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December 21, 2009

Holiday Schedules and Upcoming Tournament

Holiday Schedules

I hope everybody is adusting into the tournament portion of our season.  For those of you who are new to wrestling, did I mention that it can be chaotic at times?  The Hononegah Kids Classic last Sunday started on time and ran very smoothly.  Most people were able to make it home and see the second half of the early football games, which is very unusual for a tournament Sunday.

Even though your kids are getting ready for a nice break from school, the kids wrestling season just keeps picking up speed.  We will be sending wrestlers to 8 different tournaments over the next 3 weekends.  This weekend (12/19 - 12/20), we will have a dual meet team competing at the Wolves Varsity Duals at Prairie Ridge High School in Crystal Lake on Saturday.  There will be another large group of wrestlers competing in the Genoa-Kingston tournament on Saturday.  On Sunday, there will be a small group of elite wrestlers competing in the Little Celtics Elite tournament and a much larger group of wrestlers competing at the Stillman Valley Holiday tournament.  Next weekend, we will have wrestlers competing in the Bandits Holiday Brawl at Belvidere High School on Saturday, 12/26, and the Rockford Bad Boys Invitational at Rockford East High School on Sunday, 12/27.  The following weekend, wrestlers will be competing in the Sycamore Good Guy Tournament at Sycamore High School on Saturday, 1/2, and the Wolves Interstate Battery Classic at Prairie Ridge High School on Sunday, 1/3.  Good luck to all the wrestlers in their upcoming tournaments.  In addition to individual honors, we will also have the opportunity to compete for team awards in many of the upcoming tournaments.  We will be sure to display any team awards we win in the wrestling room, so be on the lookout. 

We will also continue to practice over the holidays.  We certainly understand if people are going to be out of town for the holidays or involved in other family activities that might prevent them from attending every practice.  However, I encourage all parents to try to get their young wrestler(s) to practice if you are going to be around.  They can learn a lot over the next couple weeks by attending, but they can also forget a lot by not attending.

The practice schedules are as follows:

  • 9 and under wrestlers will practice Monday, December 21st and Monday, December 28th at 6pm
  • 10 and over wrestlers will practice Tuesday, December 22nd and Tuesday, December 29th at 6pm
  • We will also have practice on Wednesday, December 23rd and Wednesday, December 30th at 6 pm for wrestlers of all ages who can attend

Volunteers Needed

As you are all aware, we will be hosting a second tournament on January 23rd in the main gym.  This tournament is for first and second year wrestlers only.  Within the next couple of weeks we will be requesting volunteers to help in any of a number of different capacities at the tournament.  We will be needing help setting up, tearing down, running the actual tournament and running the concession stand.  Your help is greatly needed and greatly appreciated.  Sign up sheets will be available outside of the wrestling room after the first of the year.  Please see Coach Zalapi for more details.

Upcoming Tournaments

First of all, I would like to point out an error on the tournament schedules that were handed out to parents at the beginning of the year.  The schedules you received states that Bantam State will be held on March 20th - March 21st.  This is incorrect.  The event held on these dates is Midget (Intermediate) State.  This is an open tournament for any 8, 9 or 10 year old wrestlers.  There will be more information provided on this event in late January or early Februaruy.  Banatam State will be held on Sunday, February 14th at Bloom Trail High School.  Bantam State is for 6, 7 and 8 year old wrestlers; it is also an open tournament, meaning you do not need to qualify to wrestle.  However, it is recommended for wrestlers who are experiencing a reasonable level of success or would like the opportunity to test themselves against other serious to elite wrestlers in their age group.  We will provide information on how to sign up for this event in the month of January.  You can also go to http://www.crosstownwrestling.com/bantam_state.htm and click on "Bantam Info Letter" for more information.

In addition, to the tournaments listed below, information is forthcoming on the IKWF Kids Open, which will be held in Peoria at the Civic Center on Sunday, January 17th with weigh-ins taking place on Saturday January 16th.  The Kids Open is the only IKWF tournament in the entire state on this weekend and is one of the largest kids' wrestling tournaments in the country.  It is open to wrestlers ages 7 and up.  This is a unique tournament in that there is no coaching allowed.  Parents and coaches are restricted to the stands and only wrestlers, tournament workers and officials are allowed on the main floor.  Wrestlers in the 7 and 8 age group wrestle in 4-man straight brackets (maximum of 2 matches), while other divisions, with the exception of Elite, wrestle in 8-man straight brackets, double elimination (maximum of 3 matches).  Wrestlers competing in the Elite division could wrestle many more matches througout the course of the day.  The tournament is a great experience for both kids and their parents.  Sign up information for the Kids Open should be available within the next couple of weeks.  All signups take place online.  The club will secure a block of rooms at a Peoria area hotel that you will be able to reserve to encourage all families to stay in the same location.  Information on hotel arrangements will also be provided as it becomes available.  Please contact me with any questions regarding the Kids Open.

One other event I would like to make everyone aware of is a dual meet tournament for Intermediate wrestlers (ages 8 - 10).  On Saturday, January 30th, we will be taking a dual meet team to the Broncos Intermediate Duals at Barrington High School in Barrington, IL.  For those of you who are unfamiliar with the dual meet format, a dual meet team is comprised of a lineup of wrestlers at pre-determined weight classes, one wrestler per weight class.  Dual meet competitions feature two teams battling head-to-head, where each team will earn points based on the individual wins their wrestlers earn.  Wrestlers can earn 3, 4 or 5 points based on margin of victory or 6 points for a fall (pin).  Team points are tallied throughout the dual to determine a team score and, ultimately, the winner of the meet.  Due to the fact that only one wrestler at any given weight class can compete in a dual meet, we will be having wrestle-offs to determine who will go to this event.  In most cases, we will bring only one wrestler per weight class.  However, we will likely bring some alternates to provide us some flexibility in determining the best lineup to field in any given dual.  Wrestle-offs will be held in early January during practice.  This will provide any wrestler who does not earn a spot on the team the opportunity to sign up to wrestle at another tournament that weekend.  The weight classes this tournament are as follows: 49, 52, 55, 58, 62, 66, 70, 74, 79, 84, 89, 95, 101, 101, 122 and 138.

Here is some information on some upcoming deadlines for tournament signups:

Once again, thank you for the support you provide the program.

-Coach Vince (vmzalapi@yahoo.com)

Posted by hononegahkidswrestling at 06:36 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

December 01, 2009

December 1, 2009: Tournament Survival Guide for First Year Wrestling Parents

Last year I posted a blog entry for parents getting ready to experience their first kids wrestling tournament.  The feedback I received was that it was very helpful, so I have made a couple of improvements and re-posting it this year:

Many of you will be experiencing your first IKWF wrestling tournament this coming weekend.  The first tournament can often be a very confusing, stressful and chaotic experience for wrestlers, but the wrestlers often adjust to the experience better than the parents.  The first thing I will tell you to ease any frustration you may experience is do not hesitate to ask questions.  Ask questions of your son's coaches.  Ask questions of tournament staff.  Ask questions of parents of more experienced wrestlers.  Do not stop asking questions until you get answers.  Other survival tips I can offer are:

  1. Sit with other Hononegah parents and get to know them: You will likely be spending a lot of hours in gyms in the coming months.  The experience is much more enjoyable for everybody involved when there are people to talk to and when we all cheer on each other.

  2. Pack a cooler with something healthy for you and your son(s) to eat: It definitely can be enjoyable to sample the fine cuisine at all of the tournaments your son attends, but you will also come to find that it can get rather pricey over the course of the season, especially on long days.  Also, concession stand food is not always the best way to fuel a young wrestler’s body.  Wrestling requires a lot of energy and junk food can make your son feel sluggish and tired.

  3. Find out early in the day how the tournament will be run:

    • Will there be a bullpen that wrestlers will be required to report to? or

    • Will your son be wrestling on the same mat the entire day? (when this is the case, wrestlers may still be required to report to a bullpen prior to the 1st round of wrestling)

    • Where will the brackets be posted?

    • How many matches will your son have?  (Keep in mind your son may not have as many matches as other wrestlers if he does not have a full bracket)

    • How many rounds of wrestling will there be? (Most tournaments will have 3 rounds, but this could vary up or down)

    • Will awards be handed out mat side after your son’s last match, or will he have to go somewhere else to get his award? (Be aware that the answer to this question sometimes doesn’t come until the final round approaches)

  4. Learn how to read the different types of brackets that are used in wrestling tournaments.  Most tournaments use 4 man round robin brackets, where all wrestlers in a bracket will compete against each other over 3 rounds and each wrestler has one match per round.  The other most common type of bracket is a 4 man straight bracket, where wrestlers are paired in 2 matches the first round.  In the second round the winners of the first round matches in a given bracket will wrestle each other, while the losers will also wrestle each other.

  5. Identify all of the Hononegah coaches that are present at the tournament.  As much as we would like for all faces to be familiar to your son, sometimes your son may be coached at a tournament by a coach he has not gotten to know in practice.  Please know that in spite of this, these coaches are willing and able to help your son and answer all of your questions.

  6. Understand that as much as we would all like to know every wrestler by name, with 130+ kids in the program, it is not realistic to expect that all coaches will at this early point in the season. Rest assured, you can be confident that we will do everything we can to help your son(s) on tournament day and throughout the season and, in time, will learn most of the wrestler’s names.

  7. Be positive TO your son and be positive FOR your son.  Wrestling can be a great experience for you and your son.  However, there are some growing pains that parents and wrestlers often have to experience.  A little patience and tolerance go a long way toward getting past these experiences.

  8. Encourage your son to use down time wisely.  There is a lot of free time between weigh-ins and when the tournament begins and between your son’s matches:

    • Make sure your son participates in formal and informal warm-ups before the tournament begins. He should find a partner close to his own size and drill lightly before the tournament begins.  Coaches will encourage this with kids who are out on the mat before the tournament begins.

    • Discourage horseplay.  Believe it or not, there is more opportunity for injury when kids are running around the gym and the school than when they are drilling on the mat.

    • Encourage your son to watch his teammates compete while he is waiting to wrestle.  A lot of learning can take place by watching, too.

    • Don't hesitate to bring activities for your son to take advantage of in between matches (books, videos, mp3 players, video games, homework, etc.)

  9. Help your son keep track of his belongings, especially his headgear.  He will need his headgear for every match and every tournament.  It is easy to misplace or mix up with someone else.

This by no means prepares you for every bizarre or confusing situation that may occur in your first few tournaments, but hopefully it is a good start.  Kids wrestling is definitely different than most other sports your son may have experienced, but it can be very enjoyable and very rewarding once you get past the unknowns. 
 

Facebbok
Hononegah Kids Wrestling is on Facebook

The wrestling club now has a group on Facebook called Hononegah Kids Wrestling.  For those of you who are not on Facebook, you will have to join to become a member of the group.  You only need an active e-mail address to create a Facebook account.  It is free to join and you can be as active or non-active as you would like. 

The Facebook group is a great communication and networking tool that provides us the ability to attach and share photos, attach video, share links, report results, announce upcoming events, etc.  The Facebook group has a discussion board where anyone can start a discussion thread or reply to an existing thread.  There is also a wall that you can write on to communicate to others in the group.  It is very easy to use and is a great way to keep in touch throughout the year and share news and information that might be of interest to others.

You can access the group via the following URL:
http://www.facebook.com/groups.php?ref=sb#/group.php?gid=74537691354
Accessing the link will also give you the option to create a Facebook account.  We hope to see all of you become members of the group. 

Please post any comments or questions you may have.

-Coach Vince (vmzalapi@yahoo.com)

Posted by hononegahkidswrestling at 06:28 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

December 1, 2009: Upcoming Deadlines and Dates

As we rapidly approach the first weekend of tournaments, there are some dates and deadlines everybody should be aware of.  Please make sure you take a look at the dates that are provided on the tournament signup sheets that you were given at registration.  Tournament signup sheets can also be found on the website at http://www.hononegahwrestling.com/forms/kidsclub_forms.htm.

Also, additional tournament signup sheets are usually available in the black magazine rack that is located in the corner of the wrestling room near the stereo as soon as you walk in to the right.  Upcoming tournament signup/payment due dates are as follows:

  • Stillman Valley Wrestling Club Holiday Tournament:
     
    • Payment due by 12/1/2009
    • Date of Tournament: 12/20/2009
    • Location: Stillman Valey HS
    • Level: Open to all levels; This tournament is very beginner friendly
  • Rockford Bad Boys:
    • Payment due by 12/1/2009
    • Date of Tournament: 12/27/2009
    • Location: Rockford East High School
    • Level: Recommended for wrestlers with at least 2 years of experience to Elite level wrestlers
  • Wolves WC Interstate Battery Classic:
    • Payment due by 12/7/2009
    • Date of Tournament: 1/3/2010
    • Location: Prairie Ridge High School (Crystal Lake, IL)
    • Level: Recommended for wrestlers with at least 1 year of experience
  • Belvidere Bandits Invitational:
    • Payment due by 12/1/2009
    • Date of Tournament: 12/26/2009
    • Location: Belvidere High School
    • Level: Open to all levels; This tournament is relatively beginner friendly
  • Hononegah Kids Classic:
    • Payment due by 12/3/2009
    • Date of Tournament: 12/13/2009
    • Location: Hononegah Dome
    • Level: All club members are expected to sign up and wrestle

These are the signups that are due this week.  If you are not sure if the level of competition at a particular tournament is appropriate for your son, please ask a coach prior to signing up.  We will continue to try to provide as much guidance as possible on tournament selection.

Please make sure everybody has Sunday, 12/13 marked on their calendar as the day of our annual Hononegah Kids Classic tournament.  We have handed out letters to wrestlers explaining what help we need from parents, as well as what your son is being asked to donate.  Every wrestler is asked to donate something to the concession stand.  Please refer to your letter to find out specifically what you are being asked to donate.  If you have not received a letter, please let John Fenicle or a coach know at practice. 

Also, all parents are required to work a shift at the concession stand on the day of the tournament.  This will not prevent you from seeing your son wrestle.  We always make sure we have enough coverage to allow parents to step out for a few minutes to watch their sons compete.  Please look for signups at practice or contact Wendy Shahrikian at threescooters@yahoo.com.

As always, please do not let any question go unasked or unanswered.  We have provided you with multiple ways to get in touch with people who are able to answer any question you may have whether it be about tournaments, volunteer opportunities, practice schedules or any other question that pops into your head.  You can post a general question using the Kids Club Contact Form on the website at http://www.hononegahwrestling.com/contact_KC.htm.  Also, feel free to post a comment here on the blog and someone will be sure to answer your questions.

Thank you for the support you provide the program.  Please make every effort to have your son at practice no later than 5:50 pm to allow him time to get his shoes on and get ready to start promptly at 6:00 pm. 

-Coach Vince (vmzalapi@yahoo.com)

Posted by hononegahkidswrestling at 05:24 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)


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