the part about the crap nature of the rule. Regardless of how much people may not like a rule, as long as it is a rule it needs to be followed. There is a mechanism in place to change rules like this so if you don't like the rule you should go through that procedure. We don't get to pick and choose which rules we follow and which ones we don't based on our own personal opinions, otherwise whats to stop a coach from allowing their wrestlers to wear plastics during practice as long as they don't see them, etc? I tend to believe coaches have very good intentions and that they wouldn't do something like this on purpose.



They are the organization which your school VOLUNTARILY agreed to join. And when the school pays it's dues every year they implicitly and explicitly agree to follow the rules set forth. If a school wishes not to follow those set of rules they are free to leave KSHSAA, of course if they do they won't be allowed to participate against KSHSAA member schools so that kind of limits the options.

Anyway I would say anyone having questions and wanting clarification of these issues, since my post in no way represents KSHSAA's interpretation, should contact Mark Lentz at KSHSAA. He will be more than happy to explain it all to you, including the process to get a rule changed should you choose to pursue that avenue.