middle school wrestling

[TojoYamamoto]

I want to bring up a last minute rule change concerning weigh-ins for this weekends HCAC tournament. For several years now, HCAC has used the last weigh-in of the regular season to serve as the official weigh-in for the tournament that is held over the upcoming weekend. In fact, it is spelled out for coaches in item #10 of their guidelines. Tuesday after the last match the kids were told that their would be no more weigh-ins. Now, after many of the kids have put weight on, the HCAC has decided on a last minute, little explained rule change and require that wrestlers weigh in Friday. Everyone knows that this is the way it should have been all along (at least anyone who keeps abreast of current rule changes), but the student athletes where abiding by the rules that they are given. I even discussed this with one of our coaches and we agreed that the HCAC policy did not mirror NFHS or TSSAA, but he told me that HCAC has their own set of rules to go by. So now we are going to punsih the kids because HCAC has been making the rules up as they go along?

 

I'm really bothered by what I'm seeing in middle school wrestling. Both the quality and numbers are declining. I totally agree with a post I saw recently by walkenvol, questioning the quality of instruction and what the future may hold for some of our schools. It really makes me wonder if the answer lies in club wrestling. I see quality instruction and hungry wrestlers when I go to these workouts, such as the one at UTC last night. My family truly loves our school and our community! But at what point do you say enough is enough and look out for yous kids best interest?

[reftn]

Tojo...you date yourself....

 

I am interested, is the HCAC the Chattanooga middle school wrestling conference? I had always thought it was always club wrestling for middle schools there.

 

Here in Nashville, we have done thing a little different. Our seasons run concurrent with the high school season, generally from Oct to Feb.

 

I hate to hear of declining numbers in the middle schools there. Is that true or your assumption?

 

The opposite is happening here. We have more middle schools wrestling every year. There are four athletic conferences with middle school wrestling in and around the Nashville area, with rumors of a Middle TN Middle School Championship coming in a couple of years. There must be eighty or so middle schools represented this past year. I know of at least three more coming online next year.

 

I would love to envision a top four tourney (for middle school) from each section of the state, with a 16 man finale wrestled, maybe, during the high school state tourney.

 

I hope you get your situation worked out down there.

 

retn

[BayouBear]

The HCAC is not the only wrestling conference in the Chattanooga area. The TVAC is a tough conference made up of McCallie. Baylor, Cleveland, Chatt Christian, Ocoee and Lake Forest. The TVAC participant numbers are very good and the quality of wrestling may be the best in the state. Bradley's incoming Freshman class next season has a chance to be one of the best ever. The TVAC season runs the same as the high school season.

 

An outside opinion...If the HCAC numbers are down and the quality is less than it once was, the blame can be laid at the feet of whoever made the decision to wrestle after the state tournament. Would anyone begin Middle School football after the HS State Championship? If you did, I am sure the both the quality and quantity of players would be down also. Another problem with the HCAC season is the length. If schools began after the State Tournament on Feb 17th and the HCAC Tournament is this weekend...that is only 3 weeks of wrestling. How many matches can you wrestle in 3 weeks? In the TVAC Conference, most wrestlers get at least 15 or more matches during the season. Following the state tournament, the clubs swing into full gear and a wrestler can probably get another 8 to 12 matches or more thru this weekend. So if you were to add all that up...TVAC wrestlers have been practicing for 19 weeks and had as many as 30 matches while HCAC wrestlers have 3 weeks of practice and a lot less matches.

 

This could be a reason why Bradley, Cleveland, Baylor and McCallie are good year after year.

[TojoYamamoto]

I totally agree with BayouBear! Last season our end of season tnmt conflicted with major events that all good wrestlers go to, such as topeka nationals. I'm pretty sure that this will cause some wrestlers to miss out on the FCI State.

[PUMMELKING]

To Tojo Ref and BB

Coming from a standpoint of observer I might add that sum shcools must wait til after the H.S. season is over in order to have Mats not to mention Coaches. Alot of schools have to use H.S. mats and it is the H.S. coach who has to coach them as well. Now others are fortunate to have mats, practice facilities and Coaches willing to take this on.

 

As for a middle school state touny it will never happen sum to do with the same things and also that TMSAA does not want to take it to that level. Nothing beyond a district level at most, they feal that it would put to much emphasis on Winning-Loseing not just the Competeing, enjoyment of the sport.

 

Their are other areas of the state that have good middle school wrestling but they do not belong to TMSAA and are not associated with TSSAA therefore must wrestle under club level or other association. Greeneville and the schools up that way do their wrestling after the holidays when they start up and have had sum good competitors.

[walkenvol]

Tojo - Don't hit me in the head with your wooden shoe, but I don't recall making such a post. While I don't agree that the HCAC coaching is poor, I do agree with you (and good grieve, BB also) that the Jan 12 to March 8 season is hurting the sport. I can't think of any HC middle school team that is coached by the HS coach. I think the vast majority of all sports would prefer that the middle schools have 3 athletic seasons like the high schools instead of the 4 seasons they currently use. Every sport is being pinched with a shortened season. Plus as BB pointed out, the 3 season schools have the advantage of also participating in the club season if they desire. Can any Hamilton County Administrator explain the logic for the current system? When and why was it changed from 3 seasons as it was in the past? If the vast majority prefer it to be changed, why not?

[SilentJohn]

Walkenvol,

 

I totally agree that the split season hurts hurts the sport at that level. Coach Hall at Hixson is one HCAC coach who also coaches HS (assistant, Hixson) but that wont be but for a few more years when Vandergriff hands over the keys to him full time. I cant think of anyone else in that situation.

I can tell you all the Hixson Middle folks are not happy about having to be up all night scrambling to re-do the brackets, etc, at the last minute. Its par for the course with the HCAC from what I've seen since moving back here. My wife coaches soccer and I can say from experience this is not the first bone-headed decision coming from them.

[TojoYamamoto]

Silent John....I agree. it seems to get worse every year.

 

walkenvol...sorry if i misquoted you. i thought i read something from you similar to this under the "where's rabbit" thread concerning dropping numbers and what the future may hold for some schools if changes aren't made. i don't think all coaching in the hcac is bad, but i have seen some things, which are getting progressively worse, that certainly causes one to wonder. it's not about wrestling anymore, its more about getting them in, getting them out, getting them there on time, and so what if noone has learned anything. i'm sure that you would have wanted more for spencer if he were stuck in this same mess. the wrestling season now is more like taking two months off. oh well, at least the season is over now and i can focus on getting my wrestler some real instruction.

 

by the way, congrats to spencer on a wonderfyl season. i know you must be proud.

[walkenvol]

Tojo - Spencer attended Hunter Middle School, so he was involved. You might of heard of a few others who were in the HCAC at that time: Kyle James, Shaun Cordell, Jordan Leen, Justin and Tyke Gooden, Matt Byrd, John Lane. Obviously, the competition was not bad. What our club does now is we start practice at the begining of December. Many of the boys who have moved onto 6th, 7th, and 8th grades will practice with us for several weeks before their season starts, then when their season finishes tomorrow, they will rejoin us. We continue our club practice up to the Tournament of Champions. This allows for a decent season for those who seek out additional opportunities. While this is better than only the HCAC season, it is still not as good as a 3 sport season as practiced in Bradley county, North GA, and the Chattanooga privates.