Region 1 Wrestling

[drem2acheve]

It helps

[tnsmokediver]

It helps

 

Every wrestling season, no matter what region it is, there is always the same folks complaining about the officiating in the state. Every year I am amused at how many bleacher experts we have that have something to contribute but never do. They sit in the stands, then go home and type away on their computers to whine about the officiating they just saw. Drem2acheve, you have done quite a bit of whining yourself. In fact if you had spent as much time coaching your kids as you have critiquing officials in this forum over the years, you would have had numerous state champions and put your school on the map as a wrestling power house.

 

Obviously you have the ability to find the TSSAA website to begin the process but lack the intestinal fortitude to complete a simple application and put on the stripes. You seem to think that what we do on a wrestling mat is so simple, but refuse to come out and show the rest of us wearing the stripes what we are missing.

 

While I was deployed, this was the best way for me to keep up with Region I wrestling as well as wrestling all over the state. But somehow was always disappointed to see that some silly bleacher creature was more concerned that an official "screwed" some kid out of a match.

 

In short, it's time to put up or shut up. Stop your whining and complaining and Drem2acheve being the best official we have in Region I.

[drem2acheve]

I went back through my posts and out of 105 only about 7 was about officiating and only 4 of those were complaining. i may have missed a few though. I never ever thought i was a very good coach.

I also never thought i complained about the officials that much. Your normal get ticked

off and get over it, I was not really commenting on the call you made Sat. More on blindrefs comment

End of Discussion. You also do not know me well as a coach, if you did you would know that

I always told my under achieving kids that in my then 34+ years around wrestling i had only

seen maybe 4 matches that i thought and official had done something that cost a wrestler a match.

Now in my 38 years around wrestling I still have only seen a few matches where a ref had cost some

one a match. I always taught may wrestlers which were at a vast disadvantage because of poor coaching that the out come was yours to try and control not the opponent not the refs. We did not whine about

officiating, as I remember I questioned very few calls. But i am getting old and my memory is going.

Also if I were physically able I would as you say give something back to the sport and officiate.

As i have given very little in my 38 years of involvement. If I have offended you Rod or you Stan accept

may apology. As I know it does not mean as much coming from a low rung whiner of a has-been

coach who continually cost his kids championships through his own inadequacies.

 

Thank You Bill Potter

[tnsmokediver]

I went back through my posts and out of 105 only about 7 was about officiating and only 4 of those were complaining. i may have missed a few though. I never ever thought i was a very good coach.

I also never thought i complained about the officials that much. Your normal get ticked

off and get over it, I was not really commenting on the call you made Sat. More on blindrefs comment

End of Discussion. You also do not know me well as a coach, if you did you would know that

I always told my under achieving kids that in my then 34+ years around wrestling i had only

seen maybe 4 matches that i thought and official had done something that cost a wrestler a match.

Now in my 38 years around wrestling I still have only seen a few matches where a ref had cost some

one a match. I always taught may wrestlers which were at a vast disadvantage because of poor coaching that the out come was yours to try and control not the opponent not the refs. We did not whine about

officiating, as I remember I questioned very few calls. But i am getting old and my memory is going.

Also if I were physically able I would as you say give something back to the sport and officiate.

As i have given very little in my 38 years of involvement. If I have offended you Rod or you Stan accept

may apology. As I know it does not mean as much coming from a low rung whiner of a has-been

coach who continually cost his kids championships through his own inadequacies.

 

Thank You Bill Potter

 

I need to explain that all of my banter was not directed specifically at you. Only a portion due to your post on another thread about Region I officiating being only average at best. In my 25+ years in this sport (18 as an official), I have learned that everyone seems to be an expert at officiating even if they have never stepped on the mat. The ones who have been in the sport for awhile in some capacity and complain about officials really tick me off. Simply because they should know better. In the six state tournaments I have called, I did not hear as much complaining from the Middle TN coaches as I have had from Region I coaches and those folks have the best officials in the state according to you.

 

Coaches seem to live by a double standard. The officials at the tournament were discussing that this weekend. They seem to want every little thing called on the mat (locked hands, starting positions, wierd things that happen away from the sight of the official, grabbing fingers, etc. you get the idea). When we call those things against their kid, we are being too picky. Yes I have heard that comment from the bench. We try enforce the bench decorum rule and we are told we have better things to worry about. When in fact it is only one of many things that we have to worry about. (Ask those baseball officials who were sued for 1 million apiece for not enforcing their bench decorum rule if they regret not doing so by the book.)

 

Our sport is probably the most intense and difficult sport to officiate. If it were that easy, every one would be doing it.

 

Like you I have coached. I also coached my son as well. I coached for about 6 years at an AAU and middle school level, but only one time did I go to the table to make an argument over misapplication of a rule. It wasn't even my son that I argued for and I was correct in my argument. I never tried to coach an official into a call. I talked to my wrestlers. Am I saying that I was the greatest coach. No. I'm simply saying that I didn't complain because I have walked the preverbial mile in the officials shoes.

 

To say that our officials are average at best is dead wrong. Do we have some young officials. Yes. Are they progressing. Yes. Are our more experienced officials perfect. No. Do any of our officials take our job lightly. Absolutely not! We strive to be the best that we can be because the kids deserve our best.

 

There are days that I will admit that I don't have a good day officiating. All of us have days doing our regular jobs that we feel the same about. But be rest assured, I take it personal. It bothers me when I know that I have had a bad day. It bothers me because I take my proffesion as an official seriously. I do things to make myself a better official that people do not see. I read my rule book, I watch training videos from NFHS. I never talk about it because it is not about me but about the job that I do on the mat for the kids competing.

 

I truly think the officiating this weekend was great considering our numbers vs mats on the floor and one of our more experienced guys being out with injury and another taking the season off. There was only one questionable call in the finals and I made it. Had it been made the other way, I would have heard the other half of the gym getting upset about that as well. It just goes to prove that no one is going to be happy.

 

It seems that when ever someone ever comments on officials (any officials not just Region I) it has to be some sort of complaint or whine. If you look closer you would probably agree. There are alot of officials that post on CoachT. If the officials complained about coaches and parents like they do us, someone would want a congressional inquiry. For a sport that sportsmanship is required (shaking hands before and after every match) coaches and parents do a piss poor job of showing it toward that guy wearing the stripes. They could learn alot from the kids competing.

 

If I have offended you Bill, I truly apologize. Your post was just one of many that have built me up to the post I made.

 

Rob Croxdale

[FHU423]

And the moral of the story is...the Croxdale family as a whole pretty much sucks! hahaha

[StevenMcK]

I regret calling this thread boring earlier in the year. This is hilarious. I will say as a first year official and a former wrestler. It is tough. Give these guys a break. Not like anyone tries to blow calls.....if the assigning officer doesn't have anyone else to choose from then he has to assign the available officials to make the tourney happen......Like some others suggested go get certified and do it yourself....See you guys at State....well at least Saturday.....hope to see some Region 1 guys in action for the medal rounds!

 

p.s. FHU feel free to introduce yourself by your real name...you little troll

 

Steve McKinney

[FHU423]

Dang I guess I am a troll,even looked it up...

 

In Internet slang, a troll is someone who posts inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum, chat room or blog, with the primary intent of provoking other users into an emotional response[1] or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion.[2]

 

...sorry guys, I promise not to be a troll anymore.

[PUMMELKING]

TNSMOKEDIVER

Our sport is probably the most intense and difficult sport to officiate. If it were that easy, every one would be doing it.

I would have to disagree with you on that statment. All you have to so is walk and signal. Ever tried to officiate ice hockey, must skate and call and get out way all at same time. That is the most difficult officiating.

[tnsmokediver]

I would have to disagree with you on that statment. All you have to so is walk and signal. Ever tried to officiate ice hockey, must skate and call and get out way all at same time. That is the most difficult officiating.

 

I would agree that ice hockey officials have alot of work on their hands and considering that there isn't any ice on a wrestling mat you might be right. However, just because I'm not officiating in roller blades (which would be very entertaining I'm sure) doesn't mean that I just get to walk around and signal.

 

Hockey has it's share of fights but I have seen wrestling matches that a hockey game broke out in, if you follow my train of thought here. If you have never put on the stripes, you most likely wouldn't get it.

 

We have all heard the stories about the "Battan Death March" but could never fully understand what those guys went through because we weren't there. We did not walk a mile in their shoes. I'm not trying to equate officiating to the "Battan Death March", only trying to get you to understand my point.

 

The first year I officiated, I thought it looked way too easy. Then I stepped on the mat for the first time with a whistle in my mouth. My thoughts soon changed. If you decide top wear the grey shirt and step on the mat your thoughts might change as well.

[PUMMELKING]

I would have to disagree with you on that statment. All you have to so is walk and signal. Ever tried to officiate ice hockey, must skate and call and get out way all at same time. That is the most difficult officiating.

 

I would agree that ice hockey officials have alot of work on their hands and considering that there isn't any ice on a wrestling mat you might be right. However, just because I'm not officiating in roller blades (which would be very entertaining I'm sure) doesn't mean that I just get to walk around and signal.

 

Hockey has it's share of fights but I have seen wrestling matches that a hockey game broke out in, if you follow my train of thought here. If you have never put on the stripes, you most likely wouldn't get it.

 

We have all heard the stories about the "Battan Death March" but could never fully understand what those guys went through because we weren't there. We did not walk a mile in their shoes. I'm not trying to equate officiating to the "Battan Death March", only trying to get you to understand my point.

 

The first year I officiated, I thought it looked way too easy. Then I stepped on the mat for the first time with a whistle in my mouth. My thoughts soon changed. If you decide top wear the grey shirt and step on the mat your thoughts might change as well.

 

An officials job is tuff but we make it as difficult as we want to. Looking for reasons to get into confratations or situations. Great officiating is never remembered because all the wrestling is. Refs have to enjoy what they do and also remember the coaches sides as well. I have always thought every new coach should have to ref a year and every ref should have to coach a year as well, get both sides of the perspective. I have done both now for 26 years.

[tnsmokediver]

I would have to disagree with you on that statment. All you have to so is walk and signal. Ever tried to officiate ice hockey, must skate and call and get out way all at same time. That is the most difficult officiating.

 

I would agree that ice hockey officials have alot of work on their hands and considering that there isn't any ice on a wrestling mat you might be right. However, just because I'm not officiating in roller blades (which would be very entertaining I'm sure) doesn't mean that I just get to walk around and signal.

 

Hockey has it's share of fights but I have seen wrestling matches that a hockey game broke out in, if you follow my train of thought here. If you have never put on the stripes, you most likely wouldn't get it.

 

We have all heard the stories about the "Battan Death March" but could never fully understand what those guys went through because we weren't there. We did not walk a mile in their shoes. I'm not trying to equate officiating to the "Battan Death March", only trying to get you to understand my point.

 

The first year I officiated, I thought it looked way too easy. Then I stepped on the mat for the first time with a whistle in my mouth. My thoughts soon changed. If you decide top wear the grey shirt and step on the mat your thoughts might change as well.

 

An officials job is tuff but we make it as difficult as we want to. Looking for reasons to get into confratations or situations. Great officiating is never remembered because all the wrestling is. Refs have to enjoy what they do and also remember the coaches sides as well. I have always thought every new coach should have to ref a year and every ref should have to coach a year as well, get both sides of the perspective. I have done both now for 26 years.

 

I have done both myself. That's why I try to understand the coach's point of view. I don't look for reasons to get into anything I don't need to. I have spent too many years in the military and fire service to know that simple is better. Especially now that I am getting a little older and know that I'm about a half step slower now than I was 18 years ago when I started officiating.

[drem2acheve]

S. Mc we do it for your entertainment. Have you been undressing in the middle of any

crowed gyms lately. Hope you are doing well.