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    Our final month of the wrestling club is here, and what a great season it has been for our Perkins Wrestling family.  Our youth program continues to grow, the Junior High finished their season on a good note, and how about PHS Senior Cam Campbell.  A three-time state qualifier for  Coach Crabtree and his staff, Cam placed 6th in Division II this year.  We will miss Cam and the rest of the Seniors next year, so hopefully our underclassmen can continue to provide leadership and experience for next year’s season.

The 9th Annual Battle of the Biddies was the final team competition for the club season, and we ended on a good note .  All in all, I think we wrestled well as a club this season, considering how young we were.  I think we will certainly be a force to be reckoned with in the next few years.  The Battle of the Biddies- and all future events we will have at home, can only run smoothly if we have enough people in the right places.  I have to say that this year we were very thin on people pitching in and helping out, and I think it contributed to the overall “sloppiness” of this year’s Battle.  The coaches and support staff do a lot for this program, I don’t think it is too much to ask for parents to help out with one or two events.  Next year, helping out at a home event will be part of the agreement for Intermediate and Advanced parents.  We will host the 10th Annual Battle of the Biddies, one or two other duel or tri matches, and we will also be running the 6th Annual Pirate Duels as well.  Honestly it is a little disappointing to only see the same small group of parents helping out week after week.  If these events are going to be successful for us, we will need lots and lots of help.  Not just those who always help out (you know who you are- thank you!) but EVERYONE must chip in some way, shape, or form to make things run smooth.

As the club season comes to an end, please continue to check the website for updates and information.  The site is usually a little slower in the mid-summer months, but there our group of coaches always have something going on for the kids. There is usually always something going on each month, be it a camp, clinic, or open mat.

Summer wrestling is a great way for kids to get some extra experience on the mat, wrestling at tournaments or open mats, or attending some kind of camp.  Wrestling in the summer is almost like getting an extra season under your belt, and can be very beneficial for most wrestlers.  At the same time, a word of caution needs to be said.  “Burnout” as it is commonly called, happens all to often to young wrestlers everywhere.  Parents push their kids to work hard and be great, which is sometimes necessary in today’s world of wrestling to be among the elite.  But sometimes, pushing at such a young age is too hard, negative in tone, or simply too much training or wrestling for someone of that age to handle and the body and mind break down.  When these kids who have been driven too hard get into junior high or high school, they sometimes are burned out on the sport.  They lose interest and quit, get injured easier, or are so mentally, emotionally, and physically fatigued that they lose the ability to grow any further in the sport.  Pushing our kids in today’s world is a must if he or she is going to be great.  But many people go about it the wrong way and end up doing more damage in the long run.  Our club season (particularly our Advanced group) is long enough and tough enough for that age group, so training year around has to be done with caution, and with your child’s best interest at heart.  Kids need to be led down the right paths in life, and wrestling is a great giver of the many tools that will help them sort through anything that comes their way.  As parents, it is our job to see that they have everything they need to be successful- in school, in wrestling, and in life.  But sometimes inexperienced parents make mistakes in the ways that they lead their kids.  Our own selfish need for our children’s success cannot be allowed to play the lead role in the way that you guide your child through a sport, especially wrestling.  Everyone wants their kid to be the best they can be, and that is a natural attraction for any parent.  But when that feeling becomes a raging monster that needs success no matter what the cost, then you have done your child a disservice in his sport, and maybe in parts of his life.  If you are going to push your kids, make sure it is the right way, and for the right reasons.  I know several of our parents go to other places to get extra mat time in during our club season, which I don’t agree with for several reasons.  My main concern being the fear of burning these kids out.  Aside from that, it is hard for our staff to build relationships and build a program when our kids are not in our room.  It may be tough for parents to understand and see the negative side of going other places, and it is easy to get caught up doing something because so and so goes there or does this or that.  But as a dad who is a coach, I would never lead my son away from the program and people that care about him the most.  Getting back to burnout- it can be one of those things that sneaks in, noticed only by those who have seen it before.  Warning signs are not always clear, but lack of enthusiasm,  silly or unusual mistakes in matches,  giving up, extreme emotions or reactions after losses,  or any form of discouraging behavior or talk are all signs that burn out may be setting in.  The main thing to remember is that we are talking about kids.  They need to enjoy the sport before they can dominate it.  They need to learn from their successes and failures on their own terms-with guidance and leadership from parents and coaches.  First and foremost, kids need to have fun. But they also need to be allowed to experience the triumphs and turmoil that winning and losing bring to everyday life.  There is plenty of time for all the pressure and hard work when they get a little older.  The best thing a parent can do in any sport, is get behind the program, and give it your commitment and support (See article The Parents Role on the website/downloads section).  Become involved in the learning process, and try to find your niche (for your son, or the team) within the sport.  The coaches will be the main force and factor in your child’s growth and development in the sport of wrestling, and parents can be a tremendous help in the overall process.  Believe me, when our club kids get into Junior High, they will be pushed to the breaking point continually to improve their mental and physical being.  Our 8th grade wrestlers are expected to be on a certain level before they reach high school.  Our Junior High Staff has done a very good job in preparing our wrestlers for the high school level, as is evident each year in the number of underclassman doing very well in the varsity line-up.

In closing, it has been a pleasure to coach all of your children, regardless of the many different skill levels we see each week.  Thank you for allowing us to be an influence on your child this year.  I want to thank all of my coaches for the dedication and commitment you have all put in.  I know you don’t get the thanks you deserve for the hours and time you put in, but please know you are appreciated!!!  We all need to keep up with the fine tradition we have started for our youth program, and next year with more coaches, more helpers, and more involvement, the Pirate Wrestling Club will take another step back up to the pinnacle of youth wrestling!  Thank you everyone.

                                       

                                        Happy Wrestling,                        

                                        Coach Thom