D 2/3 sectional third place winners

[aarons23]

As a wrestling community we always talk about how high school sports are a teacher of life lessons with wrestling being one of the best teachers. As a wrestler you are responsible for your performance on the mat. If you lose you lose out there by yourself. We tell our kids that things won't always go their way. It might be a "blown" call by a ref, a crappy tournament draw, being in a loaded sectional, or numerous other scenarios. We tell them that when these scenarios arise you can only control what you can control, that they have to make the best of every situation, and that life isn't always fair. We say these things year after year.

Now we're in a year unlike any other and we sit on the forums and inappropriate term1 about how unfair things are and go against everything we've said for years that wrestling teaches. The funny thing is that I did not hear my wrestlers complain about any of it. They've spent the whole season working and taking every opportunity they got. When it came time for regionals they knew that half the kids that normally qualify for sectionals wouldn't make it through. Knowing this they went to work to be one of the top two guys instead of complaining. They exemplified everything we have told them this sport teaches them while many of us did not.

Would I rather have 16/12 kids going to the sate tournament? You bet. Does it suck that some kids missed an opportunity to qualify for state because they took 3rd at sectionals? Absolutely. But, like we have told our kids for years, life isn't always fair and the only thing you can do is keep in the future.

Every life lesson doesn't need a negative connotation... the life lesson could be in trying times the adults still care enough to recognize young adults accomplishments even when they don't get the normal practice of being able to further compete.  Kindness, compassion and understanding is also a great life lesson in these trying times.

[3boys]

This brings back memories. how many more state qualifiers I would have had back in the day when only 2 made it to state. Had many kids sitting in third that coulda, woulda, shoulda. Most are all growed up and great adults but we stiil talk about what could of been if they wrestlrd now.

[littleguy301]

As a wrestling community we always talk about how high school sports are a teacher of life lessons with wrestling being one of the best teachers. As a wrestler you are responsible for your performance on the mat. If you lose you lose out there by yourself. We tell our kids that things won't always go their way. It might be a "blown" call by a ref, a crappy tournament draw, being in a loaded sectional, or numerous other scenarios. We tell them that when these scenarios arise you can only control what you can control, that they have to make the best of every situation, and that life isn't always fair. We say these things year after year.

Now we're in a year unlike any other and we sit on the forums and inappropriate term1 about how unfair things are and go against everything we've said for years that wrestling teaches. The funny thing is that I did not hear my wrestlers complain about any of it. They've spent the whole season working and taking every opportunity they got. When it came time for regionals they knew that half the kids that normally qualify for sectionals wouldn't make it through. Knowing this they went to work to be one of the top two guys instead of complaining. They exemplified everything we have told them this sport teaches them while many of us did not.

Would I rather have 16/12 kids going to the sate tournament? You bet. Does it suck that some kids missed an opportunity to qualify for state because they took 3rd at sectionals? Absolutely. But, like we have told our kids for years, life isn't always fair and the only thing you can do is keep in the future.

Every life lesson doesn't need a negative connotation... the life lesson could be in trying times the adults still care enough to recognize young adults accomplishments even when they don't get the normal practice of being able to further compete.  Kindness, compassion and understanding is also a great life lesson in these trying times.

Double edged sword there. Yes something of note should have been thought of I agree.

Crowning a champ is what it is about in the wiaa.

[wrestle09]

Every life lesson doesn't need a negative connotation... the life lesson could be in trying times the adults still care enough to recognize young adults accomplishments even when they don't get the normal practice of being able to further compete.  Kindness, compassion and understanding is also a great life lesson in these trying times.

I agree to an extent. I look at what the Woodland Conference did as I great example of showing understanding and compassion. It was easy to simply forget the conference tournaments this year but they put in the work to find a way to give the kids an opportunity to win a conference title. I don't agree that we should call kids that missed the state tournament based on the rules this year state qualifiers. How often, in a normal year, is there a podium-worthy kid sitting in the stands at the Kohl Center who would have made the tournament in a different sectional but just because happened to be in one with the top 2 or 3 guys.

I take it none of your wrestlers got third?

None took third at sectionals but we had plenty that took third at our regional who, in my opinion, were state-caliber wrestlers that either had a bad match or were behind two studs. In a normal year they would have made it to the next round and had a chance still to qualify for the tournament. It sucks and I feel bad for those kids but I didn't hear any of them complain. They knew what they had to do to keep their chance of qualifying alive and simply fell short and were back in the room that Monday working towards next year.

[joeski]

Agree with everything you said wrestle09. I know saying at least they found a way to crown champions is not the popular saying. But it is true. Especially in D1. It was hard to get those schools to host. A lot of those schools don't have students at them. My son was a senior last year. He passed on wrestling, and a chance for a fourth straight team state berth, to focus on tennis. Yes, he was the wrestling tennis combo. Beat everyone he played last winter, even coaches in our area. Had a real shot to go to state, no season. Has he moved on, yep. Did it suck, yep. Now he focuses on school. Because there is a lot of life left. Maybe some of us parents need to focus on smaller things. And next year, we start with the tournament we have had, and keep pushing for 16 in all divisions and double elimination.

[MatScoutWillie]

Can we move this Topic to the CRY ME A RIVER PAGE? 

[WINfan]

Can we move this Topic to the CRY ME A RIVER PAGE? 

Its a forum, and its a discussion.   We dont need to agree but dont be rude.

[SayHey42]

Can we move this Topic to the CRY ME A RIVER PAGE?

Not unless I can be considered a state qualifier for taking 3rd at sectionals in 1998.

[littleguy301]

Can we move this Topic to the CRY ME A RIVER PAGE?

Not unless I can be considered a state qualifier for taking 3rd at sectionals in 1998.

Done!

[Preparewrestlingcoach]

I am only 25 when is the last time only 2 wrestlers qualified from sectional in D 2/3?? Since I was 13 years old and my brother was qualifying for state the norm, the expectation to earn the ACHIEVEMENT of being a State Qualifier has been placing third at the sectional meet. These individuals met that expectation. They can be considered Qualifiers without being participants. COVID is limiting the number of people aloud in the building it should not limit the amount of people recognized for meeting the regularized expectation for qualifying for the state meet.

If it changes to 2 forevermore that argument just like the argument for saying you got 3rd at a great regional is irrelevant. However in the here and now, in my wrestling lifetime, this blip on the radar change to 2 is due to CAPACITY and not due to the WIAA deeming a athlete who got 3rd less accomplished than any of the previous 12 years.

The tournament is meant to determine who number 1 is yes!! But numbers 9 through 12 can still be recognized as meeting the expectation to qualify.

[babywhales]

The wresters were more than aware of the implications of 1st and 2nd place finishes heading into the weekend. 

You can not go back and change the rules retroactively, as if it were announced before hand.  When in fact it it had been announced before hand it would have created a much different reality for the matches through the 8 man bracket.

The season is different, the rules are different, the WIAA completely screwed up the season and the format of the state series; it is what it is.   

[shouldvewrestled]

I am only 25 when is the last time only 2 wrestlers qualified from sectional in D 2/3?? Since I was 13 years old and my brother was qualifying for state the norm, the expectation to earn the ACHIEVEMENT of being a State Qualifier has been placing third at the sectional meet. These individuals met that expectation. They can be considered Qualifiers without being participants. COVID is limiting the number of people aloud in the building it should not limit the amount of people recognized for meeting the regularized expectation for qualifying for the state meet.

If it changes to 2 forevermore that argument just like the argument for saying you got 3rd at a great regional is irrelevant. However in the here and now, in my wrestling lifetime, this blip on the radar change to 2 is due to CAPACITY and not due to the WIAA deeming a athlete who got 3rd less accomplished than any of the previous 12 years.

The tournament is meant to determine who number 1 is yes!! But numbers 9 through 12 can still be recognized as meeting the expectation to qualify.

2001 was when they went to 12 man brackets from the 8 used previously.

[Preparewrestlingcoach]

The wresters were more than aware of the implications of 1st and 2nd place finishes heading into the weekend. 

You can not go back and change the rules retroactively, as if it were announced before hand.  When in fact it it had been announced before hand it would have created a much different reality for the matches through the 8 man bracket.

The season is different, the rules are different, the WIAA completely screwed up the season and the format of the state series; it is what it is.

So in real life, after you make a mistake you can't go back and try to make the right of the situation? The WIAA has the opportunity to do that. Everyone earlier said this situation is just like real life sometimes you can be that bad guy and apologize...sidenote thanks for the refernence who said it switched in 2001. 20 years of precedent was set. I feel every single one of these kids should be recognized by their local schools as qualifiers and that the WIAA should step up and acknowledge them as well. That's just the opinion of another has been though!

[bigG]

One of my guys took third. It'll make him a better wrestler/man down the road. So often parents complain that this or that will have a lasting impact on the kid. Might be; but a lasting impact is often positive when a kid has to face the realities of not quite making it. Work a little harder. Improve technique, more mat time, etc.

[padre]

One of my guys took third. It'll make him a better wrestler/man down the road. So often parents complain that this or that will have a lasting impact on the kid. Might be; but a lasting impact is often positive when a kid has to face the realities of not quite making it. Work a little harder. Improve technique, more mat time, etc.

Hopefully the seniors will take your advice.🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

The reason for three qualifiers was because WISAA and the WIAA combined which created more schools.