KSHSAA wont change it...they like for the KC area to feel like they are trying hard.
I usually agree with most, if not all, that Mr. Beeson says. In fact, I agree with Ark City being the toughest regional and the 5A team champion potentially coming out of that regional. However, to insinuate that the wrestlers in our area are not working or trying hard is false and unjustified. The teams in the KC area are working very hard to build and establish credible and competitive teams. There are club, middle school and high school coaches that put in countless hours to try to build these programs into respectability. It is no secret that wrestling is not a mainstream sport in our area. Without doing the research I'd venture to say that wrestling is the 5th or 6th most popular sport (if you can call 5th or 6th popular) in the KC area. We are competing with sports that do not require athletes to work as hard as wrestlers do. I know for a fact that our numbers are low here at Leavenworth
because of the reputation we have for how hard we work our wrestlers. The societal shift in mentality to laziness and wanting something for nothing is a constant struggle we face, as I'm sure it is everywhere.
Everyone in the wrestling community acknowledges that Ark City and the rest of the teams in that area are some of the the best programs in the state year-in and year-out. Those programs are well respected by teams in the KC area and we will continue to work very hard to build our programs to be the best possible so we might one day be able to compete with the premier teams in the state.
Good luck to ALL of the athletes that choose to participate in this great sport...no matter where you live in this state.
Just curious why Oak Park, Blue Springs, Oak Grove, Platte County, Park Hill, and some other Missouri schools can make it happen? If you walk over the Missouri river to the east do you automatically get better?
I have shown the stats before... Since 1978 in the Topeka, Leavenworth, Johnson County triangle, only four state titles have been won in 5A and 6A. That is 4 of 74. Emporia won 11 during that time, I believe. Some of the best programs in Missouri are battling the same options you mention above yet overcoming them. What are your thoughts on these points?
Mr. Cokeley,
I will admit that I am not all that familiar with the rules and regulations governing Missouri wrestling. However, I do know they have much less restrictive rules on coach-wrestler contact during their off season, which can only help to improve both team and wrestler success.
I do know that the programs you mentioned have tremendous kids wrestling clubs. Though I cannot speak for the rest of the teams in the KC or Topeka area, I can say that this is an area that we (Leavenworth County) have been working to improve over the past several years. We have a very dedicated group of volunteer coaches who are working very hard with our youth to try to grow the sport in our area. It may be hard for those outside of our program to see the improvement in our wrestlers (those who wrestle club) over the past several years...but the improvements are there.
These programs also have a very proud tradition of wrestling excellence. I'm not implying that schools in the KC/Topeka area are not prideful of their wrestling history, but I am saying that we (LV) do not have near as many young kids growing up wanting to wear our singlet as we do young kids wanting to wear our basketball uniform. Case in point, the state tournament last year we were seated by Ark City and they had no less that a dozen young men who were there to watch their Bulldogs compete. Listening to these young men, probably late elementary age to middle school age, cheer it was obvious that they were wrestlers. I remember talking with a coach from another team about "how many future state champs are sitting there watching." I have no doubt that the young men watching Ark City wrestle have a goal to one day dawn the purple and gold singlets. Our program, in its current state, does not have that type of youth following. We have our kids club and middle school programs in place and they are both improving so we can hope to build upon our proud tradition.
So I guess my answer to your question is...I wish I knew the secret recipe for establishing a dominant wrestling program. I know that I will continue to search for ways to continue to build our program into the best that it can be. I am open for any/all suggestions from those in successful programs. And I do feel that Leavenworth is a successful program with a proud history and tradition in its own right.
Plus, I've already tried sneaking some Platte County water into our wrestlers drinking water, but it seems to not had much effect.
