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Yesterday and Today Missouri hosts its FS/GR State Tournament. They have substantially more competitors than we will have at our tournament on June 6th. We had a siginficant increase in participants in 2008 when our tournament was held in May. Somehow the Corporate Board in their continued effort to completely ignore the facts and data have moved it back to June. This was after Tom Peterman asked for a vote at the District 1 Body Meeting and received UNANIMOUS support to keep the tournament in May. Somehow it was overlooked that 40% of the 2008 competitors were from District 1. Can someone from the Corporate Board please explain?

While we continue to let our FS/GR State become meaningless our neighbors continue to place emphasis on attendance:

http://www.missouriusawrestling.org/08-09/NationalTeams2009.doc

All of us who love spring/summer wrestling need to make our presence known and let those on the board who appear to be uninformed know what we WANT. It is ridiculous for our wrestlers to be subjected to a schedule that lines up state, Southern Plains, and National Duals on three consecutive weekends. It does not give team coordinators adequate time to assemble and prepare teams. The entire effort is being privatized and it wouldn't surprise me if we don't see a PRIVATE Kansas team at one of the national dual team events very soon.

I talk to many of you who make your opinion known to me but feel that it is a waste to voice it to the Corporate Board. You have to break from this practice and begin being the outspoken majority so that we are not governed by the noisy special interests groups that exist within our political structure.

The FS/GR State needs to be at least 1.5 days and it needs six to eight mats. It needs to have 400 plus wrestlers and good officiating. It needs to be in May and it needs to be a National Team Qualifier with mandates.


Will Cokeley
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Originally Posted By: Cokeley
You have to break from this practice and begin being the outspoken majority so that we are not governed by the noisy special interests groups that exist within our political structure.

Ok, I have to ask, what are the "special interests groups"?


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Greg,

I am on my way home from Liberal right now so I can stop by Augusta for lunch and we can talk about it. What is your address so I can pick you up? I am buying!


Will Cokeley
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From my viewpoint. There is NO date that fits everyone's needs!

Last years event was in May ... and if I recall correctly, there were absolutely no local events in Kansas, after State and before Southern Plains! (if memory serves me, there was one planned but canceled)

There are other events (i.e. graduations) that preclude a lot of interest for a mid to late May date. It also seems we need to avoid Memorial Day.

As I recall the conversation ... do we hold our State in early May. This mean our FS/GR tourney staffs only have the month of April to hold their events? Do we hold State in late May and then get complaints from those that have other events? Do we listen to some who liked the idea of the State, the camp, and Southern Plains in an 8-day stretch?

I like the idea of having a good schedule and sticking to it! But that is difficult, with the lack of a concrete schedule by the National organization! The WTT are May 30th and 31st this year.

USAW has moved their Cadet and Junior dual events into June!

Perhaps the fact that the folkstyle "season" wasn't over until April 4th and 5th has some influence too!

The Corporate Board has an important job! We try to meet the needs of the many and are mindful of the few.


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Randy, what if any "special interest group" are you a member of?


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The state tournament needs to start on friday night like it used to. It is a very long day when it is all done on saturday.

National dual team members should be required to wrestle at the state tournament. Using the state tournament as a qualifier would increase participation and would allow the kids to earn their spot on the team.

To have state, southern plains and national duals on 3 consecutive weekends is nuts. Just the travel involved excludes a lot of people from participating.

I think summer wrestling could grow in kansas but our executive board needs to quit treating it as an afterthought and talk to the people that participate in it and use their suggestions to help it grow

Tom Baughman


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Randy,

How many members of the corporate board were in attendance at last year's state tournament? Did someone produce the attendance data from 2007 and 2008? Did anyone acknowledge that the members of District 1 unanimously voted to keep it in May? Missouri has the same set of challenges we have. Their Kids State ends when ours does and they have baseball, graduations, proms, track, etc just like us but their state was last weekend. We could have had it this weekend, May 9th, and that would have given us four weekends to have tournaments. That seems to be plenty. They have tournaments after their state too. One of our problems seems to be that the philosphy isn't to wrestle to get better instead it is a "build up" to state and then a complete letdown. The focus should be on mat time, not winning but I am not sure how to fix that. A major step in the right direction would be to allow HS coaches to coach FS/GR in March, April, and May. We all agree that we need to work on ideas to improve and grow FS/GR in Kansas. It is hard to understand why we would kill an idea after one year that had such great results.


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Originally Posted By: sportsfan02
Randy, what if any "special interest group" are you a member of?


Greg,

I drove right past Augusta and I kept checking my email hoping we could meet for lunch. No response so I just skipped lunch.

I used the term to explain that the vote flew in the face of what the majority of the constituents want and support. The "special interest group" in this case seems to be a few who whined that we didn't have enough time to have FS/GR tournaments. The fact that we had none for three weeks after Folkstyle state is an indication that we have room to grow the number of tournaments without waiting until June to have state. The other issue... The majority supports putting some teeth into our state tournament. If you don't wrestle and win then you don't have a guaranteed spot on a dual team. The selection process has been very political and I would guess there is a special interest group that wants to keep it that way.


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Greg ... actually I am a member of several "special interest" groups! (at least by my definition of the term) Anyone that is a fan of wrestling, ought to claim that THEY are a member of such a group! (FR/GR people are a special interest group within a special interest group)

Tbau ... I personally agree with the Friday evening for Greco. However, you have some who will say, spending a night in a motel adds to the expense. (as does needing officials to stay the night)

Will ... Q1, probably 10 or 12 of the 20. Q2, Q3 ... yes we did discuss the increased numbers and the votes from the entire State.

Which group of "whiners" are suppose to listen to? I suggest, all of them! Then the "job" of a Corporate Board member kicks in! It is a tough balancing act!

Can the Corporate Board do a better job? Maybe a little ... when you examine decisions from the outside in hindsight any decision can be scrutinized.

I feel the Corporate Board does a pretty good job! We have members that are very vocal in their support of Kids Folkstyle. We have those that push FS/GR. We have support from the coaches education, women, university, and officials! Every one of them fight hard to insure that their "special interest" is getting a piece of the pie! A lot of us leave meetings wishing they could have more but they are (generally) tempered with what WE decided.

I agree that KSHSAA hamstrings our programs! I agree that the Kids Folkstyle season is too long! I think we are getting too many "National" events! We need to find better ways of funding programs and marketing the same! We need to increase the quantity and quality of our young officials, especially FS/GR.

We need the enthusiasm of youth and the wisdom of experience!

We have many challenges facing us in the next few years! We need wise, forward thinkers! But to suggest that the board is out-of-touch in my opinion, is just wrong!

Again, democracy would work a whole lot better, if everyone would vote the way I think!


Are you making a POSITIVE difference in the life of kids?

Randy Hinderliter
USAW Kansas
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Randy, Randy, Randy,

When data is present you ignore the whining. When presented with facts you throw out subjectivity!

FACT: 2008 FS/GR State had a substantial increase in competitors over 2007.

FACT: District 1 Clubs voted unanimously to keep the FS/GR state tournament in May.

FACT: District 1 participants made up over 40% of the 2008 competitors.

I am calling out the "special interest group" that voted to move the date back to June. Where is their data? You asked for democracy and data is presented that a substantial portion of your membership voted without objection to keep the tournament in May, how can you even begin to argue? When presented with FACTS hindsight is not necessary!!



Originally Posted By: usawks1

Which group of "whiners" are suppose to listen to? I suggest, all of them! Then the "job" of a Corporate Board member kicks in! It is a tough balancing act!

Can the Corporate Board do a better job? Maybe a little ... when you examine decisions from the outside in hindsight any decision can be scrutinized.

I feel the Corporate Board does a pretty good job! We have members that are very vocal in their support of Kids Folkstyle. We have those that push FS/GR. We have support from the coaches education, women, university, and officials! Every one of them fight hard to insure that their "special interest" is getting a piece of the pie! A lot of us leave meetings wishing they could have more but they are (generally) tempered with what WE decided.

I agree that KSHSAA hamstrings our programs! I agree that the Kids Folkstyle season is too long! I think we are getting too many "National" events! We need to find better ways of funding programs and marketing the same! We need to increase the quantity and quality of our young officials, especially FS/GR.

We need the enthusiasm of youth and the wisdom of experience!

We have many challenges facing us in the next few years! We need wise, forward thinkers! But to suggest that the board is out-of-touch in my opinion, is just wrong!

Again, democracy would work a whole lot better, if everyone would vote the way I think!



How many corporate board members have kids that wrestle TODAY? I disagree with you, the board has lost touch. In many ways our corporate board is becoming another KSHSAA. Will not listen, will not change, slow to change, poor allocation of funds and spending practices. It is time to change the faces on this board. If not, it is time for the faces on this board to go out and beat the bushes of the grass roots membership. Quit listening to the same people they have listened to for their entire tenure. Talk to the dads with 6 years olds and the single moms who cart their kids all over the state and country. Talk to the kids and find out what they think! Don't shut yourselves up in a room and pretend to know. Gather up a van load of 10 or so kids from all over the state and hear what they have to say and take them somewhere and help them get better. The Corporate Board is not some modern day "Star Chamber" so lets start looking at ways to improve instead of "status quo."


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I will respond in a private message!


Are you making a POSITIVE difference in the life of kids?

Randy Hinderliter
USAW Kansas
KWCA Rep/Coaches Liaison
Ottawa University Volunteer Assistant

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