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Kansas has made a splash. We have landed Division I roster spots and placed well at national duals and Fargo. Can we take this to the next level? I believe the best way to do this is through improving our participation and skill level in Freestyle and Greco.

We have to at least openly talk about what separates us from the top placers at these events.

One fact is clear. The pursuit of a folkstyle kids title by our High School wrestlers is setting us back an entire month and cutting our summer wrestling numbers in half, if not more. Many of the top wrestling states have 90% of their Junior and Cadet Dual teams in place. We wait until after June 3rd and then scramble to get our teams together. We have 12 wrestlers as I write this, that have committed to the Schoolboy Duals in Indiana.

I believe that we could promote all three styles within our state by addressing a few critical issues. At the very least, Kansas should NEVER have an open weight at these premier events. With the compassion that we all have for our sport in this great state, our kids deserve our best effort.

Eric Johnson


Eric Johnson


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We should have 2 full teams at many of these events: Cadet and Jr. Duals since they are so close to home as well. If PA and CA can bring 2 teams from further away why can't we on a short drive?


Yours in wrestling,

The Swayz
swayz.wrestling@gmail.com recruiting help, promoting the sport& more!
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What weight classes are still open?


Dave Donnert


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Quote:
Originally posted by Chief Renegade:
Kansas has made a splash. We have landed Division I roster spots and placed well at national duals and Fargo. Can we take this to the next level? I believe the best way to do this is through improving our participation and skill level in Freestyle and Greco.

We have to at least openly talk about what separates us from the top placers at these events.

One fact is clear. The pursuit of a folkstyle kids title by our High School wrestlers is setting us back an entire month and cutting our summer wrestling numbers in half, if not more. Many of the top wrestling states have 90% of their Junior and Cadet Dual teams in place. We wait until after June 3rd and then scramble to get our teams together. We have 12 wrestlers as I write this, that have committed to the Schoolboy Duals in Indiana.

I believe that we could promote all three styles within our state by addressing a few critical issues. At the very least, Kansas should NEVER have an open weight at these premier events. With the compassion that we all have for our sport in this great state, our kids deserve our best effort.

Eric Johnson
To me it sounds like you are over-playing the popularity of FS/GR and under-playing the cost to parents of participating in these out of season teams.


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sportsfan02,

In State vs. State competition, there is no higher level than the Schoolboy, Cadet and Junior Duals. They put each State on a stage and represent the best each state has to offer. Your comment about over-playing the popularity of FS/GR is the exact mindset that is keeping Kansas apathetic about competing at the same level as the top wrestling states.

In any sport, there are costs involved to compete at the highest level. I'm not "under-playing" this fact. I thought it was obvious that continuing to wrestle beyond the folkstyle season was not free. I firmly believe that cost is not what is keeping our wrestlers from improving their skills.
What is not in doubt is the benefit of FS/GR wrestling toward the developement of our kids in this sport. Show me a wrestler that never competes in the summer and I'll show you a wrestler that never reaches his full potential.

It sounds like you are against "over-playing" the sport of wrestling. That is certainly a choice you are free to make. It's that choice that keeps Kansas from moving to the elite level.

Sportsfan, try basketball. It's a fun game. (Just poking fun....)

Eric Johnson


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Quote:
Originally posted by Chief Renegade:
...In State vs. State competition, there is no higher level than the Schoolboy, Cadet and Junior Duals. They put each State on a stage and represent the best each state has to offer. ...

In any sport, there are costs involved to compete at the highest level. I'm not "under-playing" this fact. I thought it was obvious that continuing to wrestle beyond the folkstyle season was not free. I firmly believe that cost is not what is keeping our wrestlers from improving their skills.
What is not in doubt is the benefit of FS/GR wrestling toward the developement of our kids in this sport. Show me a wrestler that never competes in the summer and I'll show you a wrestler that never reaches his full potential. ...
Eric Johnson
I am not an expert on this. I did not wrestle in high school. Everything I have read on this subject, listened to wrestling veterans say, and seen from high school wrestlers who participate in summer wrestling strongly indicates to me that what you are suggesting is true. Wrestling freestyle and greco in the summer does help a wrestler reach their full potential. My guess is that if they wrestled folkstyle in the summer that would also be very beneficial. I have heard many wrestling veterans say that freestyle is more beneficial because it is faster paced and improves wrestling on your feet.

Eric, I would agree with you that cost is not the main factor that hinders this participation. I know that cost is the determining factor with some wrestling families but I question that it is with the majority. I see a lot of families who have their kids involved in sports twelve months out of the year like soccer, swimming, basketball, running and wrestling too. These families are spending a lot of money on these year around sports. I believe most of the wrestlers move on during the summer to other sports and activities which can also be expensive. In Kansas City you see athletes going to expensive strength trainers and speed and agility trainers. Wrestlers particularly on the Kansas City Missouri side sign up and pay to attend Tony Purler's wrestling academy. Families seem to be willing to invest a lot of money and time in their kids sports.

Eric, I do agree that the extra month of folkstyle could influence some not to pursue freestyle/greco during the summer. But I question that it is reducing the number of participants by half or more. I believe that for many wrestlers it is just the desire to do something different and especially something outdoors in the better weather. Some move on to outdoor sports like track or baseball. Some wrestlers decide to focus on strength, speed and agility training programs for football. Many of the high school wrestlers have summer jobs.

There are a lot of different reasons that high school wrestlers decide to pursue other activities besides wrestling all year especially in the summer. It all depends on the individual wrestler's overall interests and goals for the sport. Most of them are not really interested in competing nationally or wrestling beyond high school. Sure it hinders them from reaching their full potential as wrestlers. But as high school young men and women they have the right to choose how far they want to ultimately go with their wrestling.


Vince Nowak
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Vince,

I understand your point of view on the situation,
but i think it flies in the face of the very stuff you are promoting regarding all the work that you have done to promote the sport growing in the state on the collegiate level.

Eric is right in stating that in Kansas we do over-empahsize folk-style and under-support freestyle. Our kids success in recent years is almost in spite of our efforts--imagine what could happen if we had the carry over to summer of all our best wrestlers--that would make our fight for D-1 wrestling even stronger.

It is a mind set, I personally have seen what concentrating on the international styles in can do, it actually makes folkstyle wrestling even stronger. In Nebraska I witnessed Vering rise from tiny Howells to the Olympics. In California, the national power Poway squad places recruits all over the nation. San Diego kids do not wrestle folkstyle during their kids season, and guess what, it was the high school and college coaches that were behind that movement.

It is the little changes that we make that will help out our future generations of wrestlers to come. Change the post high school tournaments emphasis to freestyle & greco, give us that month to get matches in and get our teams on the national level set. Sure there will be kids choose to do other sports, activities etc, but lets stop holding back.

Do me a favor, come up and watch the Cadet duals at KCI in June. It is some of the best wrestling you will ever see--we will hold our own on the national level and the new rules have made for a teriffically exciting fan experience. We are literally just a smidge away from being THE BEST in the nation.

klint

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Quote:
Originally posted by klint deere:
Vince,

I understand your point of view on the situation,
but i think it flies in the face of the very stuff you are promoting regarding all the work that you have done to promote the sport growing in the state on the collegiate level....

klint
Klint and Eric,

That definitely is not the intent. I still very much want to see NCAA Division I wrestling at Kansas colleges. I also want to see as many Kansas wrestlers as possible go on to wrestle in college. I would like to see the leadership of Kansas wrestling do everything possible to help make that happen for our young wrestlers. Having NCAA Division I wrestling at one or more Kansas college would certainly give more opportunities for our high school wrestlers to one day wrestle in college. I also believe that wrestling freestyle/greco in the post folkstyle season would also give the wrestlers a better chance to become college wrestlers. I have been an advocate of the shorter kids folkstyle season for years like Eric has proposed.

Maybe it is from my personal experience with my son but I believe it is difficult for most young wrestlers to wrestle competitively year round. I know some can and I know they benefit greatly from it as wrestlers. My son just does not want to wrestle freestyle/greco in the summer and he wants to other things in the summer now. I agree with Eric's assessment that he will probably not reach his full potential as a wrestler because of it.

I also strongly feel though that to compete at athletics at the collegiate level that the individual athlete has to really want it bad. I think that is especially true with college wrestling because it is such a tough sport. Also they are fewer opportunities in college wrestling due to the limited amount of programs so the competition for those few spots is very tough. I just think that it takes a very disciplined and motivated athlete to take it to that level and also to sustain it at that level once they get there. I think the prize is great for those willing to pay that price.


Vince Nowak
Kansas College Wrestling Fund Supporter
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