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This conflict between TNAAU and TWF(TNUSA)


durdon
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When I first heard that our two state wrestling organizations, the  TWF(USA) and TNAAU were going to go head to head I’ll be honest I wasn’t happy.  I would much prefer that we had unity between both organizations and that they were working together for the betterment of wrestling in Tennessee. But over the past week, I’ve changed my mind and I now think these two organizations need to start competing against each other if we are ever going to be able to build a strong freestyle and Greco tradition in this state.

 This is kind of long winded but if you read below you will see why I now feel this way. 

For the past decade, both organizations have had an agreement in place not to compete against each other so that the TNAAU would concentrate solely on Folkstyle in TN and TWF would concerntrate soley on Freestyle/Greco and neither organization would go into the others seasons and they would support each other.  

 And I had heard that had the TWF President Ben Bowers not announced in a private call to the TWF BOARD two weeks ago that starting this fall, the TWF would start running USA Folkstyle youth tournaments statewide in an attempt to try to take out the TNAAU organization, we would still have the unity between both organizations. 

I don’t blame TNAAU for deciding to start competing with the TWF IN FR/gr events this spring now at all.  I 100% support them taking a stand.  I’m still flabbergasted and aghast at the stupidly of the leadership of the TWF in trying to launch this Initiative to take out the TNAAU.  

The TNAAU over the past decade has put 10 of thousands of volunteer hours by hundreds of people with one sole purpose of selfishly improving wrestling in the state of TENNESSEE.  The volunteer work that Barnett, Bates, Hernandez, Sutherland, Bosken, Kremmerer, Salter, Teaster, Kramer, isabell, Elsea, etc has been nothing short of miraculous.  Today, the TNAAU is  one of the most financially strong, extremely well run youth and middle school wrestling organizations in the US and most importantly they have the support of the entire wrestling community in the state including all of our high school coaches.   

The TWF on the other hand is completely broke, extremely poorly run with a tremendous amount of infighting and most importantly their current President  at the head of the organization he has become a lightening rod so the TWF has alienated the entire wrestling community in the state and all of their customers. Crazy Issues like not being able to provide Ref’s at the TWF State Tourney which is there premier event and having to get high school wrestlers to ref other matches between their own matches they were wrestling is just one of many examples of the sad state that the TWF is in today.  And, not all of this falls 100% on current leadership as the TFW had major issues before current President and vice President took over and the TFW was in almost as bad of shape then as it is today. 

So the reality is that this no “compete agreement” between the TFW and TNAAU while it prevented the organizations from fighting, it has actually been extremely detrimental to growth and development of wrestling in this state.  That agreement has allowed an extremely poorly run  organization to have zero competition to force them to improve to control all freestyle/Greco activities in our state. They have over the past decade done such a poor job of running those events that it now dramatically impacting the growth and development of our high school wrestlers and TN high school wrestling in general.  

This is even more impactful today as popularity of USA Freestyle/Greco has exponentially grown over the past 6 years and it will continue to be even more important in the years moving forward. 

Today, TN is extremely competitive at the YOUTH and Middle school level nationally but we are losing ground as the kids get into high school.  

WHY??

I personally believe that competing in FS/GR is the most important thing a high school wrestler can do in the off season to continue growing as a wrestler. Our TN kids haven’t been able to do that because the TWF offerings for fr/gr events have been so weak.  

So ive changed my mind, I now think its great that the TNAAU is getting into FR/Gr game. They are going to run better tournaments and provide real competition to the TWF.  The TWF will either colllapse or they will improve.  This is the beauty of competition. 

 Just look at their first fr/gr tournament the TNAAU will run. They will have 3 man mechanics something that’ I’m not sure has ever been seen in TN and they are doing a free coaches clinic that day.  This first event is being hosted by the strongest high school program in the state right now and has the full support of 8 of the top high school programs in the state.  The TNAAU’s first tournament will end up being more competitive and bigger than any fr/gr tournament that’s ever been held in Tennessee. 

The TNAAU is also going to be offering free technique camps statewide.  The TNAAU can do this because they have money, they are extremely organized, they have access to attract all of the youth kids who most probably aren’t even aware that fr/gr exist and they are just extremely good at hosting and promoting tournaments.  

I have no idea what the future holds for fr/gr and growth of our Hs wrestlers but I think that competition between these organizations is a really good thing! 

 

 

Edited by durdon
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Only my opinion but TNAAU and TN Wrestling Federation should work to combine groups.  There are a select few states that have done this and it would benefit Tennessee wrestling for this to happen.  Long story made short AAU has a strong folkstyle program in Tennessee but USA Wrestling is the top dog nationally.  It would be a win win win for ALL TENNESSEE WRESTLING for this to happen.  Let's see if some adults can set aside their egos and make this happen.

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