SAC

Why the conflict... just wrestle them both. The majority of USA wrestling in TN occurs in November and December for folkstyle. Freestyle and Greco run through the summer... AAU wrestling primarily takes place after the first of the year. Wow, two more months to wrestle and a myriad of other tournament opportunities... Why limit competition? Both organizations offer a great chance for young wrestlers. Additionally, isolating USA wrestling, in the end only serves to limit our Olympic candidates, for the obvious reasons. And if you are a true fan, or supporter aren't you being selfish? Share the sport, expand your horizons and see you in November??¦

This is a reminder for the 2008 Mayhem in Memphis Youth Wrestling Tournament next month in Memphis. For additional information, visit our website www.mayheminmemphis.com. We are expecting wrestlers and teams from eight states. Wrestlers who pre-register will be randomly selected for tickets to the Memphis Zoo, the Pink Palace and the Children??™s Museum of Memphis. To pre-register go to the following link unapproved website/tw/registration/ ... pId=522009. This is a USA Wrestling sanctioned tournament with medals being given to 1st through 4th place finishers and awards presented for the club that travels the furthest and the club that registers the most wrestlers, as well as OW awards in each division.

Mayhem in Memphis 2008 Christian Brothers University 650 E. Parkway South Memphis, TN 38104 November 22, 2008 Entry Fee: $15.00 per wrestler. Deadline: 8PM CST Friday, November 14, 2008. Late registration $20.00 per wrestler. Additional weight class or division registration $5.00 per wrestler. Coaches and wrestlers must have a current USAW Card. Registration: Email at mayheminmemphis@gmail.com; include Name, DOB, USAW Card #, Division(s), Weight(s), Rank and last years record. Format: Double Elimination/Round Robin USAW 09 Age divisions and weights Bantam, Intermediate and Novice 1-1-1, Schoolboy and Cadet 2-1-1 Two certified coaches??™ maximum in each competitor??™s corner Schedule: Bantam, Intermediate and Novice wrestling will begin at 10AM Schoolboy and Cadet wrestling will begin at 1PM Weigh-Ins: Friday 6PM to 7PM, Saturday 8AM to 9AM (Bantam, Intermediate and Novice Preference) and 10AM to 11AM (Schoolboy and Cadet Only). All wrestlers must weigh-in and make weight; $5.00 Bracket Change Fee Skin Screen: Athletes must submit to a skin disease screening prior to weigh-in. The chief medical officer has full authority without appeal in determining the eligibility of an athlete to compete. Awards: Medals 1st through 4th (Bracket to Champion) and OW awards for each division Championship and Consolation Championship matches conclude each session. Admissions: $5.00 Adults, $3.00 Students/Children, $10.00 Family Concessions: Food and Drink available all day; with seating accommodations We are looking to draw teams from AL, AR, GA, MO, IL, IN, KY and TN. Attached is a flyer detailing the divisions, weights and format. We are looking to provide a unique experience to wrestlers and their families beyond the tournament. A tournament website, with online registrations is forthcoming. This will be a USAW sanctioned tournament and the website link will be provided from the USAW events page. Nonetheless, we hope you will make plans to attend. Please feel free to contact me, (901) 378-6545, should you have any questions. Or you can email me at sacharczyk@firehousemail.com. Eric Sacharczyk Wave Wrestling Club Memphis, TN

All year long, the question has been asked about when Memphis was going to host a tournament... Make sure you return those phone calls to your friends in Arkansas, Mississippi and Missouri asking about a tournament on that side of the state. And when the thought about how far it is to Memphis from where you are crosses your mind, think about that Wave Team out of Memphis that travels all over to support youth wrestling in our state. That area has the potential to draw another style of wrestler we are not used to seeing... There could even be wrestlers from as far away as Illinois, Kentucky and Louisiana in years to come if we support this thing the right way.

Duly noted??¦

In all actuality, my point was that regardless of where these young men go to school, the legitimacy of their state championship is valid. Why tout which division title means more. Acknowledge the hard work and dedication that these athletes, and their parents, have put into earning these titles. And yes, it is idiots like "pacman" Jones, Michael Vick and Alan Iverson that our youth see in the limelight. Its products of selfish parents like DeAngelo Williams who ultimately suffer; my son's not going into the draft unless... The other point was that as parents it is imperative for us to ensure our children are getting a quality education and not just receiving grades because they are athletes. Believe it or not, there are actually parents more concerned with their children attending physical conditioning sessions than they are about them doing their homework. As a coach, I am for athletes being the best they can be. Being the best they can be meaning not only the best athlete, but also the best individual and best student. Unfortunately today's generation doesn't have that outlook. And that's where we as parents need to direct our efforts. Additionally, I am all for having fun, team spirit and good wholesome competition, but not at the expense of a juvenile... Kids these days are up against enough without having parents using them as their form of entertainment. Please spare yourself the efforts of trying to provoke me into your childish "your not worthy games". My athletic efforts earned me plenty, and my son's will be seen for years to come. It's unfortunate that your education only provided you the mere ability to read words and not how to place them into context.

Here??™s an idea??¦ If you live in one school district, that??™s where you go to school, that??™s where you play sports. If you wish for your child to go to another school you move or send them to private school. Remember we are talking about youth sports??¦ Recruiting twelve year old children is ridiculous. Quit trying to relive your childhood regrets, think about the REAL welfare of your child. Sure it??™s desirable to attend a school with successful athletic programs, but schools do not exist for the sake of athletics. I would be curious to know how many of you enthusiastic fathers scout the academic record of the school your son to wrestles for. And we wonder why the future of our country looks grim??¦ Parents farming their children out to the highest bidder, how pathetic. No matter how successful an athlete your son becomes, an athletic career ending injury without a quality education lands them a job with McPukes. Who ultimately cares in what division your sons wins a state championship??¦Other than a selfish, washed-up, has been.

Although it will not be regarded as an upset by all... Not everyone in TN allows their biases to cloud their judgment; it just might be the year of the Purple Wave. CBHS wrestles in the championship match. Teamwork, Pride, Excellence, Catch the Wave...

After being scolded by Rigger 101 for my negative posting, I must apologize before hand??¦ This one might hurt someone??™s feelings. Keefjams, where is your allegiance? If TN wrestling is such a disgrace to you, please take your postings elsewhere. Like Bobcat has pointed out, many of our wrestlers do not start wrestling at age 4, like they do up north. ???Hawaii plays good football for there area. But outside the state of Hawaii thay get their tales handed to them??? ??“ Keefjams. RMC hit the nail on the head. Furthermore, if you were such a connoisseur of TN wrestling you might recall the name Nick Marable. CBHS graduate, class of '05. He??™s the University of Missouri sophomore currently ranked second in the nation at 165lbs. What do you know, a southern wrestler at a D1 school and nationally ranked. If I??™m not mistaken, Missouri is, yep, nationally ranked. And have been all season??¦ Wrestling in PA does not automatically earn you D1 scholarships. Having a brother-in-law who was a Pennsylvania state runner-up, two-time state placer and four time state qualifier, I speak from experience. I have been unable to find any Pennsylvania wrestler who was undefeated in high school and then matched Cael Sanderson??™s feat. PA wrestlers are great, not unbeatable. And to think you didn??™t even give credit to the state of Iowa??¦ Get off the guys back for supporting his wrestling club??¦ I am sure none of these successful programs you know so much about didn??™t work their way to the top of the nation??™s rankings by thinking their program stunk. Maybe you should enlighten the south with your wrestling experience??¦ Hopefully it??™s better than your command of the English vernacular.

I know the title of this thread is programs on the rise... And I know that acknowledging a CBHS program would not quite fit here. However, it is only proper to acknowledge those younger CBHS wrestlers who have stepped up to the varsity level in the wake of holes caused by injuries. Way to go guys... And way to go Coach Lewis for maintaining a high level of competition in the wrestling room, ultimately allowing these younger wrestlers to be ready to step up.

Very well put... Now what is the solution? Is there anyone out there who has gone into an inner-city school system or rec program and started a program from scratch? As a reader of many posts, and a replier to few, this seems to have been one of the more useful strings. For this I thank Coach T's efforts to create a forum to promote this great sport. Anyone, please offer suggestions... I would be more than willing to help that Shelby Count youth coach establish a solid program. Lord knows, Memphis could surely benefit from it. And if done properly, the rest of the state and southern mid-west region. Think of what it would be like to travel to Memphis for a mid-south duals, or invitational tournament; competition from Illinois, Missouri, Texas, Alabama, Georgia, Oklahoma... Suggest away!

It is unfortunate that such schools are without wrestling programs, especially given some of their successes. It has been rumored that a Shelby County youth program coach has been discussing the possibility of establishing an inner-city youth wrestling program. This would be an accomplishment for any region in the state, but a huge one for the west. Hopefully the feats of the soon to air wrestling 411 program and the efforts of other youth wrestling coaches, we will see these programs return.

Kurtz is not a Granby Systems product, and unfortunately his lack of regard for a SBA wrestling past will ultimately be his demise. He has run two wrestling alumni into a strong Wave Club program, and rumor has it he is working on cutting his feeder program out completely. This is what happens when a schools AD knows little about athletics... Teamwork, Pride, Excellence, Catch the Wave...