I've been tuning into the Kywrestling forum regularly for a new episode of 'All My Wrestlers' and the plot seems to be continuing to thicken. The evil Dr. Myers quest for wrestling domination is placing alot of scrutiny and criticism on the highly respected Camp Co wrestling squad and it's coaching staff. A volunteer CCHS coach is pulling his support for the team and actually suggesting that his son, displaced from his current weight class by one of Myers boys via a wrestle off, will win with as few points as possible thereby reducing contribution to team points.

 

So here's my question regarding the whole combined individual versus team sport that wrestling is. If a wrestler, with little chance of a winning an individual state title but a decent chance at placing at state, maybe as high as 5th place, is now moved to a different wrestling weight class because of a KHSAA allowed transfer and it reduces his chance of placing as an individual but greatly increases his chance for a team championship, is it better to contribute heavily to a very likely state championship team effort without placing as an indvidual or a 3rd - 5th place team finsih and a 5th - 8th place individual effort???? Which would you choose?

 

Clyde posted a few weeks ago when the rumors started about the Myers boys coming to Camp Co that Coach B didn't know whether to laugh or cry. I'm guessing he still doesn't....

This is what I will say about all of this.

 

1. Coach B is doing what he thinks is best for his program.

2. Everyone was happy when they all thought the Myers boys were wrestling in the 145 and the 215 (?) weight classes especially when the 145 had left the team.

3. For a dad to go air his dirty laundry online is wrong in so many ways, in my opinion.

 

This leads to the question, what would you have done if you were in Coach B's situation? I hate it for the individual wrestler who is getting bumped but as a team I want those seniors to have a chance to win a state championship.

 

Tough situation for all!

So, have these Myers boys actually wrestled in any matches for Campbell Co? If they haven't participated, doesn't seem right that they should be able to go to an end of the season event. I can't imagine any other team sport letting someone "jump in" so late in the season.

So, have these Myers boys actually wrestled in any matches for Campbell Co? If they haven't participated, doesn't seem right that they should be able to go to an end of the season event. I can't imagine any other team sport letting someone "jump in" so late in the season.

 

No they were just released by the KHSAA last Monday I think.

 

I am not agreeing or disagreeing with the situation as I do not have a dog in the fight but why punish the kids for their dad's action?

I don't have any children who wrestle. I just find it odd that kids would be allowed to join a team sport so late in the season. Kids move all the time, but I rarely see where someone joins a basketball team or a football team right before the playoffs. I know wrestling is kind of different in that it is sort of an individual/team sport.

I don't have any children who wrestle. I just find it odd that kids would be allowed to join a team sport so late in the season. Kids move all the time, but I rarely see where someone joins a basketball team or a football team right before the playoffs. I know wrestling is kind of different in that it is sort of an individual/team sport.

One thing, I would highly doubt that if a basketball coach had two ~top 25 nationally ranked kids move in they wouldn't let them play. Second, they have been there for longer but were waiting their appeal.

 

I think you touch on part of the grey in the issue in that wrestling is both a team sport and an individual sport (why Duals needs to be recognized, but that's another thread). We are now at the part of the year when it is much more of an individual sport. I'm assuming that Coach Bankemper allowed the Myers brothers to wrestle-off and they won their spots on the team. The kids have been cleared to wrestle and assuming they beat the kids in front of them I see no reason why they shouldn't be allowed to wrestle by the coach.

 

In this regard, wrestling probably needs to be thought of more along the lines as something like tennis or golf. Yes, there is a team score counted but the individual matches are an individual thing and for the most part do not affect the outcome of any other matches but theirs. So you don't have any of the "learn-the-system" issues you might face if it was a basketball, football, or baseball player.

It looks like a tough situation for everyone involved with campbell county wrestling. I look at it as this is high school. Not a college or a pro setting. You are trying to teach values and morals to the kids that are entrusted to you. I don't think it is right that you let them wrestle. I guarantee that our high school basketball coach wouldn't let 2 top 25 kids join the team late in the year. Good luck to the kids that busted their butts for the last umpteen months only to be told, "sorry, we found something better".

It looks like a tough situation for everyone involved with campbell county wrestling. I look at it as this is high school. Not a college or a pro setting. You are trying to teach values and morals to the kids that are entrusted to you. I don't think it is right that you let them wrestle. I guarantee that our high school basketball coach wouldn't let 2 top 25 kids join the team late in the year. Good luck to the kids that busted their butts for the last umpteen months only to be told, "sorry, we found something better".

So coaches should punish kids for moving?

I don't see it as punishing kids. Its an extracurricular activity.

Wrestling though is different. If the kid wins in a wrestle off, then he earned the spot. You can't punish the kids for moving and if they win the spot fair and square there isn't much room for argument. I just don't see how this is a moral or value issue. It's just like life....if you're not the best at what you choose to do, you could get replaced. This sort of thing happens everyday in life.

I don't see it as punishing kids. Its an extracurricular activity.

So let's say a kid is a senior and has wrestled for four years. If a freshman beats him should you allow that freshman to wrestle in front of him? I mean, the senior has put in more work...

So let's say a kid is a senior and has wrestled for four years. If a freshman beats him should you allow that freshman to wrestle in front of him? I mean, the senior has put in more work...

 

If the freshman was with the team from the start, then by all means he should get the spot. I respect your opinion, but I'm just sayin that to me, its a high school extracuricular sport/activity. The team forms at the beginning of their season and you go with it. I think people lose focus on what high school sports are about. Sure its about winning and I want to win as much as the next person, but not at the expense of changing what it should be about. And I still don't see how this is punishing someone by saying "you weren't on the team when it started, so practice and start with the team next year." And for the record, I wouldn't of let Jimmy Chitwood play either.

If the freshman was with the team from the start, then by all means he should get the spot. I respect your opinion, but I'm just sayin that to me, its a high school extracuricular sport/activity. The team forms at the beginning of their season and you go with it. I think people lose focus on what high school sports are about. Sure its about winning and I want to win as much as the next person, but not at the expense of changing what it should be about. And I still don't see how this is punishing someone by saying "you weren't on the team when it started, so practice and start with the team next year." And for the record, I wouldn't of let Jimmy Chitwood play either.

This is exactly why I think the should be allowed to wrestle. Their parent(s) moved there so why not let them participate in the sport. In wrestling team spots are determined by wrestle-offs. The winner gets to wrestle, that's the beauty of it. No politics.

 

Now, if the kids came out late on their own accord then I can see the logic, but these kids came out for the team once they were eligible to wrestle there.

When I wrestled in high school (back when the Dead Sea just had the sniffles) we had wrestle-offs every week. Anyone who wasn't on varsity could challenge anyone on varsity (in their weight class, obviously) for their spot that week. Kept the #1s on their toes.

 

That being said, I don't remember an instance (in our case) where someone moved into the area late in the season.

When I wrestled in high school (back when the Dead Sea just had the sniffles) we had wrestle-offs every week. Anyone who wasn't on varsity could challenge anyone on varsity (in their weight class, obviously) for their spot that week. Kept the #1s on their toes.

 

That being said, I don't remember an instance (in our case) where someone moved into the area late in the season.

 

:laugh::laugh: