FCI - USA - AAU

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Can someone explain to me why there are 3 seperate wrestling organizations in Tennessee?

 

Wouldn't it be smart to have all kids wrestling together?

 

Does anyone have any insite into this?

[rcpatriot]

money!!! bottom line.

[Drem2Achev]

WE HAVE 3 BECAUSE OF SELF INTERESTS MONEY AND POWER IT IS NOT FOR US THE WRESTLERS OR THE GOOD OF THE SPORT

[luchador]

The USAW organization, Tennessee Wrestling Federation, was founded because coaches were not allowed to practice with their athletes in the late '80's in the offseason. They sold the TSSAA on freestyle and greco being different sports than folkstyle (high school) wrestling. Coaches were then allowed to practice with their athletes. During the spring season TWF has stuck to that promise of not wresting folkstyle for high school level athletes.

Later on other organizations decided to wrestle in the spring but focus mainly on folkstyle. It has not caused a problem as of yet with the TSSAA, but my feeling is that eventually it could. That is why TWF stays away from folkstyle. If the prohibitions and restrictions ever get handed down again, TWF has kept its nose clean by sticking to a promise made to RC and TSSAA.

AAU has a long history of supporting all athletics. They were the national governing body of wrestling until the early '80's. TWF alligned with USAWrestling because that is the organiztion that currently supports our olympic athletes.

FCI has a short history. It is no secret that it is a business model solely to make their higher ups in the organization wealthy. Granted, a lot of kids go to FCI tournaments. There was some scandal in their organization in the late 90's with insurance problems but it has been resolved.

[delaWarr]

To expand on luchador's comments: Some time during the '60s some of the Chattanooga community engaged in limited off-season wrestling, out-of-state AAU, as I recall the story. During the early '70s, a physician from another Southern state, whose son was involved in freestyle, initiated AAU affiliated activity. Some of the Tennessee Wrestling Community bought into freestyle and participated in the tournaments, both in the Nashville and the Chattanooga areas.

 

Meanwhile, the fledgling United States Wrestling Federation was beginning to make some noise. The Federation included many scholastic and college coaches and elite athletes who were disenchanted with the top-heavy character of the AAU who held the International Sanction Franchise. In 1973 Tennessee's most active off-season coaches, not surprisingly, affiliated with USWF's extraordinarily participant-friendly organization, although most continued to support AAU events when they were available. The Tennessee Wrestling Federation (using Federation in honor of the parent organization) formed in 1973 and entered some of Tennessee's "best" high school wrestlers in the National Tournament held at the University of Iowa. (Two wrestlers placed in the top three, and at least one fell one match short.) TWF continued to actively engage in and host many Federation sanctioned events during the '70s and '80s. The organization has continued uninterrupted from 1973 through the present. It has experienced peaks and valleys in state-wide participation throughout its existence.

 

Toward the middle of the '70s, the mother of a promising young Memphis wrestler spearheaded the AAU presence in Tennessee. Memphis became very active in the off-season and enjoyed impressive program improvement in scholastic wrestling while producing outstanding individuals.

 

Tennessee enjoyed some top-end competitors in the AAU Jr. Olympics during the mid-seventies, from Chattanooga, Nashville, and Memphis. After the Memphis phase of AAU presence, there was continued sporatic participation in the Jr. Olympics, but nothing sustained until it was picked up in the '90s by coaches in East Tennessee. In the early '90s the AAU initiated a State Team concept that Tennessee participated in for a couple of years, maybe more. The tournament was hosted in Knoxville for one or two years.

 

After a bitter struggle between the AAU and the USWF over the International Sanction Franchise, it was finally awarded to the USWF by the international body with certain stipulations for AAU inclusion. Finally, wrestling was in the hands of an organization of people whose sole concern for its own existence was the well-being of a single sport, wrestling. The USWF name was changed to USAW. Since I'm not familiar with the current organizational structure or staffing of USAW, I can't comment on how faithfully the national body has been able to maintain the closeness to the athletes that was present during its grassroots beginning. But from what I understand, concern for the athletes is still paramount.

 

The AAU is a multi-sport organization with wrestling being one of several under the umbrella. From my observation the organization became much more athlete/coach friendly after they lost the franchise. The wrestling division seems to be fairly autonomous and has come up with innovative concepts in its struggles to carry on.

 

I beg to differ with anyone who characterizes the Federation to be about anything except for offering opportunities for Tennessee wrestlers...especially to participate in international styles of wrestling during the off-season. It also appears to me that the AAU is attempting to offer the same competitive opportunities except for the style.

 

luchador's assessment of the differences in the TWF and AAU are on target...each most often offers a different style of competition.

[Matmaid]

DEAR rcpatriot and cywrestle --

 

"Show me the money"˜ ( and the power ??? )"

 

Who pays for your high school program, your coaches' salary, and the school bus that takes you to places your team needs to be? (I DO! ˜ your parents do and so does every taxpayer in Tennessee.)

 

Yes, it does take money to run any program, even our summer wrestling programs. It takes money for clubs, training, insurance, travel, and hosting events. It takes money to communicate to the community about these programs with newsletters, and websites. For the National governing bodies of these organizations, it takes money to pay administrators and staff. Not too many folks work for FREE now a days. Granted this money is most often generated from membership dues or fees.

 

The question is˜who benefits from the money˜Both TWF and USAW financial records are public...Both are all Volunteer Organizations. (USAW does have staff, as does the OTC) However, revenues generated are all put back into the primary mission of promoting wrestling and providing opportunities for YOUR BENEFIT. In Tennessee many volunteers put their own time and money into the pot for YOUR BENEFIT. "We do it for you !!!"

 

This country has a great system called free enterprise and competition. From the adolescent male prospective, think about this ˜ Where would you be if you wanted a Chevy truck with a certain option but only Ford trucks were available with some other option? In Tennessee we have 4 sanctioning bodies, AAU - USAW - FCI - NHSCA each competing for wrestling participation and memberships˜You are free to choose which one will benefit you ( as an individual ) the most and that boys is the only POWER generated by summer wrestling programs.

 

What would benefit our state as a whole is without question, UNITY ˜but that's another thread. ~MM

[CoachBlair]

If you're wondering why USAW's card is $30 and the rest are $10 or $15, it's mainly because of USAW's other responsibility that AAU, FCI, and NHSCA do not have. Because USAW is the governing organization for our National teams they are responsible for funding and sending those teams to competitions like the Olympics, World Championships, the World Cup, Pan Am Games, the Tblisi Tournament, etc.

Card dues go towards helping fund our top wrestlers as they represent (very well, I might add) our country internationally. Thanks to USAW America has gone from an average wrestling nation to one of the world powers in the sport.

[rcpatriot]

matmaid, calm down. i was only pointing out the obvious. i wasn't choosing a side. but, since you "threw the first stone", I am one of those volunteers that you speak of. at the high school level and club level. I don't get paid a dime for my time, nor do i ask for one! with that being said, i believe since i have put my time, money, and effort into trying to help build this sport in my area, that i can give my opinion on this issue. that opinion is still MONEY!

I have yet to read a post on this issue that doesn't, in some form or fashion, refer to money and power hungry people, as to why the organizations have to be seperate.

coach spain from bradley, and i have discussed this issue in great length. i believe he may have an answer for the problem! sounded good to me.

just my opinion.

rcpatriot

[mailman87]

RC whats coach Spains idea?

[Edited by mailman87 on 4-30-03 2:46P]

[luchador]

Bottom line money? Ok, there are some who affiliate with an organization, AAU, that does not cost as much as the other, USAW, to join. If that is what you are getting at, I can't help but agree. If you are trying to say that TWF is money hungy, you are sadly mistaken. Our books are public record . I can't speak for AAU on this matter. They have satisfied a market that USAW overlooked 10-12 years ago, off-season folkstyle. The main difference is that every dollar spent on USAWrestling stays in wrestling. AAU cannot guarantee that. FCI is another matter. They always have and always will be about money.

[sly]

Luchador, I've enjoyed your post about the differences between the organizations we have for wrestling and I agree with you on most things. However, I'm not really sure that you have all the facts when it comes to FCI. You've stated something like FCI is all about money and that the leadership is getting rich....something like that. Well here what I know about FCI....FCI is mainly for K-8 grades and folkstyle wrestling.(So USAW which is freestyle shouldn't be concerned) One exception is that high school wrestlers compete during the Challenge Cup which is the only Annual National Wrestling Tournament held in Tennessee that I am aware of. FCI has in the past contributed financially to help supported UTC's wrestling program and has and/or will be helping start youth wrestling programs throughout Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama through financial donations. (I don't know if USAW or AAU helps start local programs or not, if they don't they should.) When our kids club travels (40-80 young wrestlers) to a FCI tournament we find parent friendly events with plenty of competition for all of our wrestlers and we don't have to travel all that far to get it.(Which is something I can't say for USAW and AAU) FCI isn't perfect and could improve on some things to make it better but as a youth coach for over 17 years I can't find a better organization that meets the needs for our young wrestlers, coaches and parents. By the way which FCI leaders have gotten rich I'd like to know......I'll hit them up for a loan. I am not trying to put down USAW or AAU they do a good job in other areas and meet the needs of some but until they do as good of a job as FCI does our K-8 youth program wev will be in FCI along with the other aprox. 3,000 wrestlers from TN,GA, and AL. Just my opinion.

[Drem2Achev]

matmaid at our school the school does not pay for our sport we have no budget we work our butts off fund raising to pay for the program the tax payers do not pay we do through our hard work.