People that grow up in Fontana, CA are the toughest people on this earth. That is no joke.

4theLoveoftheSport,

Your name gave me the idea for the thread. Thanks.

quote:

Originally posted by cubbies08:
People that grow up in Fontana, CA are the toughest people on this earth. That is no joke.

Cubbies08, growing up in Fontana, Colton, Rialto or Bloomington, California is like being given the name "Sue", as a boy you will get tough or die.
I am so glad that my fellow wrestling dad Allen Crane turned me on to this website. It may only burn brightly for a few months out of each year, but it sure gives you your wrestling fix.
As stated earlier, I did not have a wrestling background. Until my stepson started wrestling eight years ago, I thought wrestling was an obscure "niche" sport with little interest. My son is now a senior and I remember his first wrestling meet. He was in the 5th/6th grade division at a federation meet at Midway Elementary School in Kearney. We arrived expecting fifty to one hundred participating wrestlers, I realized this may not be the case when I had to park in Ravenna. We have our district meet Friday and Saturday and after that Lord willing I will still be following this scene with the intensity of the past three months until state. If not, this is a great sport where everyone has an equal shot at success. I see in Nebraska High School Wrestlers everything that is great about this country, may both never perish.

quote:

Originally posted by Patriot 152:
4theLoveoftheSport,

Your name gave me the idea for the thread. Thanks.

Hey patriot i have been going to state wrestling for 17 years now.

Thanks Snoopthedog! The last time my kid wrestled at state was in 2008. I haven't missed one since. I'd rather watch the state finals then the super bowl. No bull!

I could agree with you on that. I do it for the love of the sport like you said. And i get the same crap for going to werstling too, so i know how it feels. I have seen alot of great match at state thought the years.

I still follow NE HS wrestling to some degree, through Huskermat as much as anything, and what I get out of the paper (a little).

Mostly because my son wrestled in NE for 11 years (2nd grade to 12th), and having driven him to tournaments all over Nebraska (and some in Iowa, Oklahoma and North Dakota). So, blood sweat and tears were invested over those years -- and you don't forget that.

For those who know him -- Dan Pedersen, he is now a US Marine stationed in Okinawa.

quote:

Originally posted by bccdavid:
I also believe most people don't understand wrestling. I wonder if some type of education would help. Maybe a guide to referee signals, definition of terms, quick overview of rules/basics in the front of a tournament program. An explanation of team scores and overtime rules. In all of my years, I think I saw this once.

In response to the education aspect so first time fans would know at least a little of what was going on, at one of our first home duals ever in high school, we marketed it pretty well I thought. Made T-shirts commemorating the first home dual, and advertised it in the paper all week too.
Then before the dual started, we had an informative session for the people that came. Showed what a takedown, near-fall (2 and 3 points), reversal, escape, the basics. Had two people show it with a ref doing the hand signals while we explained it over the loud speakers. There was also one of those handy charts in the program as well. Seemed to work, people who had never seen a wrestling match in their life were screaming and having a great time. I know this isn't something that could be done all the time, such as tournaments, but at least for duals it helps educate at least the people that are there. Our following got a lot larger after that dual because people understood how wrestling worked. Just food for thought.

quote:

Originally posted by rasslin'dad:
IMO Sammy Hagar stinks- he single handedly ruined Van Halen

Oh Buddy I can't believe that you did not get Jim Rome'd with that comment! You will have to dig deep into the archives to understand what I am telling you but if you take the time to do it you will understand what I am implying!

And to Patriot
I am a fan, been around the board since "03", went to every home dual as well as LPS Classic to watch LSW this year, son is helping coach the Little Hawks, I just like the whole scene.
And to set the record straight it is "Van Hagar" and I have the T-Shirt to prove it!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: hawk,

Without hijacking the thread, I'll say this, hawk...DLR put VH on the map, but Hagar sent VH into outer space. Both had their strengths and weaknesses, but both were incredible front men who could compliment Eddie's talent. When Eddie's ego got in the way in the Hagar era, the band tanked and hasn't been the same since.

Both eras of VH are awesome, IMO...I'd pay to see either incarnation.

Reading Debo's Mom's Story made me think about my story and here is how my reign of wrestling began.

Its crazy to think that I can't even remember how I got started in my wrestling. My dad was a head coach when I was a baby so there are pictures of me at wrestling meets when I was young. I always remember being excited each year for the Central City Invite when I was younger because it would be a meet I would get to watch.

I might say that the love of the sport started when I was in 5th grade and my brother was a freshman in high school and I watched him wrestle one of the Trampe twins. I'm not sure what it was about that match but I ended up following the Trampe twins for the next four years. The next year I became the wrestling stat girl for Central City High School. I did stats for Central City for three years. My senior year of High School I decided that I was going to focus more on a Hastings St Cecilia wrestler who was determined to win the high school's first ever individual state wrestling championship. He got third the year before. I am not sure I got a good night sleep the whole wrestling season. He had a stud in his weight class but we both believed he could do it. We came to state wrestling with three losses under our belt, one from Nate High from Aurora, and two from Ben Kahle from Kearney Catholic. We would face the Kearney Catholic wrestler in the semi finals. One of the matches they had wrestled he had got pinned (I think!) by the twister and then the other one went into overtime and he lost. First round he had a bye and the second round I believe he won by a good margin. Semi finals I was so stiking scared! Those six minutes were the longest six minutes of my life. But he won. And he was in the finals. He ended up pinning the defending state champion in 3 minutes and 22 seconds. That number is engraved in my brain for the rest of my life. He wasn't the first Hastings St Cecilia Champion, there was a kid who won the weight before him but that didn't matter. He had won when no one said he could.

Now I'm 23 and I'm still spending the majorly of my weekends at wrestling meets. I just recently graduated from college, moved back to Central City, and looking for a job around here so I can continue to do what I love. One day I hope to be like Debo's Mom and get to watch my boys wrestle.

On a side note, I would like to wish everyone a safe next two weeks.

I knew hawk would come through from the Cantina!!!