A general statement. Coaches are more competitive than all but a few of their athletes. They would not be coaches if they were not! The no coach/athlete contact out of season has a purpose--or many states would not have adopted it. Many HS coaches, especially successful coaches and teams, want their their athletes to play only one, and only one sport. Specialization. Parents of players of a local year after year winning 6A basketball team have told me of their coaches demands: if you play another sport you can't play for me. Apparantly in Missouri coaches are not restricted by the no contact rule. My nephew was a baseball player. The HS coaches were also the American legion coaches. If a kid did not play on his HS team he could not play on his American Legion Team--and if he did not play on his American Legion team he could not play on his HS team. My son was very competitive in HS in two sports (8 varsity letter--their were kids with more letter, but not in only two sports). By the end of the season in each sport my son needed a break from each of his HS coaches---and the coaches all needed a break from my son and the other kids. You are being naive if you think coaches are not control freaks, and you are showing signs on naivity, and of a control freak, by the way you are wanting to control KS HS wrestling.
As far as the 500 mile travel restriction, why not do a survey and see how many of the HS that wrestle want to travel out of state more than the 500 miles. Have heard a lot of West Kansas complaints on how much and the long distances they have to travel for in state competition (have seen some team busses that are travel coaches). If you do the survey, don't query the coaches, survey the principals, athletic directors, and superintendents--the people who have manage the money.
I enjoy reading your comments. Thought out and well presented (except when you get on a soap box, i.e. "FREEDOM TO CHOOSE", plus a few other darts you occassionally throw).
Not to be disparging but I sometimes think you are probably more competitive than your son--who is an excellent HS wrestler who will succeed at a much higher level in college.
About all State Tournaments in the same building. I really liked the combined 4, 5, and 6A Tournaments at in that big arena north of Wichita. Great atmosphere! Don't think western Kansas wrestling community will ever agree to one big, big tourney. Certainly did not care for the Iowa format where only one class on the mats in each session.
Where is the spell checker???
Enuff said!
Last edited by Contrarian; 02/05/10 05:05 AM.
