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Tdog'sPap

Wrestling as a team sport

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A few weeks back there was a discussion that centered around wrestling being a team sport, specifically to duals. Yesterday, Anderson county Won the Frankfort Duals. Our 220 received a head injury in the semis and was out. We were already forfeiting two weight classes, with two girls in a starting line up. So my granddaughter had to be bumped up and go out on the mat at 182, against Klemmer Nicodemus. She is a 14 year old freshman. I told her she didn't have to, but if she didn't they could double forfeit 182, and we might lose 6 points. At the time we were way behind, with a forfeit, and and 3 freshmen wrestling in the next 5 matches. We in no way thought we had it locked up. She got pinned with 20 seconds to go in the 1st. But, when you say wrestling is not a team sport, you totally discount kids like her, that take one for the team. It happens in every dual. sometimes kids give up a tech fall, or fight to hang on to not give up points. When they do, it's for the team. In her case is was a real threat to be injured. As long as we wrestle duals, wrestling is a team sport. To say it's not, is to lesson the sacrifice younger kids make every week.  

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I believe it 100%. It’s a team sport. Do think Matthias Ervin and Payne Carr would be where they are without the bumps in their roads?  

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As I have mentioned it is an individual sport with team aspects.  Which is why I categorize it as a group sport.  With the above philosophy then there is no such thing as an individual sport.  

Why then have an individual state tourney?  Whether people/wrestlers want to admit it or not they would much rather win a state title in their wt. class than win a team title. 

Only in duals does the individual actions directly affect the outcome of another team member.  In most tournament the individual actions in one mach directly affect another individuals match.  Unlike baseball, basketball, football.... a dropped ball affects the other teammates. 

For years I played team sports before entering wrestling and it was aggravating (for lack of a better word) to do everything correct and see others not and not get a win. And in many cases it was my fault the team lost.  When I found wrestling I found I was the ultimate decider if I won or lost not a teammate.  

Yes I understand that watching another team mate win or loose may mentally affect a kids performance but it does not affect the score of the match directly. Ultimately it does not matter wrestling is the greatest sport no matter which way you look at it.   

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14 hours ago, Tdog'sPap said:

A few weeks back there was a discussion that centered around wrestling being a team sport, specifically to duals. Yesterday, Anderson county Won the Frankfort Duals. Our 220 received a head injury in the semis and was out. We were already forfeiting two weight classes, with two girls in a starting line up. So my granddaughter had to be bumped up and go out on the mat at 182, against Klemmer Nicodemus. She is a 14 year old freshman. I told her she didn't have to, but if she didn't they could double forfeit 182, and we might lose 6 points. At the time we were way behind, with a forfeit, and and 3 freshmen wrestling in the next 5 matches. We in no way thought we had it locked up. She got pinned with 20 seconds to go in the 1st. But, when you say wrestling is not a team sport, you totally discount kids like her, that take one for the team. It happens in every dual. sometimes kids give up a tech fall, or fight to hang on to not give up points. When they do, it's for the team. In her case is was a real threat to be injured. As long as we wrestle duals, wrestling is a team sport. To say it's not, is to lesson the sacrifice younger kids make every week.  

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I remember many many years ago a specific match where I knew I would be wrestling a certain returning state champion in a dual that was going to be tight.  Giving up only a minor decision and hearing my teammates cheering loud and hard to fight for every point sticks out and shines in my mind just as much as the trips to the top of the podium, wins, crazy pins, etc.

 

Congrats to Anderson County.

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How do you sharpen iron without another piece of iron to sharpen it with? Sure, only one person gets their hand raised at the end of a match, but those wars in the practice room with partners the spectators don’t see is why that hand gets raised. How many backups push those Union County/Johnson Central/Walton Verona/Christian County/etc kids that we never hear about? They’re just as valuable to the state champ as the state champ is to the team.

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Years ago, I began my teaching career at union County, I coached under Coach Dennis Walls. I learned so much from him and one thing was how to get the most out of your team in duals. We wrestled in a 10 team dual at William Henry Harrison high school in Evansville. 4 duals on Friday 5 on Saturday. We had a tight match up on Friday night. We had a 1st year wrestler, great athlete, but green. Skyler Smith, won several state medals in track for union. Coach Walls told him we needed him to keep it close. He did. His opponent far superior tried to hard for a pin, late in the match, skyler hit a reversal at the end of regulation to tie the match and then won in OT. It truly made a difference. Final score wasn't even close. It carried over to Saturday where finished higher than our expectations. At Anderson, we teach our kids to be engaged when their teammates wrestle. Thus far we have finished 2nd, 3rd and 1st with a young team. Team philosophy matters.

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I believe some teams preach team first.   And others may focus more on individuals.   If you were raised in the sport of wrestling with a team first mentality that sticks with you for life.  Some teams feed off of each other during a dual and use momentum to keep winning, while others just watch and wait until it’s their turn to wrestle.  On some teams wrestlers will wrestle at the weight that makes the team better even if it might not be what’s best for them as an individual, and other teams every kid does what’s best for them.   I guess what I’m saying is that wrestling can be an individual sport.  Or it can be a team sport.   It’s more about what you make of it and what type of atmosphere the team has.   I know which i prefer.  

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I have to disagree a little here. I was raised in the sport of wrestling, and I wasn’t ever necessarily brought up under the “team” aspect. Fortunately as our team grew, we became fairly tough and competed very well. There were a few on our team, such as myself, that truly enjoyed seeing the whole team  prosper. Winning an individual tournament was great, but seeing the team win was far better. Now as a coach, I love it all...obviously. But if you ask me whether I’d rather have this person win or this person win, I’d say nah, let’s get the team win. This is where GOO and I respectfully disagree...I love seeing the chess game between teams and seeing if a coach can outwit the other during duals. There is a time for individual champs (KHSAA State Tournament) and there is a time for team State Champs (KWCA State Duals.) It’s a never ending debate and that’s ok. At the end of the day, we are all passionate about wrestling and just want to make sure we are doing what’s best for the kids. Isn’t that what really matters? Best of luck to all this season. And to all, stay healthy. Easier said than done. Graduating injured sure is tough. 

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