PARENT said:

We don't need a bunch of JV 9th graders dropping down to be the "A" team scoring wrestler for their school and stealing away medals from the beginners.  To me, it hurts these beginners and takes away a chance for them to shine and build up pride in winning something for their school and team.
 

A 7th grade "beginner" eventually becomes an 8th grade veteran, and then a 9th grader either clearly of Vars or JV caliber, or good to excellent Intermediate ability.  

Same analysis for an 8th grade "beginner".

Same analysis for a 9th grade "beginner". 

I presume you don't object to a beginning 9th grader being eligible for Intermediate, nor even an experienced but struggling 9th grader being so eligible.   Actually, I don't presume that.  My sense is that THIS year, and PERHAPS NEXT, you'd like to have seen/see ALL 9th graders ineligible for Intermediate.  Be careful what you ask for.  What looks tactically good today could be a frustrating situation tomorrow.

Obviously, so long as there's 9th grade Intermediate eligibility, an option for all Programs, Coaches, and 9th graders is to do whatever is necessary to retain Intermediate eligibility, regardless of a 9th grader's skill level.  Assuming your eligibility numbers are correct, that means a given 9th grader would merely have to refrain from wrestling 4 (FOUR!) times in upper level events with other 9th graders, 10th graders, or even 11th graders.  Not hard to do.  And, were your view to take hold, I have no doubt that some, if not all ILH Coaches might see it as worthwhile sacrificing the development opportunity of as little as 4 (FOUR!) matches to make an Intermediate Championship run.  Then all you'd have accomplished is to have retarded the development opportunities for 9th graders.

But, why do you insist on that?  Do you really think 4 (FOUR!) round robin events, or even some round robins combined with the sparse JV duel opportunities, are that unfair?  Seems like your idea is more intended to punish or hold back 9th graders, and clearly intended to deter them from stretching their wings during as little as 4 (FOUR!) matches in a given season.

I guess by referring to the dynamic, you also want to regulate how programs run their practices?  And want to prevent 9th graders from practicing in a varsity/JV room?  What if due to space, coaching budget, or participation considerations, a school's Intermediate, JV and Vars all have to practice together?  Should Intermediate programs at those schools be deemed completely ineligible for Intermediate Champs?   I mean, God forbid, they might roll with a JV or varsity player during a drill or two.      

So, really, what you're grumbling about is as little as 4 (FOUR!) matches over the course of a season.  Your implicit reasoning is that those 4 (FOUR!) matches give a 9th grader an outrageously unfair advantage so that an entire system must be changed (talk about the tail wagging the dog).  Note also that on any given round robin Saturday the 9th grade non-varsity kids could conceivably wrestle 4 matches, but by and large a minimum of 2, so you're talking about wrestling up ONLY 2 days pretty much max.

What you are conveniently ignoring is that many, if not most of the 9th graders wrestling Intermediate are in the gray area to begin with, whether or not they might have wrestled up during the regular season in 4 (FOUR!) matches.   The kids with high level skills, or a history in wrestling, Judo or MMA that predates 7th or 8th grade  tend to wrestle up quite a bit, and enough to cancel Intermediate eligibility, during their 9th grade year.  

Some pretty good 9th graders are also stuck behind better Vars and JV wrestlers in their weight classes, and may have been  stuck there for both their 7th and 8th grade years prior to Freshman year.  So, what you demand may actually take away the opportunity for a 9th grader to earn their first and/or only wrestling medal as a school boy or girl wrestler.  To me, considering the unpredictability of how kids will actually grow and develop, the fact that by 9th grade most kids are far from their peak physical development,  and because of the curveballs life can throw, the increased possibility of a kid medaling during the DEVELOPMENTAL 7th, 8th AND/OR  9th grade years is something the ILH has gotten very right. 

Also, the lack of mobility between Intermediate and JV football, basketball and baseball are all bad examples, and actually highlight why the ILH Intermediate wrestling system is such a great one.  Football especially.  In football, a 9th grader making a JV squad could well enjoy that "status".  But, often, "playing time" is severely limited behind better developed 10th and even 11th graders.  I'm willing to bet it would be justified, and certainly appreciated by kids and parents if generations of 9th graders were/had been given the opportunity to transition back to Intermediate football even for one game during their 9th grade years.

In the ILH, wrestling might stand alone as a sport where kids can do that, but also experience the benefit of playing up for a portion of the season.      

Perhaps most offensive to me is that your position discounts the accomplishments of 9th grade kids this year, and more specifically those kids who may have taken advantage of opportunity and wrestled up regardless of the win/loss result (by the way how do you propose to deal, in your system, with a 9th grader who gets teched or pinned in every one of his/her 4 wrestle-up events?  Or, 3 out of 4?  Or 2 out of 3?  Or, even just 1?  Subjective review?  Subjective decision making by some Coach's committee?  You personally decide?).  But, as I was saying, you seem to be arguing that 9th graders THIS YEAR, who wrestled up in accordance with the rules, didn't deserve an Intermediate Championship, or, whatever accomplishment or place they achieved.  Is that what you mean?  Because that's what you're saying.

I submit that each and every 9th grader who won, did well, or helped their Intermediate team point wise fully deserved and should be nothing else but complimented and congratulated on whatever they achieved.   If there is a 9th grader, or the parent of a 9th grader out there reading this who "Parent" is implicitly criticizing or denigrating, then I say to you to hold your head up high.  I strongly believe that most here respect and celebrate (even if they were on the losing end), the obvious sacrifice and work it takes to do well in any ILH tournament, be it Intermediate, JV or Vars.  There is no tarnish on what you, or in the case of parents, your kid, has accomplished.

Kam school sucks BIG time. Bunch of spoiled poor people who think they are so great. The only reason they go there is because it's cheap. The wrestling team will always suck because these kids are mostly lazy just like the parents.

OIA Rules is an idiot who could not past the test to get in! Hater! As for wrestling in intermediate as a 9th grader I look at it purely as reps and matches! Competing in as many matches as possible will help any wrestler! In the mainland wrestler's get 100's of matches compared to Hawaii's seasonal athletes. This experience is critical and cannot be duplicated in practice! As for those youngsters whose dreams were shattered, "Failure is the opportunity to start over more intelligently!". "Work will, when wishing won't work!" (6 W's). Good luck!

As for the Varsity and JV championships I say let everyone from 7-12 compete if they are capable and it is not a safety issue! Give these youngsters first hand reps and experience! I bet some might even win! (Teishiya Alo, Kaua Nishigaya). She might even beat some boys! He might place in the 108#!

Unfortunately I was not able to go Kamehameha so I can only speak about the OIA. There isn't many people who would turn down an invitation to go to Kamehameha. I can tell that you went to the OIA, because Mililani for your information did not make AYP you turkey! The home page site shows that they are not meeting adequate proficiency moron! Second thought your right you belong at Mililani!

The amount of money you have doesn't how much you succeed in wrestling. What matters is hard work and dedication to the sport. If u work hard, you win big. Kamehameha isn't as rich as everyone thinks. They have a lot of money, but they are more land rich than money rich. Know your facts before you speak. Kamehameha wrestling does not suck, they consistently place in the top 3, usually 2nd place. Punahou wrestling is at the top because they are allowed to take any elite athletes at wrestling (not taking anything away from their coaching). Kamehameha has to work with what they have, they can't go out and recruit people. I don't know where Mililani parent and OIA Rules got this idea that Kamehameha wrestling sucks. They placed above everyone else besides Punahou, Mililani (didn't beat Kamehameha by much) and tying with Lahainaluna. You guys are just hating because Kamehameha is one of the better schools in the state and better than any OIA school.

BOOO HOOO Kamehameha has it sooooo rough. Give me a break!

Did anyone ask you to feel sorry for Kamehameha?  Don't be stupid…..booo hooo? What? Come with facts not playground insults little boys.  Kamehameha gives preference to the disadvantage…..most of those kids would be at a public school…..Don't hate cause you neva get in dummy.

"Punahou wrestling is at the top because they are allowed to take any elite athletes at wrestling"

Have observed Punahou Wrestling program for 4 yrs now.  Haven't seen a single kid who has been "recruited" for his/her athletic ability.  Also noticed  that there are no Pun football players on the wrestling roster. 

To me it seems like the success of the program is based on outstanding coaching and player development.  The program begins in grade school with the Puma program. The kids develop a genuine love for the sport and continue to compete throughout Inter, JV, and Varsity.  By the time the kids reach the Inter and JV levels of competetition, they already have a pretty good understanding of the fundamentals.  A public school kid just beginning in 7th or 8th grade obviously is at a disadvantage. 

I have the greatest respect for the Punahou coaches.  The have always emphasized competing hard, but most importantly winning and losing with class.  You will rarely if ever see a kid "hotdogging" or showboating.  No celebratory dances with "I'm Number One" fingers in the air.  The kids are also taught respect and responsibility.  None of the wrestlers are allowed to leave the gym without cleaning up first.  If a coach finds rubbish lying around on the bleachers, the entire team is sent back to clean up.