weight class thoughts

oneshot · December 17, 2015, 09:25:44 AM

Need some ideas/thoughts on how you guys would handle a situation. This year our family moved to a new town which puts our son on a new wrestling team. Great team, great coach, great bunch of kids. The team accepted my son right away and made him part of the group. All is good. When it came time for skin fold my son was at 152...but to give himself options for later in the season he cut down a bit to make the skin fold at 145.

He comes into the room and owns the 152 spot on varsity...moving a kid that would have had it if my son didn't come to the school up a weight class. Or I should say the kid he beat out for 152 moved up to the next weight class above. Both kids did skin fold down to 145. My son pretty much can dominate the other kid in the practice room and the other kid will not challenge my son to a wrestle off after loosing the first wrestle off of the season.

So here is the problem...the other kids dad. He has constantly been crawling up mine and my spouses backside about when my son is going to drop to 145. We have made it clear that he probably will not drop until conference and he may not drop then. In my opinion my son is comfortable at 152...eating healthy and having a great season. Even though we have told the dad that our son may not drop and may not until the end of the season EVERY time we see him he asks and bugs and says "it would be nice if (his son) could be down at 152".

My son is not ready to commit in mid-December on a date that he may or may not drop weight classes. He is not even sure if he will drop...it is too early to tell at this point. Maybe by mid-January he will be sitting around 149 and 148 will not look so bad at that time. I just don't know.

The dad has even caught my son after practice several times to ask him when he thinks he is going to drop to 145. He is nice about it and we are the "new" guys in the room so I don't want to tell him to shut up and go away. I have told him that his son can challenge my son anytime to a wrestle off to take the spot away. I also told him that maybe his son wants to go down to 145 but he is constantly crawling up my son's and our butts about this. To the point that my son is getting sick of it.

We have been open with the coach about our son's plans to look at the weight class below and the coach is fine with it...

We don't want to have a fight or hard feelings with someone that is a teammate but how would any of you suggest to tell this guy to back off?

Oldtimer · December 17, 2015, 09:42:51 AM

Sounds like Vision Quest

bkraus · December 17, 2015, 09:55:06 AM

It's hard because you don't want to ruffle feathers, but at what point is enough enough? I'd talk to the coach who might have a previous relationship with this parent and seek his advice on how to handle this individual.

Mack · December 17, 2015, 10:43:55 AM

I would challenge the dad to a wrestle off. Done.

Real answer: Hard to say much without hearing both sides. Based on what you've said, it sounds like an awkward situation that won't have a quick/easy solution. I think you can be confident about the fact that your son has the right to not be approached repeatedly on the subject by an adult. Especially, if the adult is attempting to coerce the answer he wants to hear from the kid (emphasis on "kid"). I think you should say as much to the parent, and keep the coach in the loop. Hard feelings will be had on this deal though...I see no way around it.

oneshot · December 17, 2015, 11:58:16 AM

Thanks for the thoughts so far. I was thinking it was a pretty easy situation...the kid challenges to a wrestle off. If he wins great...my kid goes to a different weight class or wrestles JV. If the other kid loses then he goes to a different weight class or wrestles JV. If my kid drops it gives the other kid an opportunity to decide he wants to go to the weight class vacated by my kid. If my kid doesn't drop then the other kid needs to decide he wants to be at the weight class my kid isn't at.

The kink coming up is that the kid at 170 just won the 160 spot and he is looking at the 152 spot. If that kid comes down to 152 and beats the other kid out he is kind of out in the cold unless he wants to drop to 145...he can't beat my kid at 152 (unless he is holding something back in practice...). I think that is what is making this dad nervous. I believe his kid was on JV last year and this was the year he should have had a spot on varsity. Then we screw it up and move into town.

I get it. But I think we have been very open with what we know...and at this point, we just don't know anything 100%

We just want to have these kids work with each other in the practice room and not worry about who is going where when. The dang sport is tough enough without having some pissing match starting between two kids that should be teammates and partners for the next 3 years.

OneEyedFatMan · December 17, 2015, 12:10:02 PM

Agreed. To the victor go the spoils.

Quote from: oneshot on December 17, 2015, 11:58:16 AM
Thanks for the thoughts so far. I was thinking it was a pretty easy situation...the kid challenges to a wrestle off. If he wins great...my kid goes to a different weight class or wrestles JV. If the other kid loses then he goes to a different weight class or wrestles JV. If my kid drops it gives the other kid an opportunity to decide he wants to go to the weight class vacated by my kid. If my kid doesn't drop then the other kid needs to decide he wants to be at the weight class my kid isn't at.

The kink coming up is that the kid at 170 just won the 160 spot and he is looking at the 152 spot. If that kid comes down to 152 and beats the other kid out he is kind of out in the cold unless he wants to drop to 145...he can't beat my kid at 152 (unless he is holding something back in practice...). I think that is what is making this dad nervous. I believe his kid was on JV last year and this was the year he should have had a spot on varsity. Then we screw it up and move into town.

I get it. But I think we have been very open with what we know...and at this point, we just don't know anything 100%

We just want to have these kids work with each other in the practice room and not worry about who is going where when. The dang sport is tough enough without having some pissing match starting between two kids that should be teammates and partners for the next 3 years.

Houndhead · December 17, 2015, 12:17:06 PM

Quote from: oneshot on December 17, 2015, 11:58:16 AM
Thanks for the thoughts so far. I was thinking it was a pretty easy situation...the kid challenges to a wrestle off. If he wins great...my kid goes to a different weight class or wrestles JV. If the other kid loses then he goes to a different weight class or wrestles JV. If my kid drops it gives the other kid an opportunity to decide he wants to go to the weight class vacated by my kid. If my kid doesn't drop then the other kid needs to decide he wants to be at the weight class my kid isn't at.

The kink coming up is that the kid at 170 just won the 160 spot and he is looking at the 152 spot. If that kid comes down to 152 and beats the other kid out he is kind of out in the cold unless he wants to drop to 145...he can't beat my kid at 152 (unless he is holding something back in practice...). I think that is what is making this dad nervous. I believe his kid was on JV last year and this was the year he should have had a spot on varsity. Then we screw it up and move into town.

I get it. But I think we have been very open with what we know...and at this point, we just don't know anything 100%

We just want to have these kids work with each other in the practice room and not worry about who is going where when. The dang sport is tough enough without having some pissing match starting between two kids that should be teammates and partners for the next 3 years.

It doesn't sound like the pissing match is between the kids.

Roo · December 17, 2015, 12:41:54 PM

I think this is simple the next time he asks, tell him you all talked it over and he is not going to drop...period. You won't hear about the rest of the year. If your son does drop, he changed his mind.

I had a similar situation, and that's what I did and it ended it.

Good luck.

oneshot · December 17, 2015, 12:59:16 PM

I don't think it is a pissing match between the kids at all at this time...Houndhead. I hope it doesn't turn into one. But the guy isn't taking the answers we are giving him for what they are worth. We tell him it won't be until conference if at all. But every week he asks "how is his weight", "what is he thinking", "when is he going to drop"

Does it turn into one because if the dad is crawling up my backside and talking to my kid after practice is he going home and bitching to his kid? I already notice that the other kid is avoiding the 160 that may drop to challenge for 152. I hope it doesn't happen with my kid. They need to be partners in the room. And remember...we are the new guys. I was hoping for some advice from folks that have had the "new kid" in the room and have had to deal with the new kid taking away someone's spot.

Roo you are probably right...that may be the cleanest way to end it...and maybe it just isn't fixable.

Angry Fish...my kid has made a decision...he will see how he feels mid-January and make his decision then...not mid-December. Alot can change in the next month. He may grow and cutting to 152 may be tough in a month.

Also in regards to not having to sacrifice much to go to the lower weight? The other kid skin folded...weighed 163 and pinched down to 145 at 7%. My kid weighed 147.5 at skin fold and had to have the 5% sign off to be able to come down to 145. I probably should have shared that information in the beginning...I just didn't want to start a weight cutting debate.

imnofish · December 17, 2015, 01:09:04 PM

IMO, bkraus nailed it. Follow his advice, for starters.

bkraus · December 17, 2015, 01:22:07 PM

Quote from: imnofish on December 17, 2015, 01:09:04 PM
IMO, bkraus nailed it. Follow his advice, for starters.

Wait, what? Really?

ramjet · December 17, 2015, 02:38:59 PM

Quote from: Mack on December 17, 2015, 10:43:55 AM
I would challenge the dad to a wrestle off. Done.

Thank you I spit coffee all over the table.....that was awesome and very funny.

oneshot · December 17, 2015, 03:50:18 PM

Thanks for the thoughts and ideas guys...I do appreciate the input. Angry Fish...and BKraus I appreciate your insight...I think it gives me a place to start

imnofish · December 17, 2015, 10:45:04 PM

Quote from: bkraus on December 17, 2015, 01:22:07 PM
Quote from: imnofish on December 17, 2015, 01:09:04 PM
IMO, bkraus nailed it. Follow his advice, for starters.

Wait, what? Really?

Yep! Really!

Mack · December 18, 2015, 08:53:52 AM

Quote from: ramjet on December 17, 2015, 02:38:59 PM
Quote from: Mack on December 17, 2015, 10:43:55 AM
I would challenge the dad to a wrestle off. Done.

Thank you I spit coffee all over the table.....that was awesome and very funny.

Thank you, Ramjet. I usually have more self control, as I am often tempted to throw some jackwagonry into serious forum discussions.

I wrote and deleted other suggestions, like using mime, or breaking into song with your point of view, because we know for sure that works on TV.

That kind of foolishness makes me sound unsympathetic, which I'm not.