First Tri-Meet

Tonight was the first (un-cancelled) middle school wrestling meet. I took five kids on an hour bus ride (my six wrestler had the whooping cough).

Expectations were high. Or at least I felt they were. The kids circled up and came up with a cheer.

We didn't live up to expectations. One wrestler won both his matches, but the rest lost all of theirs. I felt we had a lot of knowledge, but not a lot of execution. My wrestlers tended to be more passive and reactive. Most allowed their opponent to work their moves instead of working their moves against their opponent. Some of it was conditioning related, too. The periods were a minute and a half and we've only practiced with minute periods in practice (the length from the first tournament). With my limited time and attendance, I haven't run nearly as much drill and conditioning as I could.

I think the kids still had fun. It's a growth opportunity for all of us. I need to incorporate more drill and conditioning into practice. Really, I need more time. Practice is five days a week, from 3:30 to 4:30, but really it's from 4:00-4:30. The middle school bus drops the kids off at 3:50 at the opposite end of the school. They trek across and then take a few minutes to lace up. Most of the kids only make it out three days a week. They have band/orchestra rehearsals/practices for grades, test reviews, etc, etc.

I've got some ideas to move forward. The kids are better than they would have been if the team didn't exist. I want to help them go further.

Meanwhile, Carrie and Shane had ice cream for dinner.

Does that seem right to you?