Improving TN Wrestling (Long Post)

[AnonymousFan]

This thread is inspired by the themes of some recent ones - TN strong, TN weak, weight class changes, postseason results, etc.  Bottom line from those discussions, everyone seems interested in the state of TN wrestling and wants it to improve.  After crunching some numbers and reflecting on those posts, I had some thoughts to share.  Below is just one man’s opinion on where we stand, what needs to improve, and who is responsible.

 

Bottom line up front - TN has always been better defined by a few individual performances rather than team strength.  And as a rising tide lifts all boats, we need the teams across the state to all step up.

 

By individual, I’m referring to the short list of next level success like Phillip Simpson, Jordan Leen, and Nick Marable.  There are some with very recent successes on the biggest stages (like Cody Chittum, the Ohorchuk brothers, Fowler, etc) who could find serious success at the NCAA level.  However, even with Cleveland’s run of local dominance, there is a lack a presence on the national stage.  And I believe the best factor to create that isn’t Cleveland (or Baylor or Summit whatever team you cheer for) traveling 1000 miles to find competition.  Every team needs a school right down the road who can challenge them.

 

National team rankings at the high school level are a fools errand.  The top 10 is typically perennial powers with the same list of names from the PA/OH region + Blair Academy, and I don’t put much stock in a team being ranked #38 in the nation.  There are too many teams, not enough common opponents, and plenty of inconsistencies in performance at this level.  So I will admit, I don’t have well-defined metrics to measure team success.  But I can tell you what it’s not:

 

I crunched the numbers on every TN teams starting lineup.  This is not a perfect science - I used the region tournaments across all 3 mens divisions, and looked at the number of wrestlers competing for each school.  Injuries, illness, or other uncontrollable factors across the long season could have lowered the total.  Regardless, the numbers make me depressed as a fan. 

 

Across all divisions, we averaged 9.9 wrestlers/team.  Pretty easy math tells me the average team in TN is forfeiting 4 weights.  Now imagine two “average” teams meeting for a dual, each with 10 wrestlers across 14 weights.  The fans will see no more than 10 matches competed, and that assumes the gaps align for 4 double forfeits.  More than likely we’ll see a few wrestlers trot out to get a hand raised and return to the bench.  

 

In my opinion, those forfeits are what most disappoints wrestlers, coaches, and parents and are KILLING this sport.  Duals are the most fan-friendly environment we have as a sport. Only parents or the most passionate fans will attend the entirety of a 2-day tournament.  Dual tournaments or quads take all day as well, and NOBODY cares about a dual tournament.  A single dual on the other hand, it can have it all: regional rivalries and bragging rights, a marquee matchup or two, history between programs, and a very consumable 90 minutes from whistle to whistle. Nobody wants to see 18+ points scored by forfeit and it end in 36 minutes with a lopsided score.  And no wrestler wants to sacrifice all week to receive a forfeit.

 

What can we as fans, supporters, or parents do?  A few suggestions, from most demanding to least.

 

• get involved!  If your program lacks a feeder program, or the program lacks results, put yourself to work.  You don’t have to be Cael Sanderson, you just need to get kids to the wrestling room and create an environment they want to be in. 
• Recruit!… No not like that! If you are a parent to a young wrestler, invite other parents and kids to try it out (wouldn’t a Friday night dual between two powerhouse schools be a great intro to the sport?)  If you know some hasbeen wrestlers like me, recruit them to coach at any level.  If you can’t be involved, find some friends who can be.
• Demand accountability!  Of the 180 schools who competed at regionals, only 31 had a full 14 man lineup.  Some are interested in the 12 weight class option for next year, but only 65 teams brought 12 or more - and in my opinion changing the weight classes is just shifting the goalpost without addressing the root cause of poor participation.  Parents, boosters, and especially athletic directors should be demanding results from these coaches.  A basketball team in Memphis would never only find 4 players.  Football teams across the state would be laughed out the stadium without a full lineup.  So why is it acceptable for wrestling teams to repeatedly compete short handed? I won’t accuse any coaches of just being in it for a stipend, but we had a whole thread here accusing TN wrestlers of being “soft” with no focus on the coaches who have accepted they will never win.  What is that approach teaching our youth?

 

In closing, I love wrestling.  I have no issues spending all day at a tournament, even to watch “weak” competition.  But for the sake of the sport, for our athletes, for our reputation, we have to do better.  Not rocket science - full lineups of hard-working athletes who started competing sooner in life yields a better product.  That better product equates to less travel for our young studs - it seems everyone is on the road far too much these days, I think all would love a few more weekends in their own beds. 

 

Maybe my thesis here will spark some responses.  I hope it inspires some to action, and over the next decade we will see increased results across all levels.  It’s harder to find concrete solutions to the true root causes than it is to propose infeasible solutions to less relevant conditions (looking at never ending argument on the proper number of divisions), and I’m excited to hear any other feedback or proposals.  While I believe I know how to create improvement in a single wrestling program, none of us have the power to enact total change across such a large and diverse state.  So stick to what you can control, and improve the team closest to you.

[noonesfool]

9 hours ago, AnonymousFan said:

This thread is inspired by the themes of some recent ones - TN strong, TN weak, weight class changes, postseason results, etc.  Bottom line from those discussions, everyone seems interested in the state of TN wrestling and wants it to improve.  After crunching some numbers and reflecting on those posts, I had some thoughts to share.  Below is just one man’s opinion on where we stand, what needs to improve, and who is responsible.

 

Bottom line up front - TN has always been better defined by a few individual performances rather than team strength.  And as a rising tide lifts all boats, we need the teams across the state to all step up.

 

By individual, I’m referring to the short list of next level success like Phillip Simpson, Jordan Leen, and Nick Marable.  There are some with very recent successes on the biggest stages (like Cody Chittum, the Ohorchuk brothers, Fowler, etc) who could find serious success at the NCAA level.  However, even with Cleveland’s run of local dominance, there is a lack a presence on the national stage.  And I believe the best factor to create that isn’t Cleveland (or Baylor or Summit whatever team you cheer for) traveling 1000 miles to find competition.  Every team needs a school right down the road who can challenge them.

 

National team rankings at the high school level are a fools errand.  The top 10 is typically perennial powers with the same list of names from the PA/OH region + Blair Academy, and I don’t put much stock in a team being ranked #38 in the nation.  There are too many teams, not enough common opponents, and plenty of inconsistencies in performance at this level.  So I will admit, I don’t have well-defined metrics to measure team success.  But I can tell you what it’s not:

 

I crunched the numbers on every TN teams starting lineup.  This is not a perfect science - I used the region tournaments across all 3 mens divisions, and looked at the number of wrestlers competing for each school.  Injuries, illness, or other uncontrollable factors across the long season could have lowered the total.  Regardless, the numbers make me depressed as a fan. 

 

Across all divisions, we averaged 9.9 wrestlers/team.  Pretty easy math tells me the average team in TN is forfeiting 4 weights.  Now imagine two “average” teams meeting for a dual, each with 10 wrestlers across 14 weights.  The fans will see no more than 10 matches competed, and that assumes the gaps align for 4 double forfeits.  More than likely we’ll see a few wrestlers trot out to get a hand raised and return to the bench.  

 

In my opinion, those forfeits are what most disappoints wrestlers, coaches, and parents and are KILLING this sport.  Duals are the most fan-friendly environment we have as a sport. Only parents or the most passionate fans will attend the entirety of a 2-day tournament.  Dual tournaments or quads take all day as well, and NOBODY cares about a dual tournament.  A single dual on the other hand, it can have it all: regional rivalries and bragging rights, a marquee matchup or two, history between programs, and a very consumable 90 minutes from whistle to whistle. Nobody wants to see 18+ points scored by forfeit and it end in 36 minutes with a lopsided score.  And no wrestler wants to sacrifice all week to receive a forfeit.

 

What can we as fans, supporters, or parents do?  A few suggestions, from most demanding to least.

 

• get involved!  If your program lacks a feeder program, or the program lacks results, put yourself to work.  You don’t have to be Cael Sanderson, you just need to get kids to the wrestling room and create an environment they want to be in. 
• Recruit!… No not like that! If you are a parent to a young wrestler, invite other parents and kids to try it out (wouldn’t a Friday night dual between two powerhouse schools be a great intro to the sport?)  If you know some hasbeen wrestlers like me, recruit them to coach at any level.  If you can’t be involved, find some friends who can be.
• Demand accountability!  Of the 180 schools who competed at regionals, only 31 had a full 14 man lineup.  Some are interested in the 12 weight class option for next year, but only 65 teams brought 12 or more - and in my opinion changing the weight classes is just shifting the goalpost without addressing the root cause of poor participation.  Parents, boosters, and especially athletic directors should be demanding results from these coaches.  A basketball team in Memphis would never only find 4 players.  Football teams across the state would be laughed out the stadium without a full lineup.  So why is it acceptable for wrestling teams to repeatedly compete short handed? I won’t accuse any coaches of just being in it for a stipend, but we had a whole thread here accusing TN wrestlers of being “soft” with no focus on the coaches who have accepted they will never win.  What is that approach teaching our youth?

 

In closing, I love wrestling.  I have no issues spending all day at a tournament, even to watch “weak” competition.  But for the sake of the sport, for our athletes, for our reputation, we have to do better.  Not rocket science - full lineups of hard-working athletes who started competing sooner in life yields a better product.  That better product equates to less travel for our young studs - it seems everyone is on the road far too much these days, I think all would love a few more weekends in their own beds. 

 

Maybe my thesis here will spark some responses.  I hope it inspires some to action, and over the next decade we will see increased results across all levels.  It’s harder to find concrete solutions to the true root causes than it is to propose infeasible solutions to less relevant conditions (looking at never ending argument on the proper number of divisions), and I’m excited to hear any other feedback or proposals.  While I believe I know how to create improvement in a single wrestling program, none of us have the power to enact total change across such a large and diverse state.  So stick to what you can control, and improve the team closest to you.

Well said, insightful and thoughtfully written. FF have killed wrestling as a spectator sport.

[texas23]

That is an interesting manifesto, great first post under that screen name.

[cowcatcherII]

Phenomenal post!

"Of the 180 schools who competed at regionals, only 31 had a full 14 man lineup."  

What a crazy statistic... That's eye opening! Great research! 

[cbg]

10 hours ago, AnonymousFan said:

Of the 180 schools who competed at regionals, only 31 had a full 14 man lineup.  

This statistic alone tells me that we have very few coaches that are sharing athletes.  There is absolutely no reason that high school kids should not be multi-sport athletes.  When the football coach and wrestling coach work together both sports benefit from that relationship.  

[MemphisTiger14]

19 minutes ago, cbg said:

This statistic alone tells me that we have very few coaches that are sharing athletes.  There is absolutely no reason that high school kids should not be multi-sport athletes.  When the football coach and wrestling coach work together both sports benefit from that relationship.  

Having a football coach on your wrestling staff is a tremendous asset. I would say Oakland is a great example of that. I haven't researched this, but off the top of my head I believe they've had full teams (or close to it) in the recent past. 

[noonesfool]

1 hour ago, cbg said:

This statistic alone tells me that we have very few coaches that are sharing athletes.  There is absolutely no reason that high school kids should not be multi-sport athletes.  When the football coach and wrestling coach work together both sports benefit from that relationship.  

Totally agree.

[cobrakid8]

When I wrestled at Soddy one or 2 of our assistant coaches were also football coaches. Same thing with our middle schools. We usually had a decent turnout of guys from both sports, some that even went to college for football decided to wrestle when they had not before because some smaller school college coaches LOVED the football players that also wrestled. That stat above is pretty eye-opening with 180 schools that competed in regionals and only 31 having the full 14 weights filled. Sad situation all around

[RMC]

Great post!

I think some parents don't set the expectation level for their youth kids and want instant success and turn kids off early.  Start slow and set goals......year 1 get mat time and learn the rules, year 2 stop getting pinned and try to win 1 match, year 3 maybe make it to kids state.....etc. Don't burn your kid out.....maybe 10 tournaments a year for years 4 and 5.  

For HS coaches......keep the non-starters involved......find a 9th grade or JV tournament to get those kids in.  Recruit coaches from other sports to help get those non-starters mat time.  The more kids you can get in the room...the better for everyone in that room. 

Fundraise for travel.......we did a Patrons Walk were wrestlers would get in groups of 4 or 5 and walk around their neighborhoods and collect donations and hand out wrestling schedules.  People were usually happy to see the wrestlers and very generous.  (also a tax deduction is your booster club is a 501(c)3)

I know I'm preaching to the choir.