Region 1 finals predictions

[KingGreene]

Very good point Baller. A state medal should not just be something you expect to get by your senior year. We should have more kids getting those earlier... And it all comes down offseason wrestling.

[KingGreene]

Very good point Baller. A state medal should not just be something you expect to get by your senior year. We should have more kids getting those earlier... And it all comes down offseason wrestling.

[baller95]

 

I agree with you. All of the teams in this area need to find some room for improvement. Until the schools get the "money making" sports out of there head it's going to be hard and the kids are going to have to go out on there own way. Our administration at our school probably doesn't care if wrestling exist at Jeff Co or not and it's sad.[

 

That is sad. I hate to say the offseason is an investment made by parents $ and kids dedication. Pretty easy to find rides though if kids are really interested. Sometimes it takes a parent to help lug kids from your team around. Several of us have traveled all over the state and eastern part of the country to try to help kids from a variety of schools. Ask around and I'm sure kids with interest won't be turned away from offseason opportunities. The kids will know just how dedicated they are after experiencing a trip to the Ohio tournament of champions or a freestyle tourney for the first time.

[baller95]

Don't presume that no one on that team is working in the off season. You may not be aware of the work but that doesn't mean it's not happening.

 

Your dead on- post season work is the basis for in season success. And every school should be promoting it but if they don't- then it is their coaches and parents that have to have the forethought to make it happen...

 

Two weeks from now is the beginning of the 2014-15 season...

 

I see some surprises coming out of Jefferson county in the next few years.

Ok I should assume they aren't. I just know there are several on this forum that travel to about every tournament around and we just haven't seen them. What I say that from.

[Jeffcobth]

Your right they should want to medal before their senior year and I believe the ones that I listed earlier can. I know all about hauling kids back and forth. I have done it for years. Good luck this weekend

[BlackknightGATA]

Ok I should assume they aren't. I just know there are several on this forum that travel to about every tournament around and we just haven't seen them. What I say that from.

You may have seen them and just not known who they were... But there is a core group that works in the off season- is there really an off season? I don't think so. A season of less competition but its always a work day around my house.

 

It is sad that economics plays A role in success on the mat but it does. There was a discussion earlier in the thread about middle school programs verses AAU CLUBS and trading 12-15 matches a year for 60+. The authors point was its a no brainer to pick he 60 tough matches to produce a better wrestler- I add- if you have the money. If you don't have the money then you depend on the schools.

 

Further, if you don't travel in the off season and seek out competition then you can't compete... And that also takes money. It's a simple undeniable fact.

 

Tyler Johnson is and was a stud. He put in the work and was a gifted athlete. But he still suffered the same handicap that any wrestler suffers that was not the product of an AAU or USAW feeder program-less experience. He was able to overcome and compensate for it. What would he have been if he had the benefit of 4 extra years in an AAU program (before middle school) under a good coach with a strong mat room? People I talk to believe he will be an all American before he's done. I agree. But the absence of a feeder program was an obstacle he had to overcome.

[baller95]

You may have seen them and just not known who they were... But there is a core group that works in the off season- is there really an off season? I don't think so. A season of less competition but its always a work day around my house.

 

It is sad that economics plays A role in success on the mat but it does. There was a discussion earlier in the thread about middle school programs verses AAU CLUBS and trading 12-15 matches a year for 60+. The authors point was its a no brainer to pick he 60 tough matches to produce a better wrestler- I add- if you have the money. If you don't have the money then you depend on the schools.

 

Further, if you don't travel in the off season and seek out competition then you can't compete... And that also takes money. It's a simple undeniable fact.

 

Tyler Johnson is and was a stud. He put in the work and was a gifted athlete. But he still suffered the same handicap that any wrestler suffers that was not the product of an AAU or USAW feeder program-less experience. He was able to overcome and compensate for it. What would he have been if he had the benefit of 4 extra years in an AAU program (before middle school) under a good coach with a strong mat room? People I talk to believe he will be an all American before he's done. I agree. But the absence of a feeder program was an obstacle he had to overcome.

Nice post.

 

There is definitely an off season. Usually wrestle double the matches of the high school season. Folk style individuals as low as area tournaments in SW VA, NC, and TN and as big as VA Beach Nationals. Throw in some great all star team duals like Dixie and Militia Duals - love both of them. And there is 30 matches or so. Then Freetyle and Greco time. Local tournaments like PF and Chattanooga are great. Then state championships, SE regionals in GA and the national duals and Fargo are options. You have 30 more matches. Then preseason starts up and there are tournaments everywhere. Just have to know where to look. I will say you can go as big as you want and yeah that's limited to funds but stay in a 100 mile radius and I bet you can have an affordable 30 to 40 match offseason. Plus the more kids involved the less those hotel bills are.

 

I understand kids work without tournaments but in my opinion and just my opinion until you subject wrestlers to better competition and they get their butts kicked for a while they don't get better. Keep in mind two things must go along with that - a strong support system and a coach that can make them better.

 

Tyler took advantage of events like Dixie Duals. He used the offseason to get better and make up for any time lost as a youth. I only wish the beat for him and hope he gets that AA.

[KingGreene]

I remember Hux in AAU tournaments and it shows that he has wrestled out of season. Tough little freshman.

 

Like Baller said, If those kids want opportunities to wrestle in the offseason, call us up! Baller and I have been dragging kids across state lines for years. And we try to make it as absolutely cheap as possible because I don't think money should be the deciding factor on what opportunities a kid is provided with.

 

Tyler Johnson was one of those kids we drug around. And he did wrestle in the offseason since middle school. Towards the end of my high school career (he was in middle school and still chubby) we were on the same freestyle/Greco team ran out of Carson Newman's room. Later on he wrestled with the Wolfpack club and traveled with us at Team Tornado. He went out and searched for opportunities to get better and it showed.

 

Tyler is currently behind fellow TN wrestle Blake Ridenour. From what he tells me, him and Ridenour are pretty close in competition now. Ridenour has already AA'd, so once Blake graduates, Tyler has two years to make a solid run at an AA himself. I really hope he gets it. Great kid... Wish King would have snatched him up.

Edited February 6, 2014 by KingGreene

[KingGreene]

Ask Jon Boatman what some offseason butt whippings can do for you. We used to drag him around as our 98lber when he was only about 80lbs and he used to get destroyed!... As you can see now, he eventually figured stuff out.

[humorwrestling]

Dude calm down. Let me change my wording a bit to not make it sound like I'm bashing your school. Look when I wrestled Greenville was a true powerhouse and so was morristown east. I'm just saying that other teams have risen to Greenville's level of competition. It's not just a Green Devil and Morristown East Hurricane show anymore, like it used to be. Again, relax. I'm not saying that Greenville is terrible; I'm just saying that maybe the competition is better than is was in the past.

Jeffco--did you consider that maybe the reason the competition level is rising is because of Greeneville?  Not sure how you can say that Region 1 wasn't hurt by losing the teams to A/AA.  If that is your opinion, you've been asleep at the wheel.  Certainly Pigeon Forge has a great team and will continue to have a great team but just last year this average Greeneville team you speak of took home the same trophy that PF has this year.  And, who did PF have to beat for the trophy?  Do I need to spell it out for you?  Have you been watching? 

 

Not to bash Jeff County, great coach and wrestlers, but if they wrestle today, Greeneville wins a dual by 15 points.  But wait you don't like duals right?

[Jeffcobth]

Hey Humorwrestling, I believe you are the one that has been asleep at the wheel on this one. We're past all of this now. But if you are interested in the current conversation about working in the off season and getting better , feel free to jump right in. If not, good night

[baller95]

Oh what a sight to see when Humor lays it down. Good to see the boys - Humor and King posting knowledge. Many a mile we have driven King. That is for sure. Pays off. Won't be the same Region without you two guys there. You can believe I will be watching you guys on Track.