Integrity in Wrestling

• GregHines

  First, I was not a wrestler in high school, however I had a sibling that was pretty good. I have been to my fair share of wrestling matches and tournaments over the past 4 1/2 years (since my very small son was cut from BB and chose wrestling as his winter sport). I have seen some pretty poor parental actions in that time.
  
  So the reason for my post. While reading seedings for one of the top 5 tournaments in Ohio yesterday I found a wrestler whose coach claimed a seed criteria that the wrestler did not earn (it was not the first time this claim had been made). My question: Is this a normal situation? Do coaches misrepresent their wrestler's achievements? With today's automated seeding, it is easy to squeak these by.
  
  I have been truly blessed to been involved with top notch people whom I could never imagine doing such a thing. It seems to lessen the sport; the coaches, wrestlers and fans; and the achievement for the wrestler who actually achieved the tounament place.
• Con_Alma

  GregHines;1351571 wrote:... My question: Is this a normal situation? ...

  Normal? No.
• said_aouita

  

  Coaches have ego's. They try to get their wrestlers a higher seed, believing it potentially could benefit team points.
  
  
  Seeding talk always reminds me of a funny story from a Jr High conference meet. Somehow all the #1 seeds got bye's and wrestled one less match than other teams, so they couldn't score as many points. Believe the runner-up team ended up having like eight or nine champions and a couple runner-ups.
  The following year the coach attended the seeding meeting but sat quiet. Finally he said, "I don't want any of my wrestlers seeded." even though many were undefeated.
• cruiser_96

  

  I have say through my fair share of meetings when Little Johnny placed 4th instead of the 6th he really placed. Or only has 3 losses when he wasn't 1st team all-conference, finished 5th in two different bracketed tournaments and the team website says something totally different.
  
  Aaah, the wonders of a smart phone.
  
  SMH. Come on, man.
  
  My biggest issue is when they are flabbergasted when you show them they are wrong! Worse yet, they get angry that you provided evidence of the truth.
• Con_Alma

  Seeding criteria should be black and white.....and consistent throughout the State for the sectional meet!
  
  Subjective discussion shouldn't be inclusive of any seeding decisions. There should be no meeting. Send in the criteria and the tournament director should plug it in and share the results.
• hang_loose

  Cruiser, Bring out that "B" team with no records from a few years back:laugh:!!!
• GregHines

  Thanks to all - I agree with you ... so there is the bad apple and, generally, still integrity in such a great sport! Being really old fashioned, I still like to see the white gloves.
• Cthelites

  The coaches that do that stuff are known thru out the wrestling community.
  It usually comes back to bite them in the arse in the long run.
  They are only hurting themselves and their school/kids.
• lion69

  as a coach if I know coaches that do this guess who I jump on with my not quite seed-able wrestler. Ive been around for a long time and there used to be a coach from Worthington named Jerry Stephens. At a seeding meeting he would always say things like Oh he has some thirds and fourths. No elaboration at all. We knew that he took his kids to Medina and other top tournaments so we all respected his kids and their records. I've known other coaches who add reserve and varsity meets to their records. I knew because they had their kids in out reserve tournaments and they had a record recorded. I would hope that a teacher of young men would show them how to be honorable through their actions.
• iGranby

  

  To me, from a coaching perspective, the goal is not to only develop the kids as wrestlers, but ultimately as people. Teaching them good work ethic, discipline, mental toughness, and integrity. All of those are vital on and off the mat. Seeds should be earned through a kids success and hard work. Now, what are you really teaching your kids when you not only lie for them, but you also possibly take away from another kids truly earned success!? At the same time, I'm a firm believer that at the end of the day rankings, seeds and such dont really matter, and the better wrestler will win. All in all, you're not doing yourself, or your kids any favors by lying for them, in the short, or long run.
• USMCdevil2005

  

  In the end, the truth and the better kid always comes out!