WWF Kids State Folkstyle: Observations-Thoughts

TomM · March 28, 2016, 01:09:52 AM

WWF Kids State Folkstyle: Observations-Thoughts | Jim Stephenson

http://www.wiwrestling.com/wwf-kids-state-folkstyle-observations-thoughts-jim-stephenson/

bigoil · March 28, 2016, 12:52:26 PM

Some of my takes were:

* More Spilde/Model for years to come out of Stoughton, among many other strong wrestlers.
* Burlington had what seemed a very strong showing.
* Continuing the trend I noticed this year in HS, was Kenosha with some very good wrestlers.
* More Stratford coming....

* I happened to notice a kid drop 21# from January to Qualifier
* Kid running at weigh ins of qualifier for 3 hours
* Some kids hard to know where they are from; I love all the private training available but unless Ringers (just one example) is a new charter school, that kid has a community. Hard to track these kids when you are from another part of the State and/or age group. I looked at a profile for an 8th grader on track and had to go back to Kindergarten to find where they were from.

ChargerDad · March 28, 2016, 05:21:40 PM

Quote from: bigoil on March 28, 2016, 12:52:26 PM
Some of my takes were:

* More Spilde/Model for years to come out of Stoughton, among many other strong wrestlers.
* Burlington had what seemed a very strong showing.
* Continuing the trend I noticed this year in HS, was Kenosha with some very good wrestlers.
* More Stratford coming....

* I happened to notice a kid drop 21# from January to Qualifier
* Kid running at weigh ins of qualifier for 3 hours
* Some kids hard to know where they are from; I love all the private training available but unless Ringers (just one example) is a new charter school, that kid has a community. Hard to track these kids when you are from another part of the State and/or age group. I looked at a profile for an 8th grader on track and had to go back to Kindergarten to find where they were from.

I agree on being hard to tell where kids are from.. I would love it if kids would represent the their town with pride at state:-) we have trained at several elite clubs, but nothing makes us more proud than putting on the school colors and representing our home town! The elite clubs are a place we train, they are not who we are!

handsandtoes · March 30, 2016, 08:46:02 PM

Just a thought to make it a better experience. Please stop cleaning up and rolling up mats etc. as kids are still wrestling. My son was wrestling in the finals and when they went out of bounce the other kid tripped and fell over the guy taking off the tape in the center walk way (2 ft from there mat) . I seen one kid go off the mat and hit his head on the concrete because they rolled up the mat along side his. I really think you could wait another 1/2 hour to start clean up and give every kid the same respect. The pictures don't look very professional when your son is wrestling in a state championship and there are people right along side him rolling up mats. And my son only wrestled 175 by the time the hwt's wrestled they might have had to wrestle on the floor. Great experience but could improve on that.

sled77 · March 31, 2016, 02:15:59 PM

Quote from: handsandtoes on March 30, 2016, 08:46:02 PM
Just a thought to make it a better experience. Please stop cleaning up and rolling up mats etc. as kids are still wrestling. My son was wrestling in the finals and when they went out of bounce the other kid tripped and fell over the guy taking off the tape in the center walk way (2 ft from there mat) . I seen one kid go off the mat and hit his head on the concrete because they rolled up the mat along side his. I really think you could wait another 1/2 hour to start clean up and give every kid the same respect. The pictures don't look very professional when your son is wrestling in a state championship and there are people right along side him rolling up mats. And my son only wrestled 175 by the time the hwt's wrestled they might have had to wrestle on the floor. Great experience but could improve on that.

I agree!!

littleguy301 · March 31, 2016, 02:25:52 PM

I am sure it is a time situation. I really doubt the WWF wants anyone to get hurt in action.

I would guess that since most of the workers started at 6 am on Friday morning and where there late until Satuarday night, I bet they just wanted to get a jump on things by rolling up the mats.

I also was mat side on the north end with some of the heavier kids and I also wondered that about leaving at least a roll down for protection.

Also during the meet, it was more than just a single person removing mat tape that was in the center area. I saw several people and for the most part I did not notice any of those people effecting or getting in the way of wrestling. Though I understand the potential of risk with people in that area and I can understand the concern.

Over all, I thought that the WWF runs a tight ship and awesome event. Lots of hours and time they put in so for the most part I think they do a top notch job.

I will say, and I also agree, on the mats 13 and 14 maybe leaving a roll of mat down from the unused mats of 15 and 16 may help your concerns.

missinghome · March 31, 2016, 07:31:44 PM

What are they saving? A 1/2 hour maybe an hour? Once again the WWF does a great job no question and I am not bashing, but looking at pictures of a state championship match with people rolling up mats and people 2 ft from kids wrestling rolling up mats is very unprofessional. I don't believe they do it at the high school level. I think they could wait 1 more hour and give all the kids the same experience.

imwi · March 31, 2016, 08:35:23 PM

Quote from: missinghome on March 31, 2016, 07:31:44 PM
What are they saving? A 1/2 hour maybe an hour? Once again the WWF does a great job no question and I am not bashing, but looking at pictures of a state championship match with people rolling up mats and people 2 ft from kids wrestling rolling up mats is very unprofessional. I don't believe they do it at the high school level. I think they could wait 1 more hour and give all the kids the same experience.

Your point is valid but you are incorrect, they most certainly do the exact same thing in high school. I believe you can find some comments from around the regional/sectional time frame this year addressing the exact same issue. Not at the state tournament but they are all wrestling at the same time there and finish at the same time.

I'd be interested to know if your son/daughter feels the did get the "same experience"? I suspect they're wrestling, they don't care what's going on elsewhere. At the same time, I agree with you, seems disrespectful but I'm sure no one is doing it to disrespect anyone.

imnofish · March 31, 2016, 08:43:50 PM

I too am confident that no disrespect was intended; however, that doesn't mean that actions were appropriately respectful. It was good that this oversight got pointed out, so it can be corrected. Positive changes require mindful actions designed to facilitate them. If we are never made aware of our shortcomings, it's unlikely they'll ever be addressed.

missinghome · March 31, 2016, 08:50:04 PM

My Son won the state tournament, so yes his experience was awesome. And once again the WWF does a great job. He was actually the one that brought it up when we were looking at the pictures his mom took. He pointed out the back ground and said it was very distracting with all the stuff going on around him. He said it must really suck to be a heavy weight. I am not saying the WWF is trying to be disrespectful by any means (they run a great tournament) But this is a very big deal to these kids and they should all get the same treatment.

padre · April 01, 2016, 06:31:50 AM

I would agree. We have it happen every year with one of our wrestlers where they are pulling up mats right next to the mats that are running placement or finals matches. Not sure why my sons 125 pound final a few years ago was the last weight class that year to finish but all pictures have guys sitting on rolled up mats or pulling tape in the background. I find it odd every year but it's done every year.

I do want to say they run a tight ship as far as time every year and for that I'm very appreciative.

bigG · April 01, 2016, 07:10:10 AM

Maybe they just need a few more volunteers to wait and roll up the mats. Sounds like we have some volunteers lined up for next year already to stay an hour later and clean up. Offer to do just that, and I bet they'll let you do the rolling up and clean up. I know I never turn down help in my gym at the end of a tourney.

padre · April 01, 2016, 11:32:44 AM

Quote from: bigG on April 01, 2016, 07:10:10 AM
Maybe they just need a few more volunteers to wait and roll up the mats. Sounds like we have some volunteers lined up for next year already to stay an hour later and clean up. Offer to do just that, and I bet they'll let you do the rolling up and clean up. I know I never turn down help in my gym at the end of a tourney.

Hmmmm...someone brings up a legit point and of course sarcasm comes to the forum.

Everyone says they run a great tournament but to some it is a little disrespectful. Every year it comes on here about no one staying for the heavys and then at youth state they are packing up with them wrestling....it is a credible question to ask.

While they run a good tournament remember how much money is spent there by these kids and parents. Besides shirts, jackets, apparel, travel expenses, etc.. The food cost there is the highest I've ever seen. They make going to the kohl center for individual state look like going to the Dollar General.

I really don't care if this habit continues but it's a legitimate point to make.

tyben · April 01, 2016, 12:49:26 PM

Quote from: bigoil on March 28, 2016, 12:52:26 PM
Some of my takes were:

* More Spilde/Model for years to come out of Stoughton, among many other strong wrestlers.
* Burlington had what seemed a very strong showing.
* Continuing the trend I noticed this year in HS, was Kenosha with some very good wrestlers.
* More Stratford coming....

* I happened to notice a kid drop 21# from January to Qualifier
* Kid running at weigh ins of qualifier for 3 hours
* Some kids hard to know where they are from; I love all the private training available but unless Ringers (just one example) is a new charter school, that kid has a community. Hard to track these kids when you are from another part of the State and/or age group. I looked at a profile for an 8th grader on track and had to go back to Kindergarten to find where they were from.

It would really be nice to be able to tell where kids are from so you could see which schools are building their programs. I understand that wrestling schools/academies like to have their name next to kids for advertising but it really makes it hard to tell where a kids is from. Is there a way to list the school district with a logo of the club they attend next to them?

Just looking at school districts, Stoughton, NGL (Neilsville, Granton, Loyal) and Wis Rapids looked to have had the best showings. NGL might be the most impressive being they are a small school and had 18 kids wrestling last weekend. I'm guessing there are other towns that did well but not being able to easily see where kids are from that attend private clubs makes it tough to tell.

littleguy301 · April 02, 2016, 01:14:35 PM

Quote from: padre on April 01, 2016, 11:32:44 AM
Quote from: bigG on April 01, 2016, 07:10:10 AM
Maybe they just need a few more volunteers to wait and roll up the mats. Sounds like we have some volunteers lined up for next year already to stay an hour later and clean up. Offer to do just that, and I bet they'll let you do the rolling up and clean up. I know I never turn down help in my gym at the end of a tourney.

Hmmmm...someone brings up a legit point and of course sarcasm comes to the forum.

Everyone says they run a great tournament but to some it is a little disrespectful. Every year it comes on here about no one staying for the heavys and then at youth state they are packing up with them wrestling....it is a credible question to ask.

While they run a good tournament remember how much money is spent there by these kids and parents. Besides shirts, jackets, apparel, travel expenses, etc.. The food cost there is the highest I've ever seen. They make going to the kohl center for individual state look like going to the Dollar General.

I really don't care if this habit continues but it's a legitimate point to make.

This has been going on for years. Mat 15 and 16 usually dont get used for finals so they get rolled up just like any other tournament outside state.

Also, I was coaching a smaller youth a year ago and the mats were rolled up then so I dont think it is a weight thing. Like I have said before, start at the heavy weights and go down. I do it in the middle school and it is amazing the what the parents of the little guys think when people leave. I said it has happened to the heavy guys for years. Maybe some things like that will changle the culture of people leaving earlier.

I understand the concern of safety and maybe leaving one section of those 2 mats taped down would be something to think about.

I would think that if someone goes to a WWF meeting and brings this point up in a nice way the WWF would certainly look at this.

I know it isnt saving alot of time but think about those involved and the time they invest in this tournament. I am sure after 2 days they are trying to get things done and get out of there like us fans, parents and coachs.

Great tournament WWF!