| 01/02/09 That Good Old Wrestling Connection
As we enter 2009 I look back on a lifetime of all the people I have met through this sport. It seems as though over half the people that I still have contact with are some how connected to wrestling. Many of my former wrestlers are still around and when I meet up with them what else to talk about besides wrestling? Many of the old coaches I meet up with talk about very little besides wrestling. I meet people who I do not know (they know me somehow) and the conversation goes right to wrestling. I meet parents for the first time and they start talking about their kids and when they started wrestling. They ask about clubs and tournaments and different coaches. I go on the forums and strike up new friendships with many other wrestling nut jobs. LOL The “wrestling connection” really comes through big time when I am in some social setting, with people I do not know at all. What better way to break the ice?? I ask them where they are from(town, school,etc.) and as soon as they drop a name, PRESTO , I can come up with a few names of wrestlers and I am instantly transformed from some outsider into a vital piece of a conversation!! I've been using this one for decades.
My all time favorite story. I met my future wife and all she knew about me was I was her brother's baseball coach. It was April 1978. She really didn't know about the “wrestling connection”, yet. Well, to make a long story short, it seemed as though anywhere we went someone would start talking about wrestling. I could see she was impressed(not really) and she found it to be amusing. Well we got married in October(chick was clueless)1981 and flew to Jamaica for our honeymoon. We landed in Montego Bay but needed to take a very long bus trip to Ochos Rios. We are in a jitney with 3 other couples traveling down some deserted dirt road. We pass by an old marketplace and my bride says, “Doesn't that place remind you of the Englishtown Auction?” Well the guy sitting across the aisle(never saw him before in my life) in the bus hears this, leans over and asks, “Hey, aren't you the Manalapan Wrestling Coach?” My wife almost crapped herself!! The old “wrestling connection” strikes again!! When I tell this story, probably have 1000 times, I always have to laugh.
Think of all the people you know and speak to and tell me how many do not know about you and your “wrestling connection”. When my old buddy Gerry Tabs from Southern Regional was being inducted into the Region 6 Hall of Fame his speech pretty much said the same thing. Seemed as though ALL of those near and dear and in fear of him were part of his “wrestling connection”. I think as we go into this New Year expecting some difficult economic times we should all remember that no matter what, we have our “wrestling connection” and we can all stand as one to keep our sport safe and sound. Let's champion all these guys. Let's bang heads and then shake hands. If anyone from the o utside (you know, those poor bastards that don't have a “wrestling connection”) try to bring us down we will unite and eviscerate those scoundrels.
The “Wrestling Connection” Rules
12/22/08 Should Blair and Its Wrestlers Be Ranked?
Here we go again. After the Star-Ledger released their preview some forum posters started to complain that the Blair wrestlers were snubbed. They are ranked, as a team, #1 in the U.S. so, of course, their individuals are tremendous. Jeff Buxton has put the Blair program at the pinnacle of high school wrestling. He is very respected by most of the coaches in the state. Some coaches do resent Blair when one of their homeboys goes there instead of staying in the local school. That is a parent/wrestler choice tha t has to be respected. Attending Blair ain't cheap.
If you look at the Blair schedule you will see very little, if any, competition that involves New Jersey teams. Blair is able to train year round and travel from state to state without the constraints placed on the NJSIAA schools. They have a college team that makes their practice room primo. Match limits and other restrictions do not pertain to them. Ultimately, they are not really a “high school” but a program that contains high school aged wrestlers from anywhere.
The people who disparage Blair for their greatness probably are jealous of their ongoing success. I do not think that the Blair wrestlers or coaches feel as though they are being ignored. They are recognized on a much more elevated level, nationally, than any of the other NJ high schools. If Blair were to schedule duals with lots of NJ high schools they would lump them up and then be accused of playing with a stacked deck. It would be a no win for Blair. Are they a high school team? Not really. Are they an All-Star team? I think so. Are they well coached? Absolutely. When Blair travels all over the country representing NJ we should champion them. Most of their guys are from the Garden State . P'Burg won at Reno this week-end. They too, represent NJ. Many other teams went to out of state tournaments this week-end and represented us well. NJ has emerged as one of the top wrestling states in America . Blair has led the way.
1217/08 Is a Tournament of Champions necessary?
I read many posts on the forums that are requesting a TOC in wrestling. They want the Group Champions to go head to head to come to a definitive Number 1. I guess if you have the need to prove who is the “best team” you would have to do a round robin because in wrestling it is all about match-ups. Some sports just do not lend themselves to extra rounds due to time constraints and what happens after the team stuff is done. I know that some will say, “it is only 2 more matches” but those 2 more matches will be brutal. I just do not see any kid telling his coach that he is too injured to not wrestle. If his team is in the Group Final he will go out there even if it risks hi s health do be able to do well in the Districts, Regions and State during the next three weeks. When basketball ends after their TOC, it is over. There is no One on One Tournament awaiting them. Most coaches refer to District week as the “second season”. Every man for himself. For a kid to sacrifice himself, to appease a handful of fans who could probably care less how the individual kid does in the second season, is flat out wrong. With all the additional bouts allowed now most of the top teams are meeting head to head. There will be plenty of results to garner an accurate assessment from.
Lastly, I see a different mind-set in most of today's coaches. Years ago lots of coaches would have a cream puff schedule and just pile up massive records and then stake a claim as the #1 team. They would avoid teams that they knew would give them fits. Many times they would only pick and choose certain years to wrestle a team. Today's coaches are much more competitive and want their just due by beating the “good” teams. That is why we will see so many great duals during the season. I commend all the coaches who live by the credo, “To be considered the best, you have to beat the all rest”. A TOC is not necessary for wrestling. Good luck to ALL the warriors as we enter the first week of the season.
12/08/08 Non-Publics Do Not Need Their Own District and Region
The proposal to place Non-Publics into their own District and Region is, quite frankly, ridiculous. I guess the bottom line for the movement is the fact that some Public schools feel the need to “win” a District Team title. There was talk at least a decade ago of eliminating the District Team title. They should have. How many more “Team Championships” have to be available? A typical team will have one or two Holiday Tournaments to win a “Championship” in. Next they go to their mini-conference(usually 6-10 teams) where they can win another “Championship”. Next is the County or some sort of overall local area “Championship”. The Shore Conference Tournament is our local one but many parts of the state have “County “Championships”. With the additional matches allowed now, some teams enter another Tournament of some sort where they can win another “Team Title”. Now comes the Sectionals. A chance at another “Team Championship” Win that and it's time for another
Team Championship, Group Champions”. By the time the Districts roll around if your team hasn't already won its share of the available “Championships” who gives a crap?
Most Non-Public schools are not real competitive in wrestling. Unlike Basketball and Football, they simply are not that good. Putting them in their own District(4 across the state) and then in their own Region creates a level of unqualified wrestlers who should not be moving on to the State Finals. Some of the Non-Public Districts will be of junior varsity caliber. However, in Bergen County it will enable some Public Districts to operate at a near J.V. level too. Maybe the Non-Publics will like their own little Region. I don't think they will because of the traveling involved. However, some kids from the Non-Publics will certainly be able to move on in the District and Region where they wouldn't have had a sniff if the format stayed put. Same with some of the Public School kids( Bergen County especially). Will this be the death knell for the really small Non-Public school wrestling program? Guess we will have to wait and see. When the Sectionals were created it was to afford the smaller schools a chance to win a “Championship” on their own level. It also afforded the Non-Publics a chance to compete against other Non-Publics who had to adhere to very few cons traints by the NJSIAA. I think they should scrap the proposal and get rid of the “District Team Championship”. If you have a real decent team you can win 5 or 6 “Championships” without a District Team Championship.
Finally, what penalty will a kid have to endure if he decides to leave his Non-Public school and go to his Public school? I'm sure it will be twisted that there will be some “advantage” somehow, someway. Sometimes people just don't have 10K to keep their kid in a Non-Public for another year. Oh well.
12/01/08 Another Season Upon Us
Aah! That first day of practice has come and gone. For some it may be their LAST day of practice. Many kids try out for a sport with little background or understanding of how tough this sport can be. They soon realize that this ain't real pretty. After the first hour or two it may be time to go. With all the Youth Wrestling Leagues, Clubs and Middle School Teams most kids know what they are in for. They expect a tough day because they have been “paying the price” for years, already. If a coach has been at the school for a while there are usually no surprises. If the coach is new, who knows how he will be received, if at all. The guys that coach this sport are a unique bunch. Yeah, some are better than others, but the work ethic is pretty consistent. This isn't turning a key to lower a basket. Moving mats, washing mats and all the other stuff that is a daily regime just makes these coaches a little different. When you have at least 14 pieces of your puzzle to deal with everyday it can really become time consuming. You want all your boys to do as well as they can. You work with kids individually but you want to include all of them together as a team. You usually r ealize early on that most of these guys are going to end their season with a loss. Who knows when and where? You try to keep it positive every day. You have kids struggling to make a certain weight class. The red tape that the state has created makes this an arduous task sometimes. The paperwork is exhaustive.
BUT, most of the guys knew what they were getting into and what to expect. Most of the guys have been there and done that already. Some for decades!! Regardless of who you are, who you root for (or against) let's at least respect all the combatants and all the people who partake in this labor of love. It is a long season for everyone, parents included. When you take a dislike to someone just remember all the BS you are going through. They do share that common bond with you. Aah, it's wrestling season! :)
11/18/08 Much Tougher Than they Could Have Imagined
This blog is in no way a knock on any kid. It is my observation after over 40 years in the sport. With the various forums and web-sites available many people are free to express their opinion and do it without having to identify themselves. I guess that is okay but some of the posters are full of venom and misunderstandings. The issue I am addressing today is the one that involves why a wrestler may decide that collegiate wrestling is not what they thought it might be. First of all, the money available for scholarships are very limited. A "scholarship" to wrestle is a rare commodity. The competition is fierce to get that last buck. If a wrestler does not own up to his expectations, his scholarship is in jeopardy. Just because he may be given money it does not guarantee him a spot in the starting line-up. Just because he was a State Champ does not guarantee him anything more than a good look and maybe a recruit by the coach. Well he goes through the process and either gets money or walks on. Now the REAL test begins.
After all the hype and fanfare dies down, it is now time to get down to brass tacks. The time and work involved in collegiate wrestling is nothing like the high school routine. Most collegiate wrestlers will tell you that every day in the college room is as hard, or harder than any day they spent in the high school room. The expectations, the rigor and the competition are brutal. Only the strong survive. Suddenly many wrestlers are asking themselves, "What the hell did I get myself into?" or "How the hell can I get out of here?". That is when the decision has to be made to stick with it or bail out. Many of these guys were the Captain of their high school team. The consummate "leader". How can they bow out and not only get on with their life, but save face.
As you read about some of the guys who are leaving their respective college programs(for whatever reason) please keep in mind that the wrestler is the one who was in that room not you. Unless you have personally had to experience what it is like to be running at 6AM every morning and then going to class and then getting your ass kicked 2 to 3 hours and then doing assignments and then back for maybe another work out and probably having to skimp on your food, etc. etc. etc. maybe you should just keep your negative comments to yourself. College wrestling is a very lonely life. No one knows you and no one really cares how much time and sacrifice you have to make. When you wrestle in a meet or tournament you are lucky to have a hundred spectators. Kids who have performed in front of thousands in high school now look at empty seats. The spirit and banner and display that grip the high school wrestling scene is gone. You are out there literally on your own. The next day when you walk into class, no one knows what YOU did the day before. No one really cares.
When your career does come to an end, where do you go? Can you catapult wrestling into any type of employment? Sure, you can become a coach or run a club but there is no money to be made. We are a money fueled society. You can continue to support the sport and the wrestlers. That is one thing that real wrestling people will do. Not belittle those who reach the end of the line for one reason or another. To the guys who labor on, kudos!! To those who call it a day(career) leave your shoes and reflect on all you have
given of yourself to a sport that is not always real kind. Walk tall, head up, chest out. You have been where very few have been and most others dare not trod. You are the few, the proud. You owe no one any explanation as your wrestling days end. Look at the man in the mirror. You served him well.
11/04/08 WORKING TOGETHER FOR OUR SPORT
It seems, to me, that wrestling brings out the best in most of us when it comes to camaraderie and respect. With all the various mediums being offered today we learn that we can access all of them and make all of us do a better job. I am going to list a few sites and contributors that we can all contact and draw material from. There is a new site that has been created by Scott Stump, Travis Johnson and Bobby Badders. It is called www.allshoremedia.com . There is a fee ($60 for an entire year-12 months) and it includes an unending supply of wrestling videos as well as many other sports. You can downloa d the Rutgers ' wrestle-offs for free. Give it a shot!! It is great stuff. You can also go to www.oceanwrestling.com and get DESPOS outstanding Region 6 stuff. Again, outstanding. Go to Phillipsburg Wrestling and get J. Kopesky's (biased, LOL) historic account of P'Burg's storied program and virtually all tournament results from NJ and PA. Great stuff for the real wrestling junkies. You have Bob Behre from the Star-Ledger and Steve Falk from the A sbury Park Press. Kevin Williams has a daily radio show called The Locker Room on wobmam.com(1160am) and shoresportsnetwork.com(1310am). Both can be streamed on the computer. You have Rick and Clammy www.NJWrestle.com . Two wrestling nuts that just love this sport.
Finally you have Steve Rivera's www.NJWrestlingTournaments.com site that I am happy to contribute to. You get a lot of collegiate info as well as perspective from Scott Goodale, Jay Nase and many other college coaches and wrestlers. All of these people are, in a way, competing for readership but the bottom line is wrestling people will stick together to perpetuate the sport. I go to all these sources for info and updates and opinions. Almost all of us go to nj.com/forums/wrestling at least once a day to see the “dirt” as well as the real issues facing the sport. The information is endless. We are all better off helping one another out to give our wrestlers all the accolades they deserve. There is an old maxim that I use ad nauseum, “A rising tide lifts all the boats.” Right now we are at high tide. Let's stay there. Denny D
10/21/08 IF YOU ARE GOING TO TALK SMACK
As the season rapidly approaches I have a suggestion for those who communicate on the various forums. If you are going to talk smack (degrade kids, coaches, programs and officials) at least have the intestinal fortitude(balls) to identify yourself. Far too many people post nasty things about everything they can think of. If a kid loses a match he is a bum. If he beats the hell out of someone he's dirty. If a coach has a kid on his team and the kid is a discipline problem the coach is a loser. If a team loses a tough match let's see who we can scapegoat as the reason, etc. etc. The ref sucked(seems like that one always shows up ).
Before you "post" a message, take a deep breath and step back and ask yourself, "How would I feel if that was me or my son they were saying such nasty things about"? Many, many people read the forums. I'm not saying that all posts have to be about flowers and happiness but there is a point where many simply go over the edge. You can get your view and opinion across without stooping down into the pits. Anyone associated with this sport has to put in tremendous time and sacrifices many things. Respect that. If you
do not have anything nice to say, ever, you are probably lacking your own self-confidence and self-respect.
Finally, if you have the need to degrade someone, be a man and sign your name. Anonymous attacks are just a way that a man without a sack has to function. Lots to say but no balls to take credit for the dis. I have never posted under anything other than my name. I have taken some people to task but I did it with resolve and conviction. If we can get past the negativity, it will be a much more enjoyable season on the forum.
10/09/08 What Really Matters In The World and In Life
So many times we get all bent out of shape during athletic competition that we lose perspective of what really matters in life. I have seen so many people literally go nuts and not come back down to earth for days, weeks, months, years and for some, a lifetime. In the heat of the battle, we all want to win. If you do
not have that passion why would you even go out there or train so rigorously and make so many sacrifices? Why would you religiously travel all over the state to support your team or wrestler? I think the commitment to excellence is great. Sometimes we have to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. Within the last few weeks the wrestling community almost lost one of their own. Phillipsburg's outstanding lightweight Luke Grassi was suddenly afflicted with liver failure. Why it happened is irrelevant. Who knows or cares? This young man was fighting for his life. He was fortunate to receive a donor liver. It looks as though he is going to make it. I watched Luke wrestle quite a few times. He was a champion but that really did not matter when this happened. Whether he won or lost a wrestling match becomes superfluous in the big picture. I guess what I am trying to say is when the battle is over, it is over. Lousy calls and hating your
opponents is something that does not matter when someone's life is in the balance. Using Luke's situation as an impetus, please do not be "hating" your opponents and become an organ donor. We will all
be better off.
Denny D'Andrea 10/06/08 Parochial Advantage In Sports?
There has been much discussion on how much of an advantage parochial schools may have due to the ability to attract athletes from all over. The football and basketball powerhouses bear this out. The biggest factor in attracting athletes to attend a parochial school is, beyond question, the coach. If you look at the great football and basketball teams you will see high profile coaches with a great track record. Only a few parochials have/ had those high profile coaches. I will cite a few examples. Camden Catholic had a very
modest program until a guy named Gary Papa arrived. Gary had success at Paul VI but decided to move due to certain restrictions placed on who he could or could not coach at that school. When he arrived at CC the magnet was super-charged. All of a sudden(not unexpectedly) "wrestlers" started to show up in large numbers. Gary turned CC into a great program and good attracts more good. Go to the CC website and check out the success it has had since he arrived. The Shore Conference has never really had a great
parochial wrestling team, however it got close when CBA hired a proven winning coach in Mike Baldi. All of a s udden "wrestlers" started showing up and CBA became a force to be reckoned with. St.
John Vianney has had some success over the years. I don't think the administration did as much as it could have. Vianney's long time coach Jack Shepherd did a great job with what he had to work with. While Red Bank Catholic, Monsignor Donovan and Mater Dei continued to struggle(as did CBA before Baldi) any parochial leaning wrestler came to CBA. I truly believe that if RBC hired a known coach they too could become a force to be reckoned with. I do not think that Mon Don nor Mater Dei have the resources that RBC would have. Back in the 80s many of the schools in Monmouth County were struggling in the sport. Vianney got some of those kids. The time was right for CBA and RBC to higher a proven coach. I think if they would have they both would have turned the corner. CBA did finally make that move. RBC never has. Most of the Monmouth County publics now have good coaches. With the cost involved to send your kid to a parochial, most parents are keeping their wrestler at the public school. I am in no way disparaging the coaches who have had the task of keeping the parochial schools afloat. I commend them. I experienced coaching in a school where very few wrestlers showed up. It is very difficult to keep kids in a program where you are going to get licked time and time again. In closing, can you imagine if CBA or RBC had hired a guy like John DeMarco in the 80s? If that would have happened, I think the same public/non-public outcry would be taking place as it is in North Jersey.
Denny D'Andrea 09/22/08 "To Wrestle or NOT to wrestle-That is the question" Bopheneis 1989
Many of the wrestling faithful has a very strong opinion about whether a wrestler should go against a guy, during the season, who he will probably have to face in A.C. Well here I go. First it
depends on the situation. If it is in a dual meet, it depends on the strategy of the coach as far as team points are concerned. If the two studs are a certain toss-up, can you recoup the points if your guy loses? If you do not think you can I would suggest the move(if you can) to split for sure. Put your fill-in guy in to take
the hit and let your stud follow suit. Some fans may not like it but they are not the ones calling the shots. That being said, now we get to Tournaments and the All-Star Meet. I have always believed that the true competitor backs down from no one. He wants to be in the arena no matter who is standing across the mat. I realize that the All-Star Meet is for the diehard fans but I truly thing the great ones relish that venue. I know some people say, "Why should a kid give another kid the chance to learn his style, his strengths
and weaknesses"? That is the beauty of sport. Even in team sports the "rematch" is always anticipated. I have seen numerous scenarios in wrestling where every possible result came true. I have seen guys
sweep the series, split the series, and even win every match except the last one (that can really suck, huh?). I have seen guys beat the hell out of a guy the first time they met and never beat him again. What I am saying is that there is no ironclad pro or con of guys wrestling one another more than once. The greatest boxing rivals in history usually involved a trilogy. We are trying to make the All-Star Meet an exhibition so the results do not impact seeding. For the most part, the seeding for the State Tournament in A.C. is rarely that accurate. It gets the best guys down there but most weights are 4 to 8 deep in kids who can all beat one another on a certain day. I repeat, the great ones want to wrestle, no matter
who is standing there looking them in the eye.
Denny D'Andrea 09/11/08 Loading up your Schedule
Do not misunderstand me as I embark on this blog. I am not criticizing any coach or program. There are pros and cons in beefing up your schedule. I will state my opinion based on over 30 years as a coach. Once you have your program on a roll and you have enough good kids in your line-up, it is only natural to seek stiffer competition. You want your kids to rise to a higher level. You want them not only battle ready, you want them battle tested. With the extended number of matches allowed, more and more coaches are loading up. After all the years of selecting a #1 team by a vote, it is now being determined more and more by head to head. As much as this is good, there is a down side. First, if you have 10 great teams on your schedule you will be lucky to win them all. One loss and your #1 ranking will probably go down the tubes. Second, the team you put on the mat in December may not be the same team you put on the mat in February. Injuries are part of the sport and the pounding that kids take in a loaded schedule can certainly provide its share of setbacks. I know people will say, “put in a back-up.” Well today not too many quality back-ups are available. If a kid is pretty good and does not crack the line-up today, he usually bails out. Paying your dues and waiting your turn is not as it was years ago. The “drop-off” of a second string kid is significant. I am in no way demeaning those kids (they are there working their asses off every day), but the talent level is not near, in most cases, the level of the varsity kid. Lose two starters and you are probably not going to beat a top team. If you have seen the Groups the last 5 years, you have seen wars. Many of these matches go right down to the last bout. The other thing that is unique to our sport is the individual “second season” that awaits the warriors after the team stuff is done. We had many kids wrestle hurt, for the team. They sacrificed to win for the team. It hurt them during the Districts, Regions, and States. Wrestling is still an individual sport first. One on one. Many schools start out the season at an ass-kicking tournament. You guys know the ones I am talking about. Last year one of the schools in the Mustang Classic held out 3 or 4 kids due to the number matches already wrestled as well as the meat grinder they had gone through the week before. I could not fault them for that. The Mustang Classic is also loaded with great teams. The constant pounding can ruin anyone. Again, I am sure some will say that the reason a team wins is because of their tough schedule but the teams that come up short at the end of the year due to being beaten up or injured are tossed to the side. It is a double-edged sword. Just remember, even the greatest athletes need time to recoup and lick their wounds. One loss and that #1 is probably gone.
Denny D'Andrea 09/03/08 Dehydration or Creatine Creation
When three wrestlers met an untimely death in late 1997 the “experts” had this all figured out. The crazy wrestling coaches had their wrestlers losing weight without any regard to safety or possible side effects. Today the wrestlers have to go through a laborious series of tests and measurements and are constantly being hounded about how much weight they can or cannot lose. Special scales and gadgets tell them what is and is not safe. I think this whole process is a waste of time and money unless you are making money off of the testing procedure. Most, not all I admit, coaches are not demanding kids to do anything that will threaten their health and safety. Losing weight is a natural process for a wrestler. An intense practice in a hot environment is very common. Back in the old days wrestlers used to cramp (due to dehydration) and it was usually not a big deal. Most of those cramps were in the legs, especially the calves, and were kneaded by the coach and went away. Nobody died. Fast forward to 1997. This new “supplement” shows up. Makes you stronger, gets rid of fatigue and you just feel better. It was called creatine. Scientifically, the way it worked was fairly easy to explain. It entered the skeletal muscles and trapped large amounts of water causing the muscles to function at a higher capacity and fatigue recovery was much faster. For a wrestler it presented a paradox. This stuff makes me feel and perform better but I am gaining weight. Here is where the issue becomes a choice. How much can I use to get better and how much water can I sweat out to make weight? The problem is that due to the nature of what creatine does physiologically to the body (retains water in the muscles) a user simply cannot sweat like he used to. Sweating is a cooling mechanism that is shut down by creatine usage. The body is heating up but no sweati ng occurs. The skeletal muscles will not give up the water so other sources are invaded. Various organs will be leeched which can cause them to shut down. The combination can be lethal. After those three wreslers died, all of a sudden, the culprit was identified and its dangers exposed. No wrestlers have died since. No wrestlers died before. Yet, the wrestlers are subjected to ridiculous scrutiny. There have been numerous deaths attributed to dehydration among high school football players for decades. Do they have to pee in a cup? Is anyone calling football coaches on the carpet for practicing on a plus 90 degree afternoon? Yeah, yeah, I know, they have water breaks and rest periods but a large boy can sweat out 15 pounds in an hour or two and I have to believe that it is much more dangerous than a wrestling practice. The wrestling deaths (3) ten years ago were related to creatine. No doubt about it. Maybe it is time to back off the wrestlers and address the sports that have many more fatalities. When was the last time a football player had to pee in a cup other than to check for steroids? Wanna bet that half of them would fail a ”hydration” test? Why not do this next week before the season begins? Five football players died within the last two weeks.
Denny D'Andrea
08/25/08 New Kid In Town? The hottest topic on the scholastic wrestling scene today is the issue of the transfers that have moved intoEastern Regional High School . With a very good team already returning it seems to be unconscionable that anywhere from 3-5 top new top-level kids will be added to the roster this season. Many people are crying foul. Words such as recruiting, cheating, lying, etc. are being slung at the coaches and the kids. Well I have my own opinion about the situation and what you can, or rather cannot do about it. Kids changing schools to participate for a better program is nothing new. It has been going on for a long time and it impacts all sports, not just wrestling. The wrestling community has changed in the last twenty years. With the advent of the “clubs” more and more time and money has been sacrificed by the wrestlers and their parents. They want a return on their investment. It is the American way. The kids meet at the clubs, train together and become friends. This usually happens before they are old enough to drive so their parents wind up talking, at length, night after night. They talk about programs, schools, towns and maybe most of all coaches. They start thinking about where the sport can take their kid. What is the possibility of my son getting money to go to college? What kind of competition can my son expect during the season? What tournaments will our school be in this winter? Suddenly one school starts looking more attractive than another. Gradually they start to think, what if we change schools. People relocate for all kinds of reasons. This becomes one of those situations. Thousands of houses are for sale, rent, whatever. When one kid enters a school, and he is already a known commodity, a few mumbles may be heard. When 2, 3 or 4 show up, all hell breaks loose. New Kid In Town If people want to change schools it is their prerogative and decision. The business of a kid being “home grown” is pretty vague. At what point is a kid not permitted to move? The day they are born? Kindergarten, 6 th grade, 9th grade, 10 th grade? This is America ! You are allowed to pursue happiness. Obviously people get pissed if t heir kid gets displaced by the new kid. That's the way it goes. What about the kid who “gets his shot” because a kid left? No one blames him or accuses him of anything other than catching a lucky break. All the good teams wind up with kids who weren't born in their town. We are in a very transient society. Families break up, jobs get transferred and many people own more than one home. People rent condos. If a family has a legitimate address they have every right to send their kid to the school of their choice. It is no business of Big Brother. These super teams that are created usually run their course and then another one surfaces. I will not mention names but I have seen far too many good coaches who were always considered good guys suddenly become vilified because their school suddenly became more attractive for a wrestler(s) to attend. The better programs sell themselves. It is right in front of your nose. If a program is continually losing kids maybe a look in the mirror is due. Some schools are constantly losing kids. Why are they leaving? When the new kid shows up what is the coach supposed to do? Tell him he can't wrestle? That is not allowed. This is America . If a family lives in a district, regardless of why they came, their kid is allowed to participate. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. This is still America ...
Denny D'Andrea |
