New Mexico Wrestling - USA

APRIL 27, 2024

TO:       SOUTHERN PLAINS COACHES, OFFICIALS & LEADERS

FR:       RUSTY DAVIDSON

RE:       NATIONAL COACHES’ COUNCIL UPDATE / CALL FOR NOMINATIONS

Coaches, Officials and Leaders,

USAW’s spring season has enjoyed a great start.  The Southern Plains has been right in the thick of things.  Congrats and Thanks for your personal and collective part in our success.

We need to take the Next Step in identifying Southern Plains Nominees for National Developmental Coaches of the Year.  To date, we have a single nominee for each of three categories.

• Women’s DECOY:  Scott Cutbirth, MO
• Men’s FS DECOY:   Clint Slyter, KS
• Greco-Roman:       Brian Graham, MO  (Coach Graham’s nomination is a carryover from 2023, as Per my note of March 20th)

Our immediate next step is to confirm these names for submission by May 10th.

Please do this:  Should you wish to present alternative candidates, or have definable objection to any of these candidates, please notify me by email before midnight Thursday, May 2nd.  If you exercise this option, please CC Coach Tuck, Missouri        tuckm57@gmail.com

This guarantees transparency and fair play, throughout the process.

Next on our plate is preparation for our Regional Championship (May 31 – June 2, Mulvane, KS).  As always, our Kansas brethren are leaving no stone unturned.  The presentation and hospitality of the Southern Plains Championship remains second to none.  Thanx, Kansas !

It’s responsible for all of us to include this next part in our preparation.  ALL age group Regional and National events, this spring, are experiencing shortages in volunteer officiating.  Preliminary reports indicate that the Southern Plains will, indeed be short-handed.

I’m not expecting you to “Fix” this dilemma.  But, I very much count on our Southern Plains to be Part of the Solution, rather than part of the Problem !  

I believe it’s a responsible part of our psychological / emotional preparation to let kids and their parents know how the Officiating deal works.  Don’t be shy about explaining the Volunteer mentality that drives Referees in the Olympic styles !

We need a next generation of parent, graduate, high school coach to grow into the idea that “Spring / Summer refereeing makes winter Coaches more championship inclined” !  We simply cannot allow folks to answer true volunteerism with this “Win – or- Get Cheated”… “My little Billy-Bob / Susie-Bob Needs a Trophy” mentality.  

Please do your part.  We promised kids experience in Coping With Adversity.  Answer the call.  Develop our future.

OK !  You’ve had your sermon now.  Celebrate our Olympic Team and wish our last -chance qualifiers well.  I’ll get you the final results on our DECOY nominations in Mid-May.

Rusty