One coaches perspective of this weekend's WVYWA tournament

[T-bone's Dad]

The officials at the WVYWA announced at the end of the tournament if we had any constructive criticism about the tournament to voice their opinion.

He is mine (lol) and you can take it with a grain of salt.

I think this tournament was a success for its first year. My team and family had an overall positive experience. We witnessed great wrestling,/sportsmanship and thought the refs did an awesome job too. However:

1) Lines - I don't need to go any further, its been beat to death and I think the solution has been found with advance ticket sales and more security lines open.

2) Do we need 6 regions? High School uses a four region system.

3) Coaches Passes - I noticed way too many people near the mats and entrances. We have a problem in our club ( and I am sure other clubs have the same problem) with dads who think they are coaches. We could not control at all times who was on the mat. We have some dads who we do not want representing our club. If we had coaches passes, our club could be selective of who could be on the floor and it might help control the overall number of people standing near the mats and entrances.

4) Hospitality room - could a deal not be struck with Big Sandy about this?

5) Outside Food - High School teams are allowed to bring in coolers for the teams. Could the WVYWA negotiate they same privilege for youth teams next year?

I think the state if moving forward in the right direction with this tournament and we will be returning next year.

Thank you to the organizers of this tournament. I know you all worked very hard.

[tsb1967]

3) Coaches Passes - I noticed way too many people near the mats and entrances. We have a problem in our club ( and I am sure other clubs have the same problem) with dads who think they are coaches. We could not control at all times who was on the mat. We have some dads who we do not want representing our club. If we had coaches passes, our club could be selective of who could be on the floor and it might help control the overall number of people standing near the mats and entrances.

That could be addressed at the club level. Make a rule that only club coaches can be in the corner of wrestlers representing the club. And, only kids coached by club coaches are permitted to wear club gear.

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[T-bone's Dad]

3) Coaches Passes - I noticed way too many people near the mats and entrances. We have a problem in our club ( and I am sure other clubs have the same problem) with dads who think they are coaches. We could not control at all times who was on the mat. We have some dads who we do not want representing our club. If we had coaches passes, our club could be selective of who could be on the floor and it might help control the overall number of people standing near the mats and entrances.

That could be addressed at the club level. Make a rule that only club coaches can be in the corner of wrestlers representing the club. And, only kids coached by club coaches are permitted to wear club gear.

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Yeah, you are right and that's the way it should work but it isn't with us for some reason. lol We always have a couple of knuckleheads that believe rules don't apply to them. Then there is conflict and then the kid ends up the victim. Like I said before, it was just a suggestion.

[coach_williams]

I think coach passes are a good idea. I like what they do at the Mason-Dixon Conference championships. They give you a neon colored wrist band like the kind you get at the hospital that you have to rip off to remove. Give each head coach an allotment of 3 and that is it. You gotta have one on to be in the corner. I am sure they are fairly cheap too so buying a few thousand in bulk wouldn't be too much of an issue.

The hospitality room kind of resolves itself with coach passes. Without them it becomes difficult to tell who should be in there and who should not.

The outside food issue will remain one, in my opinion. As you stated, TEAMS are allowed to bring coolers. If only teams are allowed to bring in coolers then is it fair for individual wrestlers? I don't see this one getting resolved very easily without someone getting upset.

[Goldenponyboy]

Three bands are not nearly enough. It should be based on how many kids qualify. Because with 8 mats and a team with a lot of kids could be up on multiple mats, but I agree with your point on the bands.

[mike.carman]

On the issue with food. Peewee tournament held in gyms usually state "NO OUTSIDE FOOD." Veteran wrestling parents know how to work this system since there is no one checking bags when you arrive, so you can sneak food in. I'm just as guilty as the next person. That simply isn't the case at Big Sandy. Its also not the case at WESBANCO. These are arenas that have their own staff and they have their rules. We may be able to get a cooler per team negotiated, but I am not going to hold my breath on that one. Sometimes we just need to follow the rules. I know that is not the popular answer, but it might be the only one if we want to use these big venues. Likewise, with onsite vendors, I don't know if we could get a hospitality room, but like Coach Williams said, we can't do a hospitality room without coaches passes. I for one like the idea of coaches passes and the idea to use wrist bands is probably the way to go. You can't take them off and give them to someone else. We would have to make a rule that you must have the wrist band on. It won't be good enough to just have it with you, then it defeats the purpose. All of these suggestions will be discussed in depth in our meetings. Thank you for all your comments and suggestions.

[coach_williams]

Three bands are not nearly enough. It should be based on how many kids qualify. Because with 8 mats and a team with a lot of kids could be up on multiple mats, but I agree with your point on the bands.

I don't see why not. 3 bands = 3 coaches. There was only 8 mats at WVYWA and two of them were middle school only. The likelihood that 4 of the 6 youth mats would involve wrestlers from the same team at the same time are super slim. Two years ago we took 15 wrestlers to WSAZs with just two coaches and they had 10 mats going and we only had to have a parent step in as a third coach once or twice.

[Goldenponyboy]

Wheeling had around 40 kids including middle school. That's my reasoning behind it but in sure that's not the norm and could be worked out

[matcoach90]

And what about a few wrestlers who are entered as independent and have their fathers as coach? Will they be allowed a pass since that is the wrestler's coach? The few that I know are good guys and know wrestling. So there's that question as well...

[coach_williams]

And what about a few wrestlers who are entered as independent and have their fathers as coach? Will they be allowed a pass since that is the wrestler's coach? The few that I know are good guys and know wrestling. So there's that question as well...

I am my son's coach and have been since he started wrestling, although this year I was not the "official" coach, so I see where you are coming from. I think that father coaches would be allowed as it is required that a wrestler have at least one person in their corner. I don't see there being an issue with that.

[RWWS]

Coach Williams I think there would be a lot of kids that would wrestle independent. As goldenponyboy stated above we have a lot of kids on our team so we do have a number of coaches. I think we need to try and do something but may be difficult.

[Jchap8750]

Coming from a fathers point of view, we do not do a league. We travel WV, VA, OH and other states. Rarely do we have one of our coaches that we see at practice all week at our opens we attend. So with that being said maybe for states fathers like myself should register independent and be in my sons corner rather than someone that has attended 2 tournaments all year trying to coach him? I do not see that it is that big of a deal

[T-bone's Dad]

Coming from a fathers point of view, we do not do a league. We travel WV, VA, OH and other states. Rarely do we have one of our coaches that we see at practice all week at our opens we attend. So with that being said maybe for states fathers like myself should register independent and be in my sons corner rather than someone that has attended 2 tournaments all year trying to coach him? I do not see that it is that big of a deal

Yeah, that's a totally different situation. You are the coach so there shouldnt be a problem.