Dear Utah Coaches and Club Presidents:

This year, USA Wrestling-Utah will be making some changes. We will institute two new practices that will be in effect throughout this season.

1. In order for you to be able to coach, video or be matside at all, you must have a Utah Coaches Pass. These will be available before every Utah sanctioned event. In order to get one, you must do two things, you must attend a coaches clinic given by a member of the board that will focus on rules and sportsmanship. If you don't show up to the meeting, you will not be allowed to coach. You will also need to pay $2 for the lanyard and pass. This is simply the cost of the materials.  This is important so we can be more professional as coaches. This is intended to increase sportsmanship, increase number of officials (by decreasing the abuse and poor sportsmanship), to keep the floors more clear so it isn't so chaotic, and to start a practice of having coaches meetings before every event.  It is important to note that this pass is NOT an official USA Wrestling Coaches Card and will not get you into national event. Only Utah events. Once you have purchased your pass and attended the meeting you will not have to go to the coaches clinic/meeting the following tournament,  but you are still encouraged to do so.

2. This year, the club rebates will be done per mat, rather than per official. It is the duty of each club to volunteer to host a table or two per tournament. That club is responsible to have two officials on that mat at all times. A training official to keep score and sit at the table and a mat official to call the match. You can have three or four officials but two must be present on the mat at all times. You will also need a time-keeper on your mat. Your club will be responsible to keep that mat open during the entire tournament. The head official may rotate officials for training purposes, but each club must have two officials working at all times to get the club

rebate at the end of the tournament. Then the club can choose to either pay those officials or keep the rebate for the club. In the past the larger clubs were able to get more money for rebates based on the number of kids they brought to the tournament, this allows for smaller clubs to still get a full rebate. Larger clubs can host two mats if they want more rebate money. The amount per mat for the day will start out at $40 per tournament. The first club to sign up for a mat or mats get that advantage. The host club will be in charge of managing which club is assigned to which mat and how many mats will be available at each tournament for clubs to sign up for.  Please note that all matches will be wrestled with at least two officials per mat instead of one like last year. The head official (or training official) at the table will have the duties to counsel and train the mat official. They can stop matches and ask clarifying questions etc to help guide the mat official, but the mat official has the last say in the call. Coaches will be expected to direct questions to the training official at the table and not the mat official.

Craig LaMont

President

USA Wrestling-Utah