concerns & clarifications

Coaches,

There are a few issues that need to be aired out and clarified before anyone wrestles this weekend. Please read and understand these issues clearly prior to your match this weekend:

1) Sportsmanship is extremely important to the Central VA Wrestling League and it's founder--that's me. Please remember that these are elementary and middle school wrestlers and it is our responsibility to be positive role models to these young kids as well as their parents. The by-laws have not spelled this out, but I am going to spell it out now: beginning now, if anyone gets thrown out of a CVWL event, they will be suspended from their next team's event. If it happens twice, they are suspended indefinitely.

2) There is no such thing as a competition squad and a scrimmage squad. If a wrestler can compete in a scrimmage, he can compete in the match. The intent of the non-forfeit rule was to make sure smaller squads didn't get hurt by not filling up all of the listed weight classes. This is not supposed to be a loophole to allow smaller squads to only use their most experienced wrestlers in matches.

3) The home team should verify the team score (or at least who won) with the opposing coach after their match. I have received several e-mails challenging results or team score. Although one was a typo, the others could have easily been verified after the match was complete.

Please let me know should you have any questions regarding the 3 points above. I am sure most of you would agree that this league is not about me, the coaches, or the parents. At the end of the day, it's about the kids and making sure it remains a positive experience for them so they continue wrestling. I was lucky enough to have a positive experience growing up and that was the foundation of reaching the levels that I achieved in high school and college. Let's all do our part in making sure we do the same for the kids we coach. Good luck this weekend!

Lenny