Spring Wrestling conflicts freestyle/greco

[Tapout]

I’m sure I am not the only one to receive a email from NCUSA wrestling about spring and summer wrestling. Does anyone have info on how to qualify for Fargo this coming spring. Example as stated in email SE USA Regionals are back in Wilmington but in the middle of May during our HS season.  Obviously our normal freestyle and Greco season is not going to happen so how do our athletes qualify for national teams and Fargo? Are we forcing our athletes to make a choice between representing their school on the mat and pursue a state title or compete on the national scene?

[Oldman63]

I am betting freestyle will be slim to none in NC this year. We barely field teams with a spring season for national duals. 

[coachsmithwick]

How much of a conflict will SE regionals in Wilmington be? As I understand it, there will be no weekend tournaments allowed during the HS season. No conflict there. Unless, the regional tournament is the same weekend as the Fargo qualifier, then there should not be a conflict between the scholastic season and free/greco( season) if we have one)...JMO

[Tapout]

SE Regionals was just an example, there will be many national level tourneys come spring that our athletes could miss due to schedule conflicts, traveling, HS practice but this is what we are faced with.
I agree, NC freestyle/Greco season will be almost non existence.
Unfortunately our kids will still have to decide between a lot of national tourneys or HS. This is uncharted waters for us all. June 28-29 state tourney really hurts our kids as far as recruiting, that state title late in the summer for a senior could effect their recruiting. I guess just venting, we must adjust.

[Thomasdurham@hotmail.com]

I have thought about this and another issue that my school and many others are dealing with is, sharing athletes.  I have already told my team that if Freestyle/Grecco is what they want to do or focus on Baseball or Track, that I understand.  If they are not seniors I look forward to seeing them next season.  Many of my wrestlers wrestle for a sport to compete in for something to do between fall and spring sports.  I am just going to roll with the punches this year.

[Tapout]

As spring national tourneys are starting to be scheduled our athletes will be faced with some tough decisions. Announced NHSCA High School Nationals scheduled for April 23-25 at Va Beach.

[jtutterrow]

I do not think that high school nationals is a tough decision it is before our season starts. They go represent NC on the national level then start the season the following week. If they get injured then it happens injuries can happen at any time. Would I want to be selfish and keep them from getting injured sure, but there are no state duals this year and we can only get so much good competition with having tris only and some of the better kids will need that to make their run for a state title.

[Tapout]

I agree HS nationals is not much of a decision but as I stated this is just the start of national tourneys being scheduled throughout our HS season. Freestyle/Greco USA regionals are already being scheduled for May and then you have Fargo qualifiers yet to be scheduled. It is what we have been dealt so we must deal with it but still going to be some tough decisions to be made especially for those seniors. Hopefully HS administrators and coaches understand  that some of our NC hammers may miss a dual in order to travel to a national tourney. Has there been a match requirement put out yet?

[jtutterrow]

I agree with that also but when is the last time all the best NC guys went together as one to a national tournament? Freestyle, Greco, or Folkstyle? It just doesn't happen anymore for some odd reason. They might go individually, but never as a team and it's a shame to not have the best in NC compete together for pride for NC wrestling as a whole. Also would never let my kids miss a dual for anything like that. They may trade individual for individual as a split squad but as someone who builds a program around the team aspect it sends the wrong message to the team when you allow a "better" kid to miss a dual to go anywhere then it seems as if you're not about the team.

[Tapout]

Are you really saying that a national level kid should miss a national tourney where recruiting happens for a HS dual? A dual especially this year we’re he would probably get a FF. With the last year everything being cancelled our NC hammers need to jump on each opportunity at the national level if they want to wrestle at the next level. The message your sending is you are supporting your athletes goals during these unusual times.
You are correct not all the best NC kids compete as a team but the topic is individual national tourneys. No way if we have a kid who is national level would I expect him to miss a national tourney for a HS dual especially this year. Just like each individual wrestler is at a different level in your room the same goes with their goals and we must adjust accordingly to guide each athlete to achieve their goals and holding a national wrestler back for a dual is cheating that athlete. The big picture this year is not a dual that means nothing this year, it is how can we ensure our athletes individual goals are met. If you have other athletes that have issues with that than I would offer they in turn are not supportive of their team.

[jtutterrow]

Kids get recruited at the high school level too. I have college coaches that call me all the time to recruit kids in this state. So yes as a team first coach I expect my kids to be there for the team. If you are good enough college coaches will come after you and they will make time to come to NC to watch a kid in a dual or the state tournament here. So yes for my kids they will go to Nationals before the duals season starts if they so choose, but I will not sacrifice the way that I run my program so that other kids think that they can do what they want. I already schedule a tough schedule and the teams I put on there usually do not bump or dodge anyone. I understand and respect your opinion just not going to run my program that way. Like I said if it were an individual tournament for and individual tournament like split squads that we could do then absolutely. While I agree that the duals mean nothing this year in regards to team since there are no team state duals I still will not change the the way I run my program for that. I have my reasons for running my program my way and others will have their reasons. I will not tell another coach how they should run their program nor have their kids do what they want them to do. Just the way I run my program. Also these kids can go to tournaments on the weekends as there are no weekend tournaments for high school this year. They will not be able to miss a dual for me for that if they do that is their choice and they know my rules and the consequences for their choices good and bad. We have different view points on how athletes should look at their teammates and how programs should be run and that is okay. I respect how you would run yours.

[Pitt]

Well said Coach Tutterrow!