tssaa state medals are a joke. I cant believe what I saw last night.

[buckeyeintn]

The medals have been the same for years and years.

Doesn't make it right. Give the kids something they want to show off they earned it.

[buckeyeintn]

Yes while your there on the podium the teeny tiny medal is fine your happy,  5 minutes later when your showing it off to friends and family not impressed. And as for growing the sport, If I was a new guy coming in to wrestling and I saw a huge trophy or medal given out it would make me want it more. On the other hand if I was the same new guy and saw the medals ide be like " That's all you get"   Which would you rather have a Porsche or a Pinto?  I'm sorry but a big medal or a big trophy does make these kids happy.  Ask the kids that placed.  I know I heard it from several of the wrestlers, from multiple teams.

[HSDAD]

Yes while your there on the podium the teeny tiny medal is fine your happy,  5 minutes later when your showing it off to friends and family not impressed. And as for growing the sport, If I was a new guy coming in to wrestling and I saw a huge trophy or medal given out it would make me want it more. On the other hand if I was the same new guy and saw the medals ide be like " That's all you get"   Which would you rather have a Porsche or a Pinto?  I'm sorry but a big medal or a big trophy does make these kids happy.  Ask the kids that placed.  I know I heard it from several of the wrestlers, from multiple teams.

I can picture Coach Mattingly telling the wrestlers that it will all be worth it  

when you get the 'big medal" @ State !   I know alot of kids who wrestle for

the love of the sport, others who wrestle for fun, and even others who

wrestle because they like being the best at something.  I have not had the

pleasure of knowing any who wrestle because of the size of the awards? 

 

Congrats to your son this weekend.  He had the opportunity to face some

quality kids.  Placing 6th as a freshman is great.  Losing will make him a better wrestler.  I hope that he and the other kids that placed won't quit the sport because their medals were so "Pinto" like.

 

Heres a link to some quality medals for your son.  You might be able to get a quantity discount if you can get the other wrestlers interested as well...

.

http://www.worldclassmedals.com/award_kit_product.aspx#

Edited February 17, 2014 by HSDAD

[buckeyeintn]

He coulda' done better if he wasn't hurt Friday night. Doctor will tell. But evidently you misunderstand.  A wrestler doesn't wrestle for medals , you're right.  But they do give medals at every tournament we have ever been to. So why not make the biggest accomplishment of some of their careers just a little better. That's what I'm trying to say.  Trophies are mementos  of accomplishments. Something to look at down the road and remind you of what you did or didn't do. Yes you'll remember that on your own. But lets say it's been a bad day, you look up and see that medal and smile. Real athletes will participate no matter what.  Medal, trophy or not. But if it doesn't matter why do we not just tell the O.W. that he did a good job. Why give out team trophies at an individual tournament. Because part of it is hoisting that reward for the accomplishment. Could you imagine the picture on the medal stand if first place was hoisting a big trophy. We just disagree about the smile a real nice medal will bring to a kid. Just saying if your gonna give out medals, Give a medal.

[HSDAD]

That's were we disagree...Receiving a larger award doesn't make it better?

The OW and team trophies are just for OW and winning teams.  The medals

that are awarded are for the placers. If I was a kid, I would say thank you!

 

You have a right to your opinion, just don't have any say as to what TSSAA

awards the wrestlers.  Unless you want to donate the medals to the state?

OR get the others wrestlers who commented on their size to help you raise

funds to purchase them for the state.  Let's look at this...

 

14 weight classes times 6 placers per division (14x6x3) 252 medals + the girls division?

That would take some funding. 

 

When I look at my trophy shelves and my kids shelves,

I never once thought that any particular award was not big enough? 

[PUMMELKING]

The size of the medal can have a significance.  In  Georgia the State Championship medals were about the size of a Dime.  Don't don't  if there was a reason for this but it did make the State Medal stick out from all the others on your Letter Jacket.

[hoosierdad]

Georgia officiating is terrible.  If they know you are not from Tennessee, you are done.  I have seen it at the McCalle Tournament and I have seen it at kids tournament and other high school tournaments..

 

As bad as you think the officiating is at the state tournament, you should see it in Georgia. 

Edited February 18, 2014 by hoosierdad

[seahawk8]

I find it interesting that we complain (me included) about the cow palace and how the tournament needs to move.  It's horrible etc. as people would say or they didn't have decent pictures of the the tournament matches etc.  but we are ok with crappy medals for these kids.  The venue is for us parents not for the wrestlers. We don't like not having a good seat to watch the matches, the terrible bathrooms, the fact the our kids don't have the atmosphere we think they deserve, etc. That is all legit complaints.  But, The reality is the kids venue is the mat and the mat is the same wherever it is laid. The medals are the one tangible reward/reminder of their hard work.  To say these kids don't wrestle for the medal is too simplistic.  The medal is part of the experience and will be the only thing they have from that event in their lives 30 years from now.  The medals are insignificant now because they are insignificant looking.  My son has showed me some great school tournament medals he was excited to win so how can our STATE medal be acceptable when it by far is made of such lessor quality than most if not all other tournaments in our state.  Last regarding growing this sport.  Crappy medals are not going to help the matter. Nor will giving medals out to anyone who has a pulse.  A kid in Div 2 gets hurt and can't make it to the state tourn then potentially the kid he got bracketed with first round can get a 6th place medal and not win a match.  This isn't little league soccer.  Quality over quantity should be the motto for wrestling.   At least take Div2 down to 4 medals instead of 6... but i digress.  i guess that's another topic.  

[mat73557]

^^^^^ Everything this guy said...

[fooseball96]

I made this thread because from expierence. I wrestled at cleveland in the early to mid 90s. No the wrestlers dont wrestle for a medal,but 10-30;years down the road when your telling your kids/grandkids that you were a state champ and u pullout this generic cheap medal. This experience just happened to me and my friends kid said "that medal sucks"i laughed but hes right. Im just saying with the tssaa getting the cow palace for free, at least make it up with some decent medals.

Edited February 18, 2014 by fooseball96

[HSDAD]

Looks like this has become the forum of complaints.  Posting the complaints

on this forum will change nothing.  TSSAA is where you need to bring your

complaints.  I can amagine the complaints from the masses if TSSAA

decided to actually change the awards???

 

1. Well my kid deserves better than 10k gold, why can't we get 18K gold medals?

2. Why can't we get the school colors on our ribbons?

3. My cousin from PA got platinum medals, my son feels slighted now?

4. My sons medal is 2", but KY gives out 3" medals.  My son deserves more?

5. BLAH - BLAH - BLAH ! ! !

 

What are we trying to teach these kids?  Please tell me more stories about how

TSSAA has slighted you in the past.  How they owe you or your kids more?

How you should dictate their policies?  Heck if it's really that bad, you guys should

just sue TSSAA.  You deserve it - RIGHT?

Edited February 18, 2014 by HSDAD

[fooseball96]

Looks like this has become the forum of complaints. Posting the complaints

on this forum will change nothing. TSSAA is where you need to bring your

complaints. I can amagine the complaints from the masses if TSSAA

decided to actually change the awards???

 

1. Well my kid deserves better than 10k gold, why can't we get 18K gold medals?

2. Why can't we get the school colors on our ribbons?

3. My cousin from PA got platinum medals, my son feels slighted now?

4. My sons medal is 2", but KY gives out 3" medals. My son deserves more?

5. BLAH - BLAH - BLAH ! ! !

 

What are we trying to teach these kids? Please tell me more stories about how

TSSAA has slighted you in the past. How they owe you or your kids more?

How you should dictate their policies? Heck if it's really that bad, you guys should

just sue TSSAA. You deserve it - RIGHT?

hsdad have u ever wrestled or have a kid thats does? It seems every thread that ive seen u speak is totally against whatever the subject may be. U live next door to the cow palace dont u