what happened at nationals?

[bulldog-leader 56]

I do see a loophole in the rule.

    It says sports specific.  I would contend that Freestyle, Greco roman, and Sombo are not the same sport as high school wrestling.  Different rules for each. 

    This would be no different than a baseball coach coaching a softball team.  Or the wrestling coach coaching a karate, or more closely a judo team.

    Can't the boys basketball coach open the gym for the girls basketball team and vice versa?

    As for nationals.  Football has spring football why can't wrestling have spring wrestling?  We make sure it corresponds with the national tournament.

    tiltfor,  The question of how can Ky wrestlers be more competitive nationally may be down the list.  It could change drastically if parents take this to a different level.  They could file a claim that they are being discriminated against.  Kids are loosing possible scholarships because of being a Ky athlete.  Without being able to compete on the national level Ky wrestlers are loosing possible scholarships. 

[pioneer_pride 1]

I do see a loophole in the rule.

     It says sports specific.  I would contend that Freestyle, Greco roman, and Sombo are not the same sport as high school wrestling.  Different rules for each. 

     This would be no different than a baseball coach coaching a softball team.  Or the wrestling coach coaching a karate, or more closely a judo team.

     Can't the boys basketball coach open the gym for the girls basketball team and vice versa?

     As for nationals.  Football has spring football why can't wrestling have spring wrestling?  We make sure it corresponds with the national tournament.

     tiltfor,  The question of how can Ky wrestlers be more competitive nationally may be down the list.  It could change drastically if parents take this to a different level.  They could file a claim that they are being discriminated against.  Kids are loosing possible scholarships because of being a Ky athlete.  Without being able to compete on the national level Ky wrestlers are loosing possible scholarships. 

BL - you're on a role today, those are some great points.  I've never understood how football gets away with spring football.  Do the h.s. coaches coach those teams?  As far as fs/gr goes though, a h.s. coach told me once that Kentucky does not distinguish between fs/gr wrestling and folkstyle wrestling.  Other states do, I think Ohio does.  Not sure if this is true, but that's what i was told. 

You're on to something with the lawsuit, because our kids are definitely at a disadvantage here.  We had several Kentucky kids that if our state was pushed back later, I'm sure they would have placed.  Also, not having your coach in the corner is a huge disadvantage if you ask me.  I think i'm going to go cry.  Possibly another temporary fix to this is to have people pitch in and hire a couple of coaches for the nationals.

[kdsmith27 14]

I do see a loophole in the rule.

     It says sports specific.  I would contend that Freestyle, Greco roman, and Sombo are not the same sport as high school wrestling.  Different rules for each. 

     This would be no different than a baseball coach coaching a softball team.  Or the wrestling coach coaching a karate, or more closely a judo team.

     Can't the boys basketball coach open the gym for the girls basketball team and vice versa?

     As for nationals.  Football has spring football why can't wrestling have spring wrestling?  We make sure it corresponds with the national tournament.

     tiltfor,  The question of how can Ky wrestlers be more competitive nationally may be down the list.  It could change drastically if parents take this to a different level.  They could file a claim that they are being discriminated against.  Kids are loosing possible scholarships because of being a Ky athlete.  Without being able to compete on the national level Ky wrestlers are loosing possible scholarships. 

Bulldog, I asked that question before. The response was wrestling is wrestling. don't matter what kind it is. We have a shot to change it. I'm just not very patient waiting.

[tiltfor3 20]

I do see a loophole in the rule.

     It says sports specific.  I would contend that Freestyle, Greco roman, and Sombo are not the same sport as high school wrestling.  Different rules for each. 

snip

     tiltfor,  The question of how can Ky wrestlers be more competitive nationally may be down the list.  It could change drastically if parents take this to a different level.  They could file a claim that they are being discriminated against.  Kids are loosing possible scholarships because of being a Ky athlete.  Without being able to compete on the national level Ky wrestlers are loosing possible scholarships. 

Bulldog leader, thinking like a lawyer is more likely to bring change than being the voice of a victim IMO. When it comes to the educational bureaucracy we live with, the only thing that speaks louder than $$s is parents.

[bulldog-leader 56]

pioneer,

I think your thinking changes when you become a parent more than a coach, such as I have.  (Plus I am on spring break and don't feel like completing the "HONEY DO" list my wife left me.

I have had these questions on my mind for a long time, but didn't look into them becuase of being a coach.

Now that my focus in entirely on my son I can look at these questions from a different point of view.  I will tell you this.  In 2 years when my son is in high school, I will attend practice and will attend every one of his wrestling events and sit in his corner.  If and when he wrestles in the national tournament I will also sit in his corner, and any other team mate of his that is there,  and without a Rey Mysterio mask.  What if anything can the KHSAA impose on me for coaching my own son or his team mates at a national tourney?  If I get my officials license then I cannot be banned from high school practices. 

One of the rules of being an official is that they can attend wrestling practices so to be able to keep up with the new techniques and such.  (This is how I got around my alumni attending my practices when my school told me they could not practice with my wrestlers.)

A lawsuit however scares me.  It could hurt our sport in Ky more than it could help.  I know this is the avenue they took in getting wrestling back in the colleges of KY.

[pioneer_pride 1]

Bulldog, I asked that question before. The response was wrestling is wrestling. don't matter what kind it is. We have a shot to change it. I'm just not very patient waiting.

That's the exact response i heard from the coach i talked to.  I think it was coach bankemper who told me this, but I can't remember for sure.  The ironic thing is, these rules may have had great intentions originally, but as they have developed, they just hurt the kids in our state.  

[#1fan 0]

all of the seniors wrestled well. Its too bad none of us could place, but Kentucky's seniors gave coaches more of a reason to look towards Kentucky for college wrestlers

[kdsmith27 14]

COACH SUPERVISED OUT-OF-SEASON WORKOUTS

Wrestling coach suspended for practice violation

News Online 01/06

BY STAFF WRITER

A High School wrestling coach was suspended yesterday for the remainder of the season and placed on probation next year for violating State Interscholastic Athletic Association's rules regarding out-of-season practice.

A disgruntled High School wrestling parent, whom school officials would not identify, called the State Interscholastic Athletic Association about the rules violation earlier this month.

Following a week-long investigation, school administrators disciplined the popular and one of the state's most respected coaches. "His whole life is wrestling," the high school athletic director said. "He's a hard-working, totally dedicated person to our program. His love of wrestling and passion for the sport is second to none."

The coach supervised several workouts with some of his high school wrestlers at a community center in late September and early October, the athletic director said. The local recreation department ran those open-gym sessions, which were not affiliated with the high school.

Under the State Interscholastic Athletic Association's rules for the academic year, wrestling coaches are permitted to supervise practices with their student-athletes only during the season, from the day after Thanksgiving to the conclusion of the state tournament. Coaches are free to interact with their wrestlers during the summer months.

School officials imposed sanctions on the coach based upon the State Association's recommendations. The athletic director said he will be welcomed back to coach next year. "We haven't lost faith in him as our wrestling coach," the athletic director said. "He went overboard probably in the fact that he was trying to help kids. It was just a matter of poor judgment on his part. It wasn't done intentionally to break any rules. . . . There's rules that have to be followed and nobody is above the rules."

Rumors of coaches breaking the state's out-of-season practice rules in all sports have forever swirled, but that the State Interscholastic Athletic Association, which is not an investigatory agency, can't look into potential violations until a formal complaint is received.

The team will not have to forfeit any of its victories or upcoming matches, and will remain eligible for the postseason. Two assistant coaches will share head-coaching responsibilities in the coach's absence.

"The bottom line is that our athletes will continue their season," the athletic director said. "We are happy about that. That's really the most important thing - that the kids are still competing and having a good season. We regret that this ever happened. There is no question about it. Nobody comes out of this looking any good. It's an unfortunate situation for everybody. We are certainly not happy about it because you try to educate your coaches as best as possible. I think this is every athletic director's nightmare, something like this and (athletic) eligibility."

The athletic director held a closed-door meeting with the high school wrestling parents last night to explain the circumstances regarding the coach's suspension and to answer any of their questions. "The meeting went well," he said. "We told them that we are going to do our best to move forward and to prevent this from ever happening again."

Note - All names in the article have been removed. One of the reasons we post this article is to show the differences among state associations regarding out-of-season coaching regulations. Also, for those who might be thinking about bending the rules: Don't!

This must be 1 of the 3 states.

[bulldog-leader 56]

good thing I'm not a coach any more, nor will be for at least 5 years.  :evil: :-D

[bulldog-leader 56]

Also, for those who might be thinking about bending the rules: Don't!

If not for the greatest bunch of rule breakers this world has ever known. The Founding Fathers of the United States of America.  We would not have what we have today. 

According to them "whenever any form of government becomes destructive" "it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it"  "it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government and to provide new guards for their future security".. (Declaration of Independence)

I in no way put myself on their level of greatness but I know for certain one thing.  I shall not "go quietly into the night." Those of you that know me I do have a loud mouth.  :-D

[eville dad 17]

I wonder if the Coach would say it was worth it or not?

[exhawk 0]

As far as seniors go we didn't have any all americans but we did well. Elliott Martin and Mason Reid were closest to placing. Martin went 2-2, making it to the 3rd round of the winners bracket where he lost 2-0 to the california runner up, he hit a peterson at the end and was awarded no points(the same thing that happend to harrison courtney last year). Mason lost 5-4 in the second round after teching in his first round match. He beat some tough kids in the wrestle backs. They both went out in the same round. Elliott was offered a scholarship to Lindenwood in St. Louis where he will be intending. I'm sure Mason was given some offers as well.

[eaglewrestler12 2]

As far as seniors go we didn't have any all americans but we did well. Elliott Martin and Mason Reid were closest to placing. Martin went 2-2, making it to the 3rd round of the winners bracket where he lost 2-0 to the california runner up, he hit a peterson at the end and was awarded no points(the same thing that happend to harrison courtney last year). Mason lost 5-4 in the second round after teching in his first round match. He beat some tough kids in the wrestle backs. They both went out in the same round. Elliott was offered a scholarship to Lindenwood in St. Louis where he will be intending. I'm sure Mason was given some offers as well.

That's great that Elliot will be wrestling in college, but even better that he was offered a scholarship by school besides Cumberland or Campbellsville