Fairmont Regionals

[wecandobetter]

WV wrestling needs to grow and become more competitive.
To do this we need to have pride in the fact we do things correctly. This starts with Running the State tournament series (ie Regionals and State) to the letter of the law. We all remember last years fiasco with State and the skin issues. Some weight classes get to wrestle weeks later, but the same day some kids with a dr letter are forced to forfeit.
In the Past fairmont regional, teams came in late after weigh ins were over and still got to weigh in. Now this year they have two different scales. One that is dead on and another from a local school that is 1.5-2.0 light. There were many kids that would have not come close to making weight without that scale. Including some #1 and other top seeds, including kids from the school who owned the scale. Referee even stated scale is 1.5 light. Then they tell kids yesterday they are using correct scale today. So kids watch weight all night to make correct weight today. Guess what..... light scale used again. I agree it should be used both days at this point. But it should have never been used in the first place. This isn’t fair to the other Regionals that had proper scales. It isn’t fair to the kids that didn’t know about the extra allowance.

Is this not part of the State Tournament? Why should approximately 20 kids who would not have made weight get almost a 2lb allowance that other wrestlers didn’t get. A few of the county school coaches knew about the scale and said they knew that they could make weight on it. This is why people feel like there’s home cooking when they go to certain schools. This morning two schools show up late to weigh ins. The first school just makes it on the scale. The second school shows up way later. They not only get to weigh in but no one performed a skin check on them either.

We have State Rules for a reason. They should be followed not done how the tournament feels like following them.

We can do better

[Matman31]

Actually we weren't late buddy , the schedule said 8:30 weighins ...we got there at 8:15 ...

[wecandobetter]

I understand what you are saying, and I am wrong on time but in a way, you proved my point again. If weigh ins are scheduled at 8:30 and they are weighing in by weight class then why did they start at 7:55? Why did the last team that weighed in not get skin checked? Didn’t we have a problem in the past of a regional spreading skin disease? Was it fair to your kids that other kids in the same weights got to rehydrate sooner before their first match? Rules are rules for a reason. I’m just saying that a Tournament that’s supposed to be part of the State tournament should be held to a higher standard. If the early weighing was the only issue this weekend maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. But add up all the other stuff including the biggest issue the almost 2 pound extra allowance on the scale and we now have a poorly managed event.

[matcoach90]

The home hosting school had two wrestlers advance to the states... so if your theory of home cooking is true, sounds like it didn’t help them get more wrestlers in. I think you’re reaching a little.

[Matman31]

Yeah I see your point , but to say we came in late and still got to weigh in is false , we showed up on time with the time that was provided to us in writing on the schedule

[wecandobetter]

I agree with you matman31. It was my fault. Because they started weigh ins before 8 and did it by weight class I assumed they were doing it on time not early. I apologize for the misunderstanding!

[wecandobetter]

Matcoach 90,

Let’s say for a moment I’m looking too far into it....

Do you know how your personal scale at your school compares to other schools? I know ours on average is about.2 heavy. I like it because we almost always are a little under anywhere we go. I’m sure like us, most coaches and teams know how their scale compares.

So with that being said, the host school has another school from the same county bring their scale as an extra. That is the scale that they used both days. Now they only used 1 scale. The other scale that was on the stage was dead on. Why didn’t they use the accurate scale?

The team that brought the scale had several wrestlers that would not have made weight on the accurate scale. Look at the weight sheets that were handed out to the coaches after weigh ins the first day. There were 15-20 wrestlers that would have had to scratch. Add 1.5 to each kid and see what you have. One was a number 1 seed that won the regional.

All I’m saying is if you know the scale you are going to use is 1.5-2.00 light that’s not fair to the kids who didn’t know. That’s extra water and food the night before.

It’s a Regional tournament. The scale should be certified and accurate. The referees knew and let it slide.

[aacoach15]

One school may be considered the host but all three Marion county schools run that tournament.

[wvuptc]

regionals.jpg (182.41 KiB) Viewed 8077 times

Sorry, I am late to this conversation. At 9:59 AM, I was busy getting my kids through this meat-grinder of a region. However, I want to set the record straight so everyone who sees or did see what happen this morning is aware as to why a team was "late" to weigh ins.

On Wednesday night, we met at Novelis in Fairmont, or did a WebEx teleconference seeding meeting. Those of us who attended were told that we were going to do a new type of format for weighing in. The kids were going to strip down to their suitable undergarment and be checked by a medical professional. After that time, they would go back around and get in line for weigh-ins. This was to take place at 12AM sharp, and for NO ONE TO BE LATE. After they were checked on Friday, there would be no official skin check other than the normal procedures on Saturday.

If this is wrong description of what happened Wednesday night, I recommend someone set me straight.

So, I had to call my county bus garage to leave an 1/2 earlier to make sure we could check into our motels and to ensure we were at the armory on time. We were there at 11:40 on Friday and had no issues.

Apparently, there were multiple announcements at the end of the tournament that they had decided to hold another official skin check and for us to be there at 8. My team was done at 145, so we left about 7:15. Maybe they said it before we left, but I didn't hear it. I have 3 assistants and none of them heard it either. Maybe we were in the hospitality room, on the phone, or in the bathroom but none of us were aware and that is the God's honest truth.

When we got back to the motel, I checked my email, phone, and wvmat. There was no mention of the change. We had kids up and on the bus at 8am and were to the armory at 8:15. So, by our standards we were 15 minutes early. By this time, they had done an "official" skin check and weighed everyone left in the tournament in. That is absolutely amazing to me! When we got back to the scales, I almost threw up in the weigh in area thinking about what I had done to MY KIDS. THEY ARE MY RESPONSIBILITY, AND I SCREWED UP! Mr. Discerio let us weigh in while a coach in the area berates me and my kids while they are weighing in. We were completely weighed in and out of the area by 8:35.

First of all, what coach in his right mind would show up late at a regional wrestling tournament on purpose and not call, etc.? Why would anyone put their kids through the emotional rollercoaster ride they faced today? Apparently, I was that coach because I followed the tournament flier, the Wednesday meeting, and what is listed on wvmat instead of a muffled announcement at the end of a long day on the mats.

I assure you Mr. Naterencola has my respect because he told me multiple times, that we were fine. I think he realized where we were coming from.

So, as to doing things correctly, I'M GAME! Anyone who knows me as a coach or a man knows that I follow the rules and wouldn't try to disgrace our sport and get a kid through a skin check with something visibily growing on them. But, doing things correctly includes talking to adults in a heated matter without young ears present. I'm a man. If you want to yell, curse, etc. me, that's fine. I'm a man; I can take it! But, don't ever do it in front of my kids. There MY kids and I want what's best for them. What was not best for them, is being told they were wrong and shouldn't get to weigh in because we weren't "shoulder to shoulder" with someone in the same weight class.

So, in my humble opinion, this is how we can do it better!

[wecandobetter]

Wvuptc,

I am in agreement with you on your thoughts, I feel for you on the situation you were placed in. These are the things we can do better on. I feel as though the ball was dropped so many times on things that shouldn’t have been. The more I hear about what went on with weigh ins, the more I’m in disbelief that everything went down the way it did. For me it all started with the bogus scale. And I think that was the biggest issue of the weekend.

Good luck to you and your team sir

[ringworm14]

I’m impressed by the dedication to weigh in at midnight.

[Coachtt]

Wvuptc,
What hotel did you stay at? Most hotels, will let you check in up till midnight, some even later if you make an arrangements. You may have had to call your county transportation dept. To move bus time up to get to Armory. Don't understand why for hotel check in. We didn't check in to our hotel till after we wrestled and left our luggage on our school bus.

[wvuptc]

Sorry for anyone who thought that we actually weighed in at 12 AM. I obviously meant 12 PM. Sorry for the confusion.

[aacoach111]

On February 1st, 2018 the following letter was sent to all ADs, Principals and Regional Tournament Directors. It was forwarded to me by my AD:
Subject: Wrestling Regional Tournament Managers

Principals, Athletic Directors and Regional Tournament Managers,
Regional Tournament weigh-ins should mirror the 2018 West Virginia State Tournament Weigh-in Procedures that was sent to you, weighing in by WEIGHT CLASSES not by teams. EVERY team IS to be present at the start of weigh-ins and each regional site is to Weigh-in all wrestlers by weight class in weight class order starting at 106 pound weight class.
Initially officials do skin check on each wrestler followed by the official weigh-in for that particular weight class. Any wrestler not passing skin check WILL NOT weigh in.
Thanks,
Jeremy Callen
WV Wrestling State Rule Interpreter
"End of letter"

[greencrush]

Oh, none of y'all have ever been late for anything before and had someone cut you some slack? Official correspondence (tournament flyer) said 0830, so 0830 it is.
I agree with the team being allowed to weight in and compete, without question.
They're kids for goodness sake.

[aacoach111]

Thank God they let those boys wrestle. This wasn't about that at all. Its about a Tournament Director who just does what ever he wants. The weigh in should have been held up until someone called the coaches of the late teams and ask them where they were. We all have cell phones. Life happens to us all and allowances can be made.
But once he made the decision to start the weigh in with two teams not there, he put himself in a very difficult position. Either go against State policy or tell a bunch of kids they are out of the Tournament.