North Carolina Wrestling Coaches Association

Letter to Coaches
November 9 , 2006

To: The NC High School Wrestling Community
From:  NC Wrestling Coaches Association Board
Re:  Regional and Hydration issues

Currently, there is concern statewide with regard to three main issues facing the high school wrestling community.  First, the NCHSAA went beyond the requirements of National Federation rules by adding a midyear hydration test that will be conducted only in North Carolina.  Second, many coaches are unhappy with our regional format which mandates single elimination in the first round of competition.  Adding to this frustration is the fact that the NCHSAA allowed wrestling coaches to vote for changing the regional format last February, but has not released any data from the voting.  Third, many coaches are unhappy about unclear communication / education from the NCHSAA as we struggle to implement significant rule changes this season.

Thanks to CD Mock, who initiated a grass roots movement to organize the wrestling coaches in our state, we now have a legitimate wrestling coaches association.  This past spring, ten board members were elected and given the task to create an organization to serve the needs of the wrestling community in North Carolina and effectively deal with the issues mentioned above.

This past week, the bylaws of the newly formed NCWCA were presented to the North Carolina Coaches Association for review and approval.  The meeting with the NCCA was a huge success, and we now have the authority to conduct statewide voting and to have the NCCA assist us in getting our concerns on the agenda of the NCHSAA board meetings.  Wrestling now joins football, basketball, and soccer in having a legitimate coaches association to address our issues and concerns with the state athletic association.  The NCCA has offered their assistance and support in obtaining the changes we seek.

No matter how unhappy we are with the midyear hydration requirement and our current regional format, we are stuck with them for this year.  The next opportunity for us to bring this before the NCHSAA Board of Directors is in the spring of 2007.  The NCWCA would like to conduct our own statewide voting at the regional seeding meetings this February.  By controlling the voting, the NCWCA can not only document and present the vote of our coaches, but also present a specific plan of action to the NCHSAA.  This will give us the greatest chance for success in implementing the changes we seek.

We realize that there are differing opinions among our coaches as to how to fight for our needs.  We feel that changes will come through an organized effort working directly with the NCHSAA.  For those who are skeptical about a calculated, organized, and patient approach to tackling the concerns of the wrestling community, please give the NCWCA a chance to prove itself.  Whether these changes occur immediately or by the 2007-08 wrestling season is irrelevant as long as these changes are effectively made.

 

 

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