09/05/2024
Hello Coaches!
Welcome to the 24-25 wrestling season. I know everybody is busy and not all of the schools could attend the meeting on Sunday. We had some same day changes that were made and discussed and a few open discussions going on.
First, we have 38 schools this year, with Logan Elm joining. We had approximately 1600 kids last year in the league.
We are planning on having six host sites again, except for the first week, since it is Christmas/New Year’s, there will probably be families on vacation and lower wrestlers expected. If a school has to cancel, then we will still have five schools to use.
If you are no longer interested in hosting, please let me know ASAP. If you still plan on hosting, please secure your gym(s) now and send a copy of your property usage form, or something from the school saying that you have the use of the gym(s) on the date below.
!!!!IMPORTANT CHANGE!!!!
Since many youth coaches and families are involved with High School and Middle School wrestling, hosting a championship on Saturday was an issue for quite a few. It has been decided to have both, the North and South Championships, on Sunday, January 26th in Marion. Due to their availability, we had to shift the season up a week. We will run the North and South, as two separate tournaments, with the top four advancing to the End Year Championship at the same location and on the same day.
The End Year will also be in Marion, on Sunday, February 2nd.
One of the discussions about the end year tournaments, and it was left open, was to do Madison Block weight again (everybody is entered into their age group and grouped into 8 man brackets, based on a percentage of their weight), or to do actual weight classes. With Madison Block weight classes, the classes don’t match up between the two, causing rebracketing in the End Year, which could lead to more than two first place finishers in a bracket. If we do weight classes and there are more than 8 in that weight, which there will be, we can do Madison blocking within that to get, for example, 75 , 75 , etc. These “classes” would be strictly weight based (like the Madison Block that we previously did), and not skill level based. Weight classes would match between the two Championships, and have only two first place finishers in a bracket. It was suggested to do the weight classes this year, and see which one is preferred.
Our meet dates and host sites are:
(Sites are based on those who reached out when I first put info out and then those who attended the meeting)
12/29/24: (5 sites due to Holiday vacations)
North: Urbana, Kenton Ridge
South:Amanda Clearcreek, Zane Trace, Madison Plains
1/5/25:
North: West Jeff, Ben Logan, WLS
South: Hillsboro, WCH, Westfall
1/12/25:
North: urbana, bellefontaine , wls
South: zane trace, amanda clearcreek, east clinton
1/19/25:
North: Northwestern, north union, bellefontaine
South: Miami trace, Madison Plains, bloom carroll
1/26/25:
North/South Championships at Marion Fairgrounds
2/2/25:
Overall Championships at Marion Fairgrounds
For the North and South Championships, we will split the league based on numbers that we end up with. The top four from each bracket will then move to the end year tournament.
If you have a specific school that you’d like to attend, please let me know. I will try to limit schools to traveling no further than one hour. If you don’t care to travel further to compete against different schools, just let me know.
Pairing Meeting:
-9 am
-At Least one coach from each school is to be in attendance and bring pairing cards. Please tell your parents to let you know prior to 8am if their wrestler will NOT be attending to limit having to re-bracket.
-Each school is to provide help with filling out the bout sheets (2 people/school, ideally).
-Pairings will be in 4 or 5 man round robins and based on age, weight, and experience
- Please be honest about your wrestler’s skill level when pairing.
- ALWAYS start at the small ages/weights when pairing; DO NOT start at both ends to speed the meeting up; this leaves issues in the middle.
- Be aware of your outlier ages and weights
Meet Start Time:
-12 pm
-Each school is to provide FOUR table workers, regardless of school/club size: one for the head table and three for the mat side table. It is easiest/best if the same parent is the Head Table worker for your school all season, to limit having to teach somebody new every week. All bout sheets need to be filled out correctly; make sure your table workers are writing what the points were scored for…. 3 points could be for a nearfall or a takedown, and prevents the head table workers from correctly filling out the pairing cards. Pairing cards need to be filled out entirely on the back. There are many schools who give awards for pins, takedowns, etc.
-Each school is to bring a flip chart for scoring, a tapper (pool noodle, rolled and taped towels, etc) and two sets of anklets that will stay at their mat that they choose to work
- In past years, we have run anywhere from 6 to 8 mats at a meet. It is up to the host school as to how many they would like to run. However, it is easiest if the number of mats does not exceed the number of schools attending so none have to be responsible for more than one table. Also, the longer your meet runs, the more your concession stand will make, which is what will pay for your certified officials, any schools rental fees, janitors, etc. Each host site is responsible for these payments. With new rules, matches could end a lot quicker; please keep that in mind when setting up mats.
We will follow the new rules with takedowns being 3 points, and the new nearfall points. 2 count= 2 points, 3 count=3 points, and 4 count= 4 points.
Admission:
-Regular meets: Admission was increased to $5, with 12 and under being free. This helps with having to have dollar bills for change and helps balance out not having to pay for kids with increasing adult admission.
-Championships: $10. 12 and under are free
Certified Officials:
-Regular Meets: There MUST be at least two CERTIFIED officials. Get your officials now, before they get booked up! If you need help getting them, reach out to me, Randy, Joella, ask on the page, whatever you need to do to get them.
-Typical cost to pay them is $25/hour. If you feel that they are worth more, then pay them what you believe they are worth, especially if your meet only lasts two hours.
-Championship Meets: ALL Certified Officials are to be used
Other Officials:
-All other officials must be in High School, or older (HS Wrestling team, coaches, etc.)
-No Jr High or Elementary kids are to be used as officials.
-If you have kids/coaches/parents interested in becoming certified, there are multiple opportunities for them to get certified; the best time to do this is prior to the start of their season.
-Please make sure they all have flip discs and whistles
Important Meet Info:
-Weights need to be updated EVERY week on the pairing card for that wrestler (write in pencil!). Do not leave it up to your parents to give you a weight. Weights can, and have, been challenged.
- Nails need to be checked- we have left it up to the parents to be responsible for, but have also lined the kids up in the hall and when we write his/her group # on their hand, we check nails at that time, just to double check. Tell your parents to make a routine of checking nails every Saturday.
-Skin checks need to be done at the last practice of the week and tell parents to contact you, or their Child’s Dr, if there are any spots in question. If anything is questioned at a meet, the head official must be notified, or there must be a Doctor’s note presented at that time in order to continue to compete that day. If a wrestler has a questionable spot, they need to have the OHSAA skin form filled out and brought with them on Sunday.
***NAILS & SKIN CHECKS HAVE BEEN A RECURRING ISSUE***
- Any wrestler with braces MUST have a mouthpiece. No exceptions! Your wrestler will not be permitted to continue that day without one.
- Table workers: I have provided/will provide each school with directions on filling out the bout sheets and pairing cards. Please ensure that they are all filled out in full, including the stats on the back of the pairing card. A lot of schools give pins, for example, to their wrestlers for each pin, and rely on those stats.
- On the ribbons, please make sure your table workers are writing wrestler’s name,
school, and the date.
-Each school is responsible for policing their parents. There are to be no more than two coach per corner and no parents on the mats
-Please reserve the first two rows of your bleachers for wrestlers to limit the crowdedness next to the mats.
-No eating/drinking on the mats, or next to the mats; this has been an issue in the past, and leads to spills on the mats.
Randy Hartman
8473 Davisson Rd
Mechanicsburg, OH 43044
-I will send out a Google Form closer to December to input your number of pairing cards needed and where to send them. All fees need to be paid prior to December 1st to get pairing cards. If you have late registrations, that is fine and can be paid for after 12/1. Pairing cards will be mailed to you.
- All coaches will need to have their requirements completed by this date. If you are a JH or HS coach, please send whatever the school provides you with to Joella at [email protected]. Also, if you have any questions regarding memberships, please send them to her.
- I have included directions for memberships.
As in previous years, the league is open to boys and girls from age 3 to 6th grade. There are some 6th graders who are 13. Please know that most schools start at Kindergarten, so three and four year olds may be wrestling up with the five year olds. Please let me know if you start your program at an age other than Kindergarten so I can better schedule teams.
Communication:
I have created a Band group, and will still use Facebook to post information. Not all of the coaches have FB and if I text out info, I can only send out to 20 people at a time, and doesn’t allow discussions, like FB does. Also, this would be easier when we are at meets and coaches have questions.
If I missed anything, or anything that you would like to add, please let me know.
If you have any questions, please ask!
Randy Hartman- 937-869-6969
Joella Hartman- 937-869-6968
Brad Walborn- 937-631-3826
Megan Scott-937-631-5552
