What happened to a good hand shake?

[2pointTakedown]

Was at Oshgosh on the water and saw at least 5-6 matches where kids lost and just walked off the mat without a hand shake. Thought the ref would call them back but they didn't. 

[imnofish]

When I coached, I had a couple of kids try that.  They never made it off the mat, because I firmly directed them back to shake hands and apologize.  You let that behavior get started and it becomes contagious. 

[MarkK]

I saw a few too.  But some of them were not for unsportsmanlike conduct although it could have looked like it.  I saw a few kids with blood issues not shake hands and a few others.  Saw a couple of sportsmanship issues, but not that prevalent.   

[imnofish]

Good point about the blood, Mark.  Hopefully, they showed their respect in some other way, such as verbally. 

[crossface21]

As a coach, I'd make my athlete go back out there. Whether you like the outcome or not, it sets a bad example of what we should be teaching the kids. I remember watching Ryan Taylor at Big Tens a few years ago storm off the mat after a match. Barry Davis chased him down and made him go find the guy and shake his hand off the mat.

[statman]

what about the 152 dajun Johnson. lost in the finals and instead of throwing a fit. raised the other kids hand said good match and went and shook all the Oshkosh north coaches hands as well. a true showing of sportsmanship.

[wrastle63]

what about the 152 dajun Johnson. lost in the finals and instead of throwing a fit. raised the other kids hand said good match and went and shook all the Oshkosh north coaches hands as well. a true showing of sportsmanship.

Wish we saw more of that. Instead we see a lot of the opposite.

[crossface21]

what about the 152 dajun Johnson. lost in the finals and instead of throwing a fit. raised the other kids hand said good match and went and shook all the Oshkosh north coaches hands as well. a true showing of sportsmanship.

Wish we saw more of that. Instead we see a lot of the opposite.

At the Stech, he lost a match and I don't think I've ever seen a kid more of a good sport after the match after losing. In any case, a fan said something about him losing the match, but Dajun took it in stride and was a real good sport about it. I pointed it out to our kids that even if you lose, it doesn't mean you need to be a jerk or poor sport.  Seems like a good kid.

[OldAbes72]

I'm probably in the minority here but I think we shake hands too much. Shake hands with you opponent to start the match, battle for six minutes and then shake hands at the end. I don't need the opponent to come shake my hand after we beat them or after they beat us. Germs, blood, or hard feelings are all things I don't need. I tespect every kid whose on the mat. They don't need to shake my hand for me to think highly of them, win or lose.

[imnofish]

I'm probably in the minority here but I think we shake hands too much. Shake hands with you opponent to start the match, battle for six minutes and then shake hands at the end. I don't need the opponent to come shake my hand after we beat them or after they beat us. Germs, blood, or hard feelings are all things I don't need. I tespect every kid whose on the mat. They don't need to shake my hand for me to think highly of them, win or lose.

I respect your opinion, but the handshake from competitors says more about them than it does the recipients of it.  It's not so critical that coaches feel respected, as it is that wrestlers learn the self-discipline that comes from displaying respect for opponents, coaches, officials, and the sport itself.  That's what sets wrestling apart from most other sports.  To lose that would be detrimental to the sport and its participants. 

[OldAbes72]

I am not proposing eliminating the pre and post match handshakes. I agree those are important to our sport. When my kid is devastated and getting support after a tough loss there is no need for another handshake in the corner. Half the time, the kid only comes over after a win anyway. I am fully aware that I am in the minority, I don't put much stock in the idea that life lessons are taught through fake sportsmanship.

[wrastle63]

I am not proposing eliminating the pre and post match handshakes. I agree those are important to our sport. When my kid is devastated and getting support after a tough loss there is no need for another handshake in the corner. Half the time, the kid only comes over after a win anyway. I am fully aware that I am in the minority, I don't put much stock in the idea that life lessons are taught through fake sportsmanship.

They aren't talking about shaking the coaches hand they are talking about shaking hands after the match.

[littleguy301]

as long as they shake hands before and after the match, all is good and that is all the hand shaking I want to see.

also, before we jump to a conclusion of a kid, remember there might be some blood after the match that needs to be attended to right away.

story time: I remember seeing a kid run off the match and toss his head gear to the mat after a tough loss. I thought what a tool for doing it and I believe in the crowd some booes rained down. When I found out that the kid had just knocked a tooth out and had blood all over the place and his first reaction was to tend to the mass amount of blood and a missing tooth over what I felt was poor sportmanship. I felt like a moron just even thinking he was acting poor.

moral of that story, before we all as adult jump to the conclusion of sportsmanship, please remember that there is some times some injury, blood to deal with also.

[Preview Specialist]

I'm probably in the minority here but I think we shake hands too much. Shake hands with you opponent to start the match, battle for six minutes and then shake hands at the end. I don't need the opponent to come shake my hand after we beat them or after they beat us. Germs, blood, or hard feelings are all things I don't need. I tespect every kid whose on the mat. They don't need to shake my hand for me to think highly of them, win or lose.

It's a sport not a battle or a real fight... it's a contact sport (it's a game) so sportsmanship at the end of the match is critical. It's done in boxing, MMA, and every other sport I can think of.
I can't stand kids with bad sportsmanship, there dads tend to be very similar. I love tough (deleted word) kids with the mental toughness to know when the match is done and demonstrate respect, you know those kids will go far in life because they can control any situation there in.

Call us old school, but whatever happened to a correct use of "there, their or they're?"  That, to us, is the most disappointing thing happening to kids these days.

[ramjet]

Sometimes it's not how you win but how you lose..........it's not "sportsmanship" as much as it is respect for the sport, the opponent and the hard work and effort that is associated with all of that.

"old school"