The first whistle blows, and the crowd begins to focus in on the action in the middle of the room, the first matches have begun and this means that the noise will increase, the yelling begins, the space starts to get flowered with blood and sweat, defeated and crying athletes in the bathroom stalls, and smiles from the victors. The wrestler is pacing back and forth on the mat waiting for her turn to be called up to battle. The crowds gathering on the mat are constant and the referees keep shooting them away like unwanted flies. The emotions are already running high as we enter the third round of competition. Some athletes have not even wrestled the entire time. The sitting in the bleachers is a daunting part of such an experience. The waiting, the waiting, and then more waiting.
Comments of Carelessness
Throughout one of the matches, the time does not start when the ref starts the match. The ref notices before either coach even notices why he has stopped. As they, both approach him to scold him for his reasoning, the ref states it is due to the time, which leaves both coaches saying, “I did not even notice”. In another match, the timer did not call the time when the ringer went off, and the ref ended up giving more near fall for the allotted time called then should have been permitted. Once a call is made, the points will not be reversed. Other careless mistakes were made as the seeding meeting demonstrated that there is a low level of credibility needed to place girls and when the coach is well known, and then their opinion is superior.
What can coaches do?
Coaches can reach out and need to speak up for their athleets in a respectful way. As someone who has served as both ref and coach, we all want to ensure the correct points are called. Be calm, be fair.
Tip:
Do not yell at the ref when approaching the table coach!