I want to make a few comments about some of the proposals. This is long and boring but bear with me.
First, let’s don’t forget funding. Everything costs. Public and personal finances are in a tight. People are scared. State funding of schools will probably be reduced, school district budgets have been cut and teacher and support staff have been or will be reduced in many districts. There is a real danger that districts will have to start cutting programs and activities: academic, athletic, band, forensics, etc. In addition, this is not a good time to ask parents to provide more: taxes, booster club support, increased athletic and activity fees, fund raisers, etc. BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU PROPOSE!! You may get just the opposite!
Relax travel restrictions. Where do you want to go? If I understand the KSHSAA ruling, a school team can travel a max of 500 miles from the Kansas State border. A little work with a map, a ruler, and a calculator reveals the following (I understand the rule as 500 straight line miles from Point A—on the State border—to point B in another state):
KC, Ks to Chicago 399 miles
KC, Ks to Minneapolis 423 miles
White Cloud, KS (extreme NE) to Minneapolis 352 miles
Oketo, Ks to Fargo, ND 411 miles
South Haven, Ks (I-35) to Okla City 106 miles
South Haven, Ks (I-35) to Dallas /Fort Worth 437 miles
Elkhart, Ks (extreme SW) to Alberque NM 447 miles
Kanorado, Ks to Denver, CO 164 miles
KC, KS to Indianapolis, IN 487 miles
KC, Ks to Madison, WI 399 miles
NW of St Francis, Ks to Billings, MT 502 miles (may be less with a bigger map and better ruler).
Surely some one can find a quality tournament in these areas.
Again, costs! Who pays for these long excursions? What is a good estimate to send 10 to 12 wrestlers, two or three coaches, and a couple of managers to Minneapolis on a 5 day trip (travel Wednesday, rest and practice Thursday, wrestle Friday and Saturday, travel home on Sunday). Travel: using two district Vans: 2400 miles (2 up and back plus in and around miles) divided by 10 MPG= 240 gallon of gas at $2.60 per gallon=$625. Eight motel room for four nights=32 nights X $100 per room night = $3200. Eats (per Diem) for 14 people for five days (minimum $20 per day per person=14 X $20 X 5 days = $1400. So far we can probably estimate at least $5200—and will probably need more: entry fees, other fees, Gatorade, laundry, etc.
May have to send the school treasurer to keep the books. Additionally, mom and dad will have to fork over at least $100 to $200 per kid for snacks and drinks, tournament Ts, sweats, medals, etc.
For what? So Johnny can tell his grand kids about his big adventure!
Coach contact after season end. Personally cannot agree with this proposal. Kids need a break from their coaches—and coaches need a break from their kids. If anyone thinks a coach can not/will not require his wrestler to attend practice (mandatory or not), is whistling DIXIE! Subtle hints are all it will take and little Johnny will be practicing year round: “if you don’t practice, how do you expect to wrestle next season”. Believev it and see it!! I do not think this rule exists only in Kansas, but in lots of other states.
Outside competition during the season, and allow attendance/participation in club clinics during the high school season. Have to disagree with both of these proposals. During season, the business is HS wrestling—and nothing else. Kid’s need the XMAS break and they do not need club activities during down or open weeks. Besides wrestling, there is academics, some social life, family life, etc. Most HS wrestlers are practicing or wrestling six days a week—give’m a break. Outside wrestling can also lead to serious conflicts for the kid. HS Coach: “if you are doing club wrestling you don’t have your mind on HS wrestling”; Club Coach: “if you are doing HS wrestling you don’t have your mind on club wrestling”. Club wrestlers have eight plus months to participate in club sports!!
State Tournaments. I spent two to three hours today reading the Iowa State HS Activities Association Wrestling Manual, and the Individual and Dual State Tournament Manuals. Must say, did not know those farmers could think and write that well (I can say that because my wife is an Iowa farm girl). They covered everything down to the gnat’s ass!
Their Individual State Tournament is like our Kansas tournaments—with some structure differences due to more schools. They have only three Classes (3A with the 64 biggest schools, 2A with the next biggest 96 schools, and 1A with all others). Hope I am describing this correctly. 3A schools/wrestlers advance to State from 8 district 8 team one day tournaments. 2A and 1A Classes each have sixteen 8 team sectionals (one day tournaments). First and second place sectional bracket finishers advance to one of eight 8 team 1A and 2A District Tournaments. In all classes and weight brackets only the champ and runner up advance to the next tournament level. At State, each class has a 16 team field for a double elimination format. For some reason they use 3 1/2 days to wrestle the State Individual tournament. The classes rotate with only one class on the mats at each 3 to 4 hour session, except for the championship finals on Saturday night. 48 State Champs where Kansas has 64 Champs
State Dual Tournament. Not being in Iowa, this gets pretty confusing, Each of the 16 1A and 2A Sectionals on 6 Feb advances the two top teams to one of eight – four team Regionals (16 Sectionals X 2 team= 32 teams per class to regionals divide by 8 =4). 1A and 2A Dual Regionals are wrestled on Tuesday 9 Feb (3 days after the 6 Feb Sectionals). Only the 8 Regional Champ Teams advance to the State Dual Tournament. The 1A, 2A, and 3A Districts are wrestled on Feb 13. Note here that Class 1A and 2A sectional and regional team champs and wrestlers will wrestle three big tournaments in 8 day. 3A wrestlers begin State competition at Districts on 13 Feb. The 3 ½ day Individual State Tournament is wrestled 17 through 20 Feb. The 3A Sectional Champ Teams (8 Sectionals) advance to the 3A Dual Regional on 23 Feb—3 days after the State Individual Tournament. The State Dual Tournament with 8 -1A Schools, 8 - 2A schools, and 8 -3A schools is wrestled on 27 Feb. Of note here is a lot of wrestlers in all weight classes may have a 2 to 3 week break with no wrestling if they did not qualify for the Individual State Tournament.
Ok. So what does a Dual State tournament offer for Kansas? More bragging rights at more costs. Surely, dual state tournament advocates don’t want to scrap our individual State Tournaments in favor of a Dual Tournament.
Grand State. To me this is a better proposal. Still costly, but probably less than a Dual State, and certainly simpler. I Assume the 4 class champs in each weight bracket would advance to the Grand State to form a 4 man bracket---or to include the bracket runner ups to form an 8 man bracket. Either way, could be wrestled in a one day Grand Day Tournament. A Grand State mingles wrestlers from all classes of schools and produces a Grand Champion in each weight bracket.
I have no comments on the other proposals, except I think the no 6 match rule was established in consideration of the health and safety of the wrestlers---tiredness can lead to injuries.
Hope I did not bore you to death with details.
