High School Uniform

[Involved Parent]

Our school's uniform consists of a singlet and for warms up a pair of fight shorts with the school's logo along with an underarmor type of long sleeve shirt with the school's logo on it.  This is issued to all varsity wrestlers.  We have one senior on the team who chooses to wear his private club fight shorts instead of his school issued shorts.  When I see this it is brought to the coaching staff's attention and the wrestler is asked to change into his school shorts which the wrestler does do.  Each week this wrestler is given the honor of representing his school as one of the team captains (because he is a senior).  I think if you are going to wrestle for a high school you should wear the uniform proudly.  You are part of a team.  What type of school pride does that show your teammates when you show up week after week wearing your private club shorts?  I have brought this to the attention of the athletic director of the school with no results.  Do any other teams have wrestlers that choose to not wear the school issued uniform?

[Nearfall3]

While I understand your viewpoint and get what you're saying, I personally think complaining about it to someone of a higher power isn't really needed.  In the end of the day it's still just a pair of shorts during a warm up.  I'm sure it's not tearing the team apart.  It also is a sense of pride wearing another private club's apparel, almost showing the amount of extra work the wrestler puts in outside of just high school practices.  I personally don't see it as a big deal whatsoever.

[MNbadger]

Team rules should preclude htis.
Clothing should be school stuff or plain with no logos. 
This was always our rule and is with our high school soccer program as well.

[NWIS]

Waste of time!!!

[statman]

wrestling singlets and waarm ups are expensive. booster clubs and parents spend a lot of time and effort fundraising to buy these things. i find it disrespectful to the people doing the fundraising when kids wear their own warm ups.

[MNbadger]

Outside club stuff is divisive and separates individuals from the team.

[DocWrestling]

This should not have come to this.  Every coach I have ever known sets the dress code and it should be followed.  Many have dress codes at school on match days or dress codes on the bus.  It is about creating team pride.  Just another problem in the sport where some feel it is an individual sport and others think it is a team sport.  Have you ever seen a basketball team come out with different warm-ups?  Problem is this example is probably one of the better wrestlers on the team and is not "leading" his "team".  What makes the other kids even want to be a part of that team.

[Stripes]

Hey over involved parent, I'm sure that the coach appreciates all your help policing the kids. You complain about a particular wrestler not wearing school/booster issued clothing yet in another post complain about holiday tournies and don't have your son participate? Both could be seen as a lack of dedication to your high school program. What's worse, wearing club clothes but attending team events or skipping team events but proudly displaying the alma mater colors when you pick and choose to show up? You sound like a coach's dream to have around.

[ramjet]

Outside club stuff is divisive and separates individuals from the team.

You are such a drama queen........

[NWIS]

Outside club stuff is divisive and separates individuals from the team.

You are such a drama queen........

mom
My thoughts exactly!

[merrillgrad]

Involved Parent Trap-
It sounds like your team has one dedicated kid and I got news for you, it ain't your son!  
While I agree with prior posters that there is certainly a time to wear your school colors proudly, I'd leave bench decorum up to the coach.  

Obviously you posted this on a public forum to passive-aggressively force the coach into a corner.....  and to tell on your coach to your school's athletic director........   you have just one goal and it ain't to have that boy wear his uniform......

Keep in mind that your new coach may not be any better than your current coach.  And just maybe your school won't hire a new coach.......

Wrestling is not a big deal to your son.   But it is to the rest of us.

[MarkK]

If I was the coach I would enforce a dress code.   But I'm not it is their team and this is not a big deal.   I'm more concerned about the content of his  character than the color of his warm up.

[bman]

Outside club stuff is divisive and separates individuals from the team.

Says you, but there is no tangible evidence that is true. If a team is a close knit team, one guy wearing club shorts is not going to affect anything. Likewise, if a team is not close knit, then the wearing of specific shorts is probably not the cause. 
However, I would support any coach who had policies regarding the team wearing the school issued warm ups, shorts, etc.

[MNbadger]

Experience tells us which is tangible enough for me.  J Robinson pointed this out at a clinic many years ago and it made sense . 

Outside club stuff is divisive and separates individuals from the team.

Says you, but there is no tangible evidence that is true. If a team is a close knit team, one guy wearing club shorts is not going to affect anything. Likewise, if a team is not close knit, then the wearing of specific shorts is probably not the cause. 
However, I would support any coach who had policies regarding the team wearing the school issued warm ups, shorts, etc.

[wrestler6]

Represent your school, not some other out of school club... then clothes are meant for non school activities. we were taught you represent the team your on not a club you go to in your spare time. Plain and simple, take pride in your school and wear the associated clothing.  Not sure why anyone is even arguing not to reperesnt their OWN school. Just stupid