Ideas to save team state

[ENoblewrestling]

If you feel that attempting to save the team state is a worth while cause then lets discuss it, and some Ideas to do it on this thread.  Please no class indivdual state discussion. Ok here are some of my ideas, let me know what you think.

This summer I got married.  My wife and I sent out a couple of hundred invites with pre- stamped returns.  we recieved a couple of hundred responces back in fairly short order. So with that in mind-

 

1.  Send out a letter to each wrestling coach in the state explaining the importance of first keeping team state, then classing it.  With the letter we put a prestamped "postcard" that they sign, and check off that they want to keep team state, and then check again if they are for the eventual classing of team state.  If we dont recieve a responce we call the coach until we get one.  In a few weeks I really think we could get 90% of the coaches to respond to this.

 

2.  We send out a letter to every principal and A.D. in the state explaining what we want.  If we can get the coaches letters back we could show that we have a 90%  backing for keeping team state.  They are representing us, if this is what we can all agree upon as being best for the sport I think they would be more inclined to back us.

 

3.  I also think that there are several ways to have our fans get involved as well.  One Idea would be an online petition on this site that all could post their names on.  A facebook fan page, and also simply emailing the IHSAA and explaining the importance of team state to them.

[indyt]

Ok now we are moving. Here are some more that have been floating around. Just brainstorming. Make it a circus atmosphere with a big headliner coming in to do a clinic Friday night. Give a big discount plus free tickets to teams who bring x amount of wrestlers  to the clinic and team state. Do some team spirit or fan spirit competition like they used to in Fargo during the finals.

 

I love this one which is not my idea bit rather a coach in my sectional. I will name only if he so desires but here you go.  As an association or somehow on the IM. Com have a multiclass ranking system and at team  state invite the top three teams ( if they did not make it) in each class and reward them with end of the season state class rankings trophies, medals whatever .

 

This does several things. Gets more people there. Their fans, parents, wrestlers and coaching staff.  Gets classing started at start of season and shows IHSAA our interest in class and our setup long before they have to think of the work they won't want to do putting classes together. This idea needs some tweaking and is raw but could be huge 

 

Keep em coming

 

Coach T

[Drooke]

1.  The team state tournament is in jeopardy.  This is a financial issue.  Attendance has decreased from 5000-6000 to an all-time love of 1250 last year.  I believe it runs deeper than just the economy or Ev. Mater Dei making the final 8.  If we want to save the tournament we must be in attendance. - Cale Hoover

 

I won't be in attendence for Team State this upcoming season but I would be interested in buying some tickets.  It would be quite impressive if the wrestling community stood up together and made a statement with purchasing tickets even if they couldn't attend either.  A small portion from school fundraisers could be used for this purpose.  If people are interested in this idea perhaps someone might be willing to to take the lead and actually be a recepient for the tickets where he/she could dole them out to youth groups or other organizations in the community.  Wrestlers are fighters, lets show the IHSAA just how much we care about Team State!

 

What Say You?

 

[MattM]

IHSAA seems to not be a great fan of the individual state Coaches trophy.  Which is their issue since I believe its worth rewarding to a coach who best prepared his individuals for that tournament just the same as if a Outstanding Wrestler Award was given.  Reguardless, since they seem uneasy about that award I don't see them wanting to use the event to recognize other teams with medals based on end of year team rankings.  To me they would feel that would be underminding "their event" which they sponsor and set up the process for.  I agree it would be a way to boost support and recognize quality small schools teams but I see no way it would pass their approval. 

 

 

On another note though.

I'm all for somehow getting a sincere invitation out to everyone on the IHSAA board so they can see first hand what team state actually is and what it can be.  If they don't see what it is for themselves  all I'm affraid they will just look at the number (which they can claim was a fluke year based on us going to lose it) and still decide it worth canceling.  However, if they can see the event for what it is and even hear from fans the positives about it maybe that will help them understand why its worth keeping.

[Y2CJ41]

Do not hand out an IHSWCA coaches trophy and show the IHSAA the only trophy a team wants is the one given by them.

[Y2CJ41]

1.  Send out a letter to each wrestling coach in the state explaining the importance of first keeping team state, then classing it.  With the letter we put a prestamped "postcard" that they sign, and check off that they want to keep team state, and then check again if they are for the eventual classing of team state.  If we dont recieve a responce we call the coach until we get one.  In a few weeks I really think we could get 90% of the coaches to respond to this.

So go another proposal year without trying to improving the sport?  What is the timetable for this "eventual" classing of team state?  I personally do not feel comfortable saying that we can propose a classed team state eventually.  The IHSWCA leadership changes every two years, by the time we "eventually" propose it, there will be different people in charge.

 

As far as  me personally if we are not proposing at least a classed team state this year, I will not support saving it.  It is not worth it to wait to "eventually" go after classing it. 

 

2.  We send out a letter to every principal and A.D. in the state explaining what we want.  If we can get the coaches letters back we could show that we have a 90%  backing for keeping team state.  They are representing us, if this is what we can all agree upon as being best for the sport I think they would be more inclined to back us.

We don't even know what we want.  Obviously the coaches association wants it back the old way or they wouldn't be so adamant about announcing the coaches trophy scoring or handing out their trophy.  

 

3.  I also think that there are several ways to have our fans get involved as well.  One Idea would be an online petition on this site that all could post their names on.  A facebook fan page, and also simply emailing the IHSAA and explaining the importance of team state to them.

Online petitions are pretty worthless, anyone can "sign" it and no one ever looks at them anyways.  Bobby Cox and company are not going to read 1000 messages about wrestling.

[MattM]

Y, I know its late and you have reached your class wrestling debate limits but please feel free to stop being devils advocate (negative nancy) and give us some constructive input on how this matter can be helped.  If something doesn't sound right feel free to tweek it and improve on it.  Not just cut it down and act as if its the stupidest suggestion ever proposed.  At least these guys are trying to make something happen to help keep part of the sport alive.  For someone who wants to best grow and preserve the sport I would think you would want as many wrestling related events as possible to continue on.  Seems like anything that is being taken away from wrestling would be working against that type of goal.  I guess if you want to let team state die thats fine.  I'm not sure how that helps your agenda's but but just say you want it gone and leave it.  But at least let these guy try to do something if they feel they can find enough people of like minds that want to try and preserve it.  Or for that matter feel free to adding something useful that will help them get more organization in the coaches association or more pull with the IHSAA.  Seems like both of those topics I hear more about how they are broken and not as much about how to fix them.

[KarlHungus]

$762,110

 

Show the IHSAA this number.  Amount of cash earned by the Wisconsin state finals.

[ENoblewrestling]

So go another proposal year without trying to improving the sport?  What is the timetable for this "eventual" classing of team state?  I personally do not feel comfortable saying that we can propose a classed team state eventually.  The IHSWCA leadership changes every two years, by the time we "eventually" propose it, there will be different people in charge.

 

As far as  me personally if we are not proposing at least a classed team state this year, I will not support saving it.  It is not worth it to wait to "eventually" go after classing it.  

We don't even know what we want.  Obviously the coaches association wants it back the old way or they wouldn't be so adamant about announcing the coaches trophy scoring or handing out their trophy.  

Online petitions are pretty worthless, anyone can "sign" it and no one ever looks at them anyways.  Bobby Cox and company are not going to read 1000 messages about wrestling.

 

The point of something like this would be to show that the Ihsaa that we are unified and all want the same thing.  Y2 brought up something he sees as a flaw, would you guys support moving foward with going for classes now, or saving it first then going for classes.  If this was something that we end up doing I want to know which you think would be the best way to go.

 

The online petition would be more of a thing to get more people involved.  If the fans on here sign it and feel unified then maybe they will show up down at state.

 

Also please know I'm not trying to debate team state with this question, just when we should go for it.  Let's keep this thread going in this positive direction.

[Jimtown 138]

So go another proposal year without trying to improving the sport?  What is the timetable for this "eventual" classing of team state?  I personally do not feel comfortable saying that we can propose a classed team state eventually.  The IHSWCA leadership changes every two years, by the time we "eventually" propose it, there will be different people in charge.

 

As far as  me personally if we are not proposing at least a classed team state this year, I will not support saving it.  It is not worth it to wait to "eventually" go after classing it. 

We don't even know what we want.  Obviously the coaches association wants it back the old way or they wouldn't be so adamant about announcing the coaches trophy scoring or handing out their trophy.  

Online petitions are pretty worthless, anyone can "sign" it and no one ever looks at them anyways.  Bobby Cox and company are not going to read 1000 messages about wrestling.

 

Y2 should lead this up...

[indyt]

Come on now, looks like this thread was hijacked.      What are some positive things we can do to increase our sport as we see it now.  I understand that the IHSAA doesnt like the coaches trophy much.  Really, I dont think they have much against it.  As has been said, Bobby Cox is always asking during the day, who is winning?  Anyway, you dont have to give the awards at the state meet.  Pay for the teams to get in, give the award at the big clinic scheduled at Perry Meridian the night before, have a buffet dinner after the clinic and give the award away as the top three highest ranked teams in 1A, 2A and 3A(just throwing it out with ideas).  The IHSAA will not care if on some website we class wrestling teams for fun but what they might like is that when we do propose it, we have an system in place already that works.  This could work.  You can do as much or as little with this as you want.  Even if you gave it away at the IHSWCA banquet but still invited the teams to state.  

[Y2CJ41]

#1 way to "save" team state is get butts in the seats and do it every year not just in 2011

#2 stop giving out a coaches trophy

 

There are my ideas

[tskin]

Ok the point of thread is saving team tourney.

 

#1 We have to increase attendance bottom line.  So for this year we must get to tourney.  In years past I have always run a big middle school tourney on this date because that is the date my AD would let me do it.  I am now at new school so i will be able to attend and bring high school wrestlers with me if we are not lucky enough to qualify.

 

#2  Down the road the three biggest options I see for improving the draw of this tourney are:

        A.  Looking at some sort of class system to help bring more teams to the higher levels of the tourney and hopefully bringing more fans into the mix

        B.  At the Team State I like the idea of incorporating a big name to do a clinic.

        C.  Last I think moving the date of the Team tourney to before the individuals at conceco!  I know alot of people will hate this idea but hear me out.  I would guess a large number of programs shut down practices before the Individual State finals if they don't have anyone moving on.  So to get this teams to individual state is a task let alone a week later to Team State when some of them have been done with any type of practice for several weeks.  If we were to begin the team series before the individual series say a week or two then continue with the team series during the week the rest of the way and have a saturday set aside for team state with the individual state the following sat I would venture to say attendance would see a increase.

 

I am throwing ideas out there because I have grown to love the Team State portion even though I have never had the honor of having a team move on.

 

[H1N1]

#1 Have 16 teams qualify for Team state. Hold first round on Friday nite. Possibly have teams wrestle not only for 1st/2nd, but 3rd/4th and 5th/6th.

#2 Hold Team State on Sunday immediately after individual state, like Minnesota.

#3 Despite busco's disagreement, propose classing BOTH Team & Individual state.  If we propose classing Team state only or any other changes to Team state, the IHSAA will just see it as a Mickey Mouse move.  Y is correct.  If we don't class individual state, then 90% of the wrestling community is left out.

 

I disagree with the premise we should only discuss Team state and not even breath a word about classing Individual state.  That is precisely the kind of faulty logic that got us into this mess to begin with.  We need a wholistic solution to this issue.  The $$$ from Wisconsin don't lie.  

[PreparetoWin]

good ideas guys...

 

I think my initial thought would be the data gathering has to come first so we can propose the class idea.  This shouldnt be done next month, it should start now!!! We could set up  4 or 5 people to start a process of collecting data (financial from other states, projections of how the state would be broke up and who would be where, projected indiana financial projects for a 5 year plan, signatures of coaches, AD's and principals).  Next we create a 2 year plan that shows how we will increase attendance of the current set-up.  We have seen a few good ideas start to form already....mine would be talk to the local elem programs or interested elem programs and have a few dual matches before the state matches or even one during a break between matches.  I know there are a few programs out there that have a travel elem team that would love the opportunity to wrestle in front of the "big kids".  I think that would help wrestling on a few levels but it would definatly increase attendance and alot of those people would stay if you had a championship elem dual right before you had the final championship high school match.  

 

Whatever we do, we can not wait!!! we can not take our time and take a year and a half to "get our ducks in a row".  This is a dire situation and needs immediate attention, in needs to be handled quickly and presented asap.  These forums can only do so much until people who have the power to get the ball rolling get involved with us in here and start pushing.

[PreparetoWin]

Please keep this thread about Team State only....as said in the last thread if we propose a whole new overhaul, it will not work, it will not get changed,  nothing will get done.  We must show we can increase attendance at team state, we must show the mulitclassed system will increase revenue at team state before IHSAA will even look at changing individual.  We can make that a seperate propsal in the very near future, but I have been told if we go in with guns blazin and trying to change everything it will get kaboshed quickly. But if we can show growth with multiclass team state, this success would be two fold...one, people who dont want class individual would have to take a second look becuase we would have data to back up classing...two, IHSAA would be happier with the increase in revenue and growth, and would have to take a second look because we would have data to back up classing.  So until we have our own indiana data we are going to be limited on how much we can change immdiately.  So lets focus on changing what we have an actual shot to change...but keep our minds open for a long term plan.  We have got to walk before we can run

[tskin]

Also thanks to whoever boo'ed my ideas of fixing teams state!  Since Y2 removed my rights to see Karma stats I can't thank you personally hahahaha  I guess Y2 thought it was better I not know who disagrees with me.  LOL

[KarlHungus]

Please keep this thread about Team State only....as said in the last thread if we propose a whole new overhaul, it will not work, it will not get changed,  nothing will get done.  We must show we can increase attendance at team state, we must show the mulitclassed system will increase revenue at team state before IHSAA will even look at changing individual.  We can make that a seperate propsal in the very near future, but I have been told if we go in with guns blazin and trying to change everything it will get kaboshed quickly. But if we can show growth with multiclass team state, this success would be two fold...one, people who dont want class individual would have to take a second look becuase we would have data to back up classing...two, IHSAA would be happier with the increase in revenue and growth, and would have to take a second look because we would have data to back up classing.  So until we have our own indiana data we are going to be limited on how much we can change immdiately.  So lets focus on changing what we have an actual shot to change...but keep our minds open for a long term plan.  We have got to walk before we can run

 

Would advocating the blowing up of the present team state system, proposing a multi-class system this spring, organizing the coaches association so we can get real feedback as to wants and wishes of the coaches, and then showing the IHSAA the financial numbers be considered or do we have to save the present one class team system to be welcomed on this thread?

[indyt]

Karl, Maybe two years ago with time for someone who has pull with the IHSAA to make changes.  These guys will not change on a dime because we want it.  They need nurtured, coddled and stroked and I dont see this as being much time.  We need someone who is close enough with the man to find out what the man's mindset is. 

[KarlHungus]

$762,110.....I wouldn't need much stroking or coddling if I saw the potential for wrestling to make twice the $$$ that basketball does.

[indyt]

So you are convinced that you can convince him.  I really dont know this info but have you sat in on any meetings with Bobby or Blake?  Just want to know what you know about them.  This is the key?  Nothing changes if he does not want it to and He does not understand  much about things we see as important.  Yes, I agree, money talks.  But at the expense of more work without knowing the particulars, maybe, maybe not.  It would be easier for them to say, no.  What are his thoughts on class?  Has any of our past leaders had this conersation with him?  I would like to know myself?  What are we dealing with?  

someone with insight please let me know.  I have had a call from him but have not returned it yet because I dont want to speak for the group as a whole and my opinion is one so I have held off calling back.  

[Y2CJ41]

Bobby Cox is a pretty smart fella.  I think he gets a bad rap because we don't always get what we want.  Guess what he wants out of this?  He wants to make money on team state, plain and simple.  $4000 isn't worth the trouble to have it and I can't disagree with that.  There is a simple way to do it, get your butts in the seats, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure it out.

 

We also must have a way to consistently get butts in the seats.  People say there was low attendance last year due to it being a forgone conclusion that Mishawaka would win.  So if we have three classes and one class has a forgone conclusion, the other classes will definitely make up for one that is not good.

 

First get butts in the seats and secondly go in this spring and say we have a way to get those butts in the seats EVERY year.... that being a three class system.

[HardCharger]

So go another proposal year without trying to improving the sport?  What is the timetable for this "eventual" classing of team state?  I personally do not feel comfortable saying that we can propose a classed team state eventually.  The IHSWCA leadership changes every two years, by the time we "eventually" propose it, there will be different people in charge.

 

As far as  me personally if we are not proposing at least a classed team state this year, I will not support saving it.  It is not worth it to wait to "eventually" go after classing it. 

We don't even know what we want.  Obviously the coaches association wants it back the old way or they wouldn't be so adamant about announcing the coaches trophy scoring or handing out their trophy.  

Online petitions are pretty worthless, anyone can "sign" it and no one ever looks at them anyways.  Bobby Cox and company are not going to read 1000 messages about wrestling.

Y2~ If you don't have anything constructive to add, then maybe sit the sidelines on this one.

[Y2CJ41]

I am sorry you hat the truth.  Simply some coaches want to save team state others feel the need to go after a classed system.  Its about a 50/50 divide, so yes the coaches don't know what they want.

If team state was that important to everyone then it sholdn't take the threat of it being gone to get people to attend.

[indyt]

Every coach knew what he wanted at the clinic.  You are right.  Save it. Class it.  In that order.  If it could be done right away do it.  Intelligence and intelligence of a subject you dont know much about are two different things.  "How many times do you have to get beat before you are out of the tournament.  In basketball it one and done".