FCI - USA - AAU

[Drem2Achev]

THE 3 ORGANIZATIONS IN TN. DO FILL THERE NICHES, AND THAT IS NOT AT ALL BAD WE WRESTLE IN THE AAU AND BELONG TO USA BUT IT IS STILL ABOUT MONEY AND POWER

MATMAID THE TAXPAYERS DO NOT PAY FOR OUR PROGRAM WE WORK OUR TAILS OFF FUND RAISING WE HAVE NO BUDGET WE HAVE SEVERAL VOLUNTEER COACHES ONE PAID AND THE PROGRAM ACTUALLY RAISES ENOUGH MONEY TO COVER HIS SMALL SUPLEMENT. AND LEAVE ABOUT 600.00 TO THE GOOD TO MAKE WRESTLING AT BETSY ONE OF THREE REVENUE POSITIVE SPORTS AT THE SCHOOL THE TAX PAYERS OF TN. ARE ALITTLE BETTER OFF BECAUSE OF WRESTLING

[Matmaid]

RC - I'm calm, just confused...Who'd you say, "threw the first stone"? I thought I was blocking being hit in the head by the one you threw in your earlier post. Notice that my post was a REPLY addressed to you and your friend. Like you, I gave my opinion in response to your adamant negative statements. Say what you will, but the way I see it -- we, the entire Tennessee Wrestling Community (AAU, FCI, USAW) are all in this together, doing what we can and giving what we can to make things better and meet the needs (as sly pointed out) of each individual wrestler. I will not argue about who's the better association. Each has clearly filled a niche and that's what counts. It's really

sad that some schools are deprived of stuff that others get furnished by their school districts. I know there are others in the same boat as you. I do commend you and the numerous wrestling coaches who do volunteer their time, energy and money.

[silverpie]

Posted by sly:

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.

 

There's one other. La Femme Nationale, the AAU women's championship, is held in the upper east.

[CoachBlair]

sly, I too like the opportunity and experience that FCI offers for elementary and middle school wrestlers. As you know, I came up through the old Cleveland/Bradley Boys' Club league with the likes of Allen Patterson, Andrew and Carlos Thompson, Wes Eschenbreiner (sp?), Kenny Coehball (sp?), and so on (wasn't your son in there too for a little while?). Just those few names above speaks volumes for what an elementary league can do for future high school wrestlers. Then when I got into high school, Coach Miller turned me on to freestyle and greco. It really helped to improve my wrestling probably more so than if I just did folkstyle because it taught me how to scramble for points, maintain better position so that I wouldn't give up back exposure, and got me more confident on my feet. Now by the end of folkstyle season, I'm ready for freestyle because I like the change of pace. A lot of my wrestlers feel the same way. They get bored with folkstyle and like the "wide open" feel they get in freestyle.

I totally agree with your point about there not being enough freestyle tournaments around to make it worthwhile for the kids. Why is this? I think mainly it's because there are more coaches and parents out there who know more about folkstyle than freestyle and so it's easier to just do that. I really think that's just a Tennessee thing because I go to tournaments in Indiana and there are 500 kids of all ages wrestling freestyle. One of my wrestlers who moved in from another state said that freestyle was all they had in elementary and middle school. You didn't wrestle folkstyle until high school.

I think the FCI season is very important for our future wrestlers. My main question is why not broaden our kids' experience by going on into the freestyle season after FCI gets done? If that were to happen, knowledge of the sport would grow, more tournaments would happen, and wrestlers would get better.

It is a solid fact that the top college wrestlers were the top high school freestylers. I truly believe that for Tennessee wrestling to get better, we need to go where other states like Ohio, California, Pennsylvania, and Indiana already are by promoting spring and summer freestyle wrestling.

Just my $.02,

 

Joe Blair

[Edited by CoachBlair on 5-1-03 12:50P]

 

[sly]

Coach Blair, I don't have a problem with anything you've said regarding freestyle. I think what you said is probably more true for our high school wrestlers. I'd would like to answer your question about why not broaden our kids experience with freestyle. I think that is fine but there are issues why more K-8 aren't wrestling freestyle. I can't speak for every program but for our kids in K-5 we start wrestling in December or January and end it in April. I feel that for most of those kids at that age 3 to 4 months is long enough. Most of our 6-8 graders wrestle in our middle schools and then FCI. This makes most of their wrestling seasons from November to April which is 5 or 6 months of wrestling. We do have a some kids that will wrestle freestyle or at least continue go to freestyle practice but after several months of FCI most are ready for sun and fun. Again I am not bashing any organization but it hurts freestyle when you travel across state to wrestle and when you get there you have no one to wrestle. Of course in the spring a lot of kids play baseball and soccer which is fine but it does conflict with freestyle and hurts the numbers. I think if freestyle is to become more popular with the K-8 wrestlers it must first become stronger with our high school kids and that will require more of the high schools coaches like yourself to get involved with freestyle. Thanks.

[PUMMELKING]

If it is to succeed then it must be done at an earlier level. Get the kids envolved into freestyle and greco, let the experiences be fun and a change of pace. This I do believe will promote the sport into a more participational outcome.

Why else is their kid level national tournaments now? The level of competition and interest are there, kids want to be the best and compete in order to win.

Raise the number of younger contestants and also improve on the other end as well the open dividions. Now you name a better sport where son and dad go wrestle in the same tournament together, or now days daughter and dad maybe even mom competes as well!!!!!! We must prove to the kids that the fun continues to remain in the sport as you get older, it is not just for the young but for all who enjoy it.

I have been on all sides of it now Wrestler, Referee, Coach, USAW-USWF,AAU, FCI,USWOA,TMSAA,TSSAA,GHOA,etc.....

point being we must learn from past mistakes and keep the kids out--fun and experience. We are not just competeing against other affilitaions but rater against Baseball and even Soccer.

Well I've put my iron in the fire, maybe it will spark or could be burnt out--lets see..