What was going on there?

DrWhargoul · January 21, 2014, 08:19:52 AM

**I make several assumptions in this question but in the end I don't think they matter to answering the question**

I was at a tourney this weekend with a number of Illinois clubs and I know they have several rule differences to what we normally get around here. A match was set to begin right in front of me, both participants on the mat, at the line. One kid was from an Illinois club and it appeared that no coaches from his club were at the mat. They were about to start the match when a man came to the edge of the mat and yelled at the ref (HS kid) not to start. He then started frantically waving toward where their club was seated. The ref shrugged and several other adults told him to start the match. This same man (at this point I'm assuming it's the boy's father) steps onto the mat to prevent the match from starting again. At that point one of the tournament organizers walked over and told them to start the match. The man looked extremely upset and the confusion clearly seemed to upset his son, who lost fairly early in the second period (I think). No coach ever appeared. The kid came off the mat very angry. Is there a rule in Illinois about starting matches without an official coach at matside? I know they have to be displaying their coaching cards at all times down there. I would say it's my experience that many of them are unaware that we do not typically require such a thing here. I won't be taking my boy to a tourney down there any time soon (he seems to be losing interest and if the club doesn't go I wouldn't be allowed at matside with him anyway). So, just curious what all that might have been about.

aarons23 · January 21, 2014, 08:34:30 AM

Illinios does require a USA card holding coach mat side for all wrestlers. I haven't gone in a couple of years but was always allowed as long as you displayed your USA card. This is a good thing in my opinion and I wish Wisconsin would adopt it. Would help keep parents in stands and less pressure on the kids. Jmo

DrWhargoul · January 21, 2014, 09:10:38 AM

The only thing I would say I don't like about it is that we just don't have the staff to cover it. At a couple points last weekend our club had 5-6 kids on the mat at the same time. I don't think a guy should have to shell out to coach his own kid. (why that translates into mom, uncle, gramma, grampa, and 3 disinterested siblings/cousins coming down to matside with them has been eternally confounding to me.) I do think you should be required to do so for coaching other kids.

So then I would tend to think that if you're going to do it you have to go all the way with it and say the match can't start without a card holder for each kid.

For the match in question, a coach never appeared at matside. Is there a time limit? I'm just curious how hardcore they are about it; if anyone knows. Do they start the injury clock? I think we tend to be very lax about stuff like that with the kiddies. Probably rightfully so. But how long do you hold it up waiting?

aarons23 · January 21, 2014, 09:36:32 AM

Can you do that for baseball, football, soccer or basketball? It is fairly easy ( maybe too easy) to get the coaches card. So I do not see it as a problem.

DrWhargoul · January 21, 2014, 10:35:31 AM

Wrestling is not baseball, football, soccer, or basketball. Unless you're aware of multiple situations where a single coach is fielding several baseball teams on different diamonds at the same tournament, then wrestling presents challenges that are unique to the organization of the sport. I'd be open to comparisons to fencing and various other martial arts.

And I've actually softened in my opposition to the requirement over the last few years. I'd have to say it seems to be the trend we're headed to and maybe that will be for the best. I just hope we don't go blindly into it. And so maybe then the solution is to show up at board meetings and start asking how we're going to adapt.

herewego · January 22, 2014, 09:05:37 PM

I have been to many tournaments in IL and they will not start a match without a coach. I've seen several times where they've had to get on the loudspeaker and ask "Will a coach from team ... please go to mat..."

handsandtoes · January 23, 2014, 07:22:38 AM

We were at a tournament in IL a few years ago and I was coaching one of my sons at one end of the gym, and the other one was up at the same time. I seen him point down by me, and they waited till my other sons match was over and I got in the coaching chair for the second one before they would start his match. They also used a bull pen type system as the wrestlers were separate from the spectators. If you did not have a IL coaches card you could not be down by the wrestlers. I had to convince them to let me in with my USA Bronze card.

whatever · January 23, 2014, 07:48:19 AM

Why is it that a kid has to have a coach in the first place?

It might be a lot less stressful if the kid could just go out there and wrestle without having to listen to some person barking at him the whole time.

imwi · January 23, 2014, 07:50:21 AM

Injury? What happens if a kid gets injured and no one is around?

whatever · January 23, 2014, 11:24:31 AM

Is the gym empty?

Pretty sure that there would be qualified people to attend to the kid if he was injured.....

imwi · January 23, 2014, 11:35:08 AM

Quote from: whatever on January 23, 2014, 11:24:31 AM
Is the gym empty?

Pretty sure that there would be qualified people to attend to the kid if he was injured.....

Who makes the call on if the kid can go on? Who comes running out to the mat to check on the kid?

I attended a Varsity tournament back in PA over the holidays, same rule, the match doesn't start without a coach in the corner. When questioned, I was told it was because of injury and liablity. Could be a difference between a coach seeing his kid get hurt and not seeing it and coming over later and trying to figure out what happened.

aarons23 · January 23, 2014, 12:00:41 PM

I'll bet liability is an issue. You have them sign a liability waiver then wrestle a match with no responsible adult present for that individual kid?

On another note the Illinios used to have the kids open....was a great tourney and there was no coaches allowed or parents allowed on the floor. Been several years since we have gone...I looked for it today and couldn't find it.