DUAL STATE- Random thoughts and thank you

[coachmn-lcwc]

Where do you start?

What an emotional day; what an experience; what an effort by all the participants.

Was there REALLY a loser in the dual finals? MArtinez got the GOLD prize... but i think both teams went home champs!

Did anyone really give LCWC a chance to be honest? To show up and compete like that says a lot about our program... i couldnt have been prouder of our coaches, kids and parents.

Bottom line...the success of a youth program will not be measured in wins and losses... The success will lie in the type of people that it helps develop.

Thank you boys from Martinez & their coaching staff; it was fun!

Thank you to my boys! I think we reminded everyone and they wont forget us again! We show up when we need too!

Best luck to everyone as we march on towards the end of the year.

Coach Marty

[BigSky]

Lets start by thanking Coach Ryan, Coach Joe, Coach Marty, and Coach Jose and their teams for one of the finest and closest Duals ever! What a statement about the quality of wrestling in Illinois and the character of our kids. Coach Marty, don't ever underestimate your boys, many believed in and feared them. Both teams wrestled with character, pride, and heart. We are proud and respectfull of their accomplishments. In the end they are all winners in life...FOUR in a row WOW! Will that ever be equalled...will they continue to roll on...is FIVE in the future for Martinez Elite? Only time will tell. Stay healthy and we'll see you on the mat! :cool:

[shooter1]

Congratulations LCWC - 2 pts. away from first.....sweet or sour? Doesnt matter, you all went out there and wrestled like winners. I see great things in the future for this very strong team.....keep working them Coach Billy they're looking awesome!!!

[Mike]

Did they have a little bald guy from the HS threatening to call the police if you wanted to wear your hat? He was pretty bizarre on Saturday at the SICA Blue Tournament.

Mike

[John Ambrose]

Where do you start?

What an emotional day; what an experience; what an effort by all the participants.

Was there REALLY a loser in the dual finals? MArtinez got the GOLD prize... but i think both teams went home champs!

Did anyone really give LCWC a chance to be honest? To show up and compete like that says a lot about our program... i couldnt have been prouder of our coaches, kids and parents.

Bottom line...the success of a youth program will not be measured in wins and losses... The success will lie in the type of people that it helps develop.

Thank you boys from Martinez & their coaching staff; it was fun!

Thank you to my boys! I think we reminded everyone and they wont forget us again! We show up when we need too!

Best luck to everyone as we march on towards the end of the year.

Coach MartyCoach you and your club are a class act. I know when you say it that you really mean it that "you are just happy to have an opportunity to show up and compete." To give the 3x defending State Champs everything that they could handle and push them and your club to those extremes. I am speechless. You are right in the fact that most everyone including myself didn't think that it would be as close as it was. For what its worth you, your brother, coaching staff, and LCWC have a new found and level of respect from myself.

To describe yesterday as an emotional day is an understatement. It was one of those days that we can talk about to others until we are blue in the face, but unless you were there you really won't know what it was like.

All the clubs that made it to the medal rounds had a special or unique story about them getting there. I will touch upon a few.

Dakota W.C.-after losing there divisional to Harlem they come back and win to knock them out of medal contention.

Vittum Cats-getting a medal in the State Duals again as they have done every year for the past 20 plus years speaks volumes of that program. Nice job by Toofer, Scottie, Rodgers, Dennis, all the guys over there.

Granite City-a very tough program from the South Section that doesn't probably get enough recognition up in the Northern part of the State as it should. In the last 2 out of 3 years for them to battle with Orland Park and come up short by the smallest of margins in both duals in both years. My hats off to them.

Martinez-the 4x State Champs in the last 4 years. Nothing else to say.

Finally, I need to close with my own club the Orland Park Pioneers. In the medal round going for 3rd/4th it comes down to the last bout against Granite City. Granite City is ahead 55-49. Orland needs a PIN to TIE and then it goes to criteria of wins and losses. Going into this bout both teams had 10 wins each. Orland Park sends out Billy Crowley at 108.

A little info on Billy. Billy's dad Jerry Crowley was the Pioneers Wrestling Board president for a number of year's before he past away unexpectedly last year at the beginning of the season. After the family's loss, Billy was able to have a great season last year when a freak accident happened at the Joe Tholl Elite when he was wrestling Jimmy Chase and his arm snapped, breaking both bones ending his season. Back to the dual.

Billy is winning the bout in the 3rd period and with about 17 seconds left he locks-up a cradle and turns his the Granite City wrestler. But he puts him to his back in a position where he is not going to get the fall. Coach Andreotti calmly (ha-ha) talks to Billy at the edge of the mat and tells him that he needs to reposition himself. After 2 trys Billy finally gets it and gets the fall with 2 seconds left. So with the team scores ties it goes to the criteria which is now Orland with 11 wins and Granitie City with 10 wins.

The reason that I tell this elaborate tale is because for those 17 seconds, I feel like everyone of the Orland Pioneers parents, coaches, and kids said a little prayer to Billy's dad Jerry to give Billy the strength and courage to get the job done. And for that short moment in time, I think that others from the Pioneers would agree that I felt Jerry's presence there.

I say all of this to basically reiterate what Coach Marty said "Bottom line...the success of a youth program will not be measured in wins and losses... The success will lie in the type of people that it helps develop."

This also goes for the parents and coaches that sometimes including myself get caught up in the moments and the spirit of competition and do and say things that we may later wish we hadn't. As I once was told by Coach Wieck, "This is wrestling not life or death, its wrestling for God's sake."

That 17 seconds yesterday gave me a wake-up call to that fact and a reminder that we are all here on this earth for a brief moment in time. Let's do our best to be kind to one another and pass on good values and set a good example to this kids that we coach and help raise to be hopefully good adults.

Sorry for the long post and I am ready to take the hits for showing this compassionate side of myself on the board.

Thanks and God bless everyone.

[Jaguar]

That was a very heart warming story and takes away the sting that Blackhawks felt getting 5th. We feel we should have been in the top four but were not given the opportunity to wrestle Villa-Lombard off at the section tournament because of "politics". We wanted a round robin. It is the only fair way to determine the order of teams. Villa Lombard and Arlington wanted no part of that. Instead we got Martinez "first round" and could only wrestle for 3rd; while Villa Lombard got Arlington. We are not an "elite" club, but our kids wrestled their hearts out. In the end, Villa Lombard got beat by Edwardsville 58-56 and did not place. The Blackhawks beat Edwardsville 90-26. Our kids believe they were better than the 5th place placque they got, but everything happens for a reason, and sometimes the reason has nothing to do with us. Your story confirms that, and i am glad you shared it. It is only wrestling for God's sake!

[Coach Ryan]

I was under the impression that the district seeding went off last year's finishing place. If I understand your post correctly, you are upset that you didn't get the 2nd place spot at districts, so you could go on to wrestle us? I thought that the format was all pre determined, and seeding was decided at the meeting by arguing pre selected criteria. I apologize you didn't get in the brackets the way you wanted, and I think you had a solid team. Your big boys were impressive. I'm sure I could go on and on about difference of opinions we had or losing by criteria. I think if things fell differently we could have done better also, but they happened as they happened. I had a great time, our boys wrestled their hearts out, and we wrestled some great competition. The Pioneers and Little Celtics are both great teams and great competitors. They earned everything they got and I commend them. I'll see you all at the end of the year in Rockford, no excuses you beat us. Good job! It is my first year taking over the program with an almost entirely new coaching staff. We will do everything possible to improve for next year. Thanks for the experience.

[Coach Ryan]

I sympathize with the young man you were speaking of, and feel for the pain of his loss. Congradulations to you and him in your time of perseverence. Good luck in Rockford.