Wash High wrestling
Whenever I write a column about a struggling program, I am always accused of being "negative" and "mean spirited." Some even think I am "making fun" of the situation. So I like to tell this story.
"Two men were working on a railroad track, when a train came storming toward them. One mam saw it, the other didn't. The man who saw it stepped off the track and was saved. The one who didn't was run over. Later, when the boss asked the man, 'Why didn't you tell the other guy a train was coming down the track?' he replied, 'Because he said he didn't want to hear anything negative out of me today.'"
Pointing out the problem at Wash High is not being negative. It could be called a critical analysis but it's not mean spirited, and I wasn't making fun. I was doing what that railroad worker should have done: sound a warning so that something can be done about this problem.
In this case, and others like it in the past, the train that is heading down the track could be a school board that will wonder why it's worth keeping a program going when there is little interest in it. These boards are not mean or vindictive, just simply being reasonable. Small schools are cash-starved everywhere and it costs money to operate a wrestling program. It's hard to make an argument for keeping the program going if only half the weights are being filled because of a lack of interest from the students.
The column is meant to be a warning to those who want to see wrestling continue at Wash High. Count me in that group. If I didn't care, I would not have written the column. I simply would have let the train go by.
"Two men were working on a railroad track, when a train came storming toward them. One mam saw it, the other didn't. The man who saw it stepped off the track and was saved. The one who didn't was run over. Later, when the boss asked the man, 'Why didn't you tell the other guy a train was coming down the track?' he replied, 'Because he said he didn't want to hear anything negative out of me today.'"
Pointing out the problem at Wash High is not being negative. It could be called a critical analysis but it's not mean spirited, and I wasn't making fun. I was doing what that railroad worker should have done: sound a warning so that something can be done about this problem.
In this case, and others like it in the past, the train that is heading down the track could be a school board that will wonder why it's worth keeping a program going when there is little interest in it. These boards are not mean or vindictive, just simply being reasonable. Small schools are cash-starved everywhere and it costs money to operate a wrestling program. It's hard to make an argument for keeping the program going if only half the weights are being filled because of a lack of interest from the students.
The column is meant to be a warning to those who want to see wrestling continue at Wash High. Count me in that group. If I didn't care, I would not have written the column. I simply would have let the train go by.
posted by Joe Tuscano at
8:20 AM
4 Comments:
I am the father of the wrestler who wrote the original comment to Mr. Tuscano's article. I am also the booster club president. We work very hard to provide these young men with the funds needed to go and compete. They provide us with a work ethic and desire to win that is equal to or better than any squad in this area. This program is beginning to come back, and NOT because someone warned us of an oncoming train. This train wreck has been coming for a long time. We will survive. We will overcome.
Joe Tuscano's article on the wrestling program was wrote to bring things to a perpsective. When you look at wrestling sites, there are a lot forums threaded talking about college programs affected by Title IX. You can look right now and see one in Vermont. This is a action done to save a program. No one wants to see a program done away with, especially not one with the tradition of Wash High. They aren't doing this to "call out" this program and its wrestlers, but to bring it aware to the community as a whole in your case everyone who reads the Observer. By arguing about it on here is doing nothing. I am glad to see you say that the program is beginning to come back. Those are the positive things that need to be talk about. Joe's article was beneficial in many ways, you just have to stop and look at the major picture.
I don't really see the point of being critical of a wrestling program. It's not like people are lining up for these coaching job, and you may see programs start to disapear. Be thankful for the wrestling we do have.
Josh is trying to rebuild a program, negative press won't help.
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