Hitting the road.

When my son was wrestling, I took advantage of every opportunity to make him better. I did what I could to become more knowledgeable, and also put him in front of the best coaches around. As always you have to weigh your expenditures with what is possible. We spent plenty of time traveling the Southeast, and even locations like Oklahoma, and North Dakota looking for great competition, and learning experiences. I could probably be debt free right now, if we had not done these things, but I wouldn't trade it. Heck, I am just finding ways to pay for college now anyway.

Now that my career as a dad of a wrestler is gone, I like to remind myself of how things used to be. This weekend, I took one of those opportunities. I volunteered to go to South Effingham to officiate a freestyle/Greco tournament. I talked my wife into going with me, promising that we would stay overnight in Savanna, and eat some fresh seafood. The tournament was small, but had some great competition from several inexperienced international style wrestlers. I was the only experienced official there, but had some great help from wrestlers working for credit towards their National Team trips, and even Robbie Collum. The tournament director did everything he could to make it a good experience, including announcing winners. It was a good day of wrestling. It did not bother me that I was on the road before 4:30am to go work for free.

Here is the fun part. As I was leaving the tournament, I asked Jason Grinner what time practice was Sunday. I was a little concerned that it may have been 1:00pm instead of 2:00pm. My wife heard us talking and said where is practice. I told her it was in Macon, and we would just go to practice on the way home. She said you didn't tell me about practice. I said really. I know I told our sons. Truth is I wasn't going to let her know til after the seafood, but my wife was a good sport and we continued to have fun.

We met up with a friend of mine that lives on Tybee Island. We used to coach High School wrestling together, and even shared an office, so we always have plenty of stories to share. We went to the Crabtrap, and enjoyed a ton of fresh seafood while sitting outside next to the water. Good food, great conversation but the early morning wake-up call was taking its toll.

Sunday, after a Wafflehouse feast, we headed back towards Macon. There are few things I look more forward to during the week than a Sunday Team Georgia practice. 8-10 coaches and about 50 kids packed into the Midstate Wrestling Academy for two and a half hour work out. We worked live situations most of the practice. I know the wrestlers were sore and tired after that one.

Next thing you know, I am back at school, about $350.00 in the hole, and happy to have done it. I feel for the guys that live in the outlying areas, and do this kind of thing several times a year. I enjoyed it, but I would have a hard time loving it every weekend.