Great Iowa City West article
- Thread starter fulsaasfan
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CRwrestling
Well-Known Member
I honestly don't get it. That program has never proven it can develop talent. Putting a ton of 'transfers' in a room together and parading around the midwest doesn't equal good coaching or a good program. Most ICW wrestlers that have gone on to college have found themselves unprepared. They lack work ethic, dicipline, toughness, etc etc etc. I can think of several that were talented as heck but just didn't have the work ethic to compete even at the D3 level. I don't see why you pick up your family to move into that wrestling room. There are many other rooms around that will make you a much better wrestler that one.
GravyJones
Well-Known Member
I obviously can't comment on experiences others have had, but I will share my experience as somebody who was raising a child "recruited" by West.
The child in question worked out at West before Sectionals his Sophomore year because his team didn't have many wrestlers and his head coach used to be an assistant there. Following a workout, he was approached by Reiland and was told they'd love to have him on the squad there. He came home and replayed the entire conversation to me, and I didn't find anything inappropriate about it whatsoever. I met Reiland a short while later, and he said nothing but great things about the child. He made a comment along the lines of wishing he had this kid in his lineup because he was really, really good and they had a bit of a hole at his weight. This child spent a lot of time over the next year or so working out with several of the West and U of I wrestlers and Reiland, and he was never pressured into making a change. I often asked him about being recruited when he'd come home and tell me about things Reiland had said to him or about him, but he never told me anything that felt like he was actually being recruited to transfer there.
The child in question worked out at West before Sectionals his Sophomore year because his team didn't have many wrestlers and his head coach used to be an assistant there. Following a workout, he was approached by Reiland and was told they'd love to have him on the squad there. He came home and replayed the entire conversation to me, and I didn't find anything inappropriate about it whatsoever. I met Reiland a short while later, and he said nothing but great things about the child. He made a comment along the lines of wishing he had this kid in his lineup because he was really, really good and they had a bit of a hole at his weight. This child spent a lot of time over the next year or so working out with several of the West and U of I wrestlers and Reiland, and he was never pressured into making a change. I often asked him about being recruited when he'd come home and tell me about things Reiland had said to him or about him, but he never told me anything that felt like he was actually being recruited to transfer there.
GravyJones
Well-Known Member
I had at least a dozen other high school coaches tell me the same thing over 3 years. Every coach everywhere wants the best players on their team.
CRwrestling
Well-Known Member
How is that not recruiting? You said Reiland told him that he'd love to have him in the lineup. That is a high school coach telling a kid that he wants him.
GravyJones
Well-Known Member
Throwaway comments like that are nowhere near recruiting. Had they actually outlined steps to transfer, or even suggested to either of us a transfer, I would think differently. As I said, he was hardly the only coach that said that to me, and he's hardly the only coach who has ever said that about any athlete who would make their team better. You're reaching here.
AFHawk86
Well-Known Member
I don't care whether it's technically recruiting or not. My concern is the effect it has on the teams that have to compete against ICW. My hs alma mater had to compete against them in districts this year. Making it to the state tourney is a huge deal, especially in Iowa...and ICW wrestlers took up half of the qualifying positions because they have so much talent concentrated at the same school--talent that should have been spread out over many schools. I feel the same way about conference competition. It's not fair at the hs level to not stand a chance just because of recruiting. I know what some of you will say: 1) why not give your kid the best chance to be the best and have a better chance of being recruited for college?, and 2) life's not fair, get over it!
CRwrestling
Well-Known Member
Never thought of that. I've thought about how bad it would suck to dedicate yourself to a team only to have a recruit/transfer take a spot you'd worked for. Or how terrible it would feel to have a coach who doesn't respect the time and growth but instead casts you aside like a bad habit when a state champs' dad finds a pipefitting job in Johnson county. But you're right, having a team like that in your district, would have the same effect on several schools.
