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FS/GK State


UncleJimmy

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i would say the worst part of this entire thing is the fact that many wrestlers would have to travil an hour+ to get to a qualifying tournament. Its really gut wrenching to see how badly FS and GR fell off in recent years. Indiana used to be huge in these styles, now its the opposite. BOO!

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This will kill the state finals, plain and simple. If you are in the Fort Wayne area you have one option within an hour and that is it. All others are 2+ hours away. There are 12 events on 6 weekends that you need to do this. It doesn't leave much room for error if you have ANYTHING else besides wrestling to do on the weekends.

 

Secondly, this needs to be communicated way past the club leaders. Most clubs don't start up until February so the parents and kids won't find this out until they start going to their respective clubs.

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Well over the course of the last two years I would of hoped more northern clubs would of took initiative to host some tourney's.  The path we were on was not working as numbers have decreased dramatically at FS and GR from what they used to be.  So something had to change.  Will this change be the right answer?  Well if northern Clubs don't accept it and begin to host local tourneys then for that area it could backfire.  I hope someone up in that area will take the step to host since it sounds like not many tourney's are offered.

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No joke. If your club is your fundraising then shouldn't you be hosting tourney's anyways? When I used to participate in ISWA we could find a tourney less than 2 hours away almost every single weekend in northern indiana. I think people should do less complaining about it on here and do something about it. Host a tourney and raise some funds for your wrestling program!

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This sounds more easily said than done, hosting a tournament, but every spring after the season I'm curious why there are fewer northern tournaments in any discipline. Right now for high schoolers in the far northwest of Indiana, we have Hobart Feb. 28 and then nothing nearby. New Prairie is somewhat close, but that's it. Yes, we just had kid events at Chesterton, Crown Point and Portage the last three weekends, and those were great and everything that they need to be. But if you have hungry high schoolers eliminated at sectionals or regionals, it's hard to feed that desire to improve.

I think the scary question is, "Who would come?" I mean, I guess the only way to find out is to grow a pair and just host it, but what if it falls apart or only a few people show up? It seems like if you don't do something right after the HS season ends or you're not an established annual event, you lose lots of momentum and probably interest.

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Here is something that will ruffle some feathers, but also get you thinking.

 

First a disclaimer: The following is just an opinion and in no way do I dislike what academies are doing throughout the state.

 

I think the academies and other regional sites are hurting the local tournaments more than anything. Kids can go there and they are guaranteed the matches with the better kids in the area. No more waiting to see if Billy Bob is at your weight or even shows up at the local tournament. No more sitting in a gym all day just for that one or two matches you really came for. On top of that  you get your weekends free to go to the lake, hang out with friends, or whatever. I know at places like Contenders, RWA, CIA, etc there are 40+ kids in the room all battling it out. Why go to a tournament and win a cheap medal and waste all day when you get that competition in your room?

 

Just a thought...fire away!

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Here is something that will ruffle some feathers, but also get you thinking.

 

First a disclaimer: The following is just an opinion and in no way do I dislike what academies are doing throughout the state.

 

I think the academies and other regional sites are hurting the local tournaments more than anything. Kids can go there and they are guaranteed the matches with the better kids in the area. No more waiting to see if Billy Bob is at your weight or even shows up at the local tournament. No more sitting in a gym all day just for that one or two matches you really came for. On top of that  you get your weekends free to go to the lake, hang out with friends, or whatever. I know at places like Contenders, RWA, CIA, etc there are 40+ kids in the room all battling it out. Why go to a tournament and win a cheap medal and waste all day when you get that competition in your room?

 

Just a thought...fire away!

You do raise a interesting point.  To play devils advocate a bit...how is this any different that RTC's?

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You do raise a interesting point.  To play devils advocate a bit...how is this any different that RTC's?

Very little difference, that is why I stated "and other regional sites."  RTC's are much more plentiful now than they were 5 years ago..and 10 years ago. They also seem to be getting good numbers at them.

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Question: Anyone know what the factor was to going back to the qualifying format?

 

Freestyle Numbers

 

Looked at some history

2006-2007 total numbers: 1304 and I do believe you had to qualify and this was the last year for the qualifying format, plus this was the first year they had Freestyle and Greco on the same weekend and it was at the fairgrounds

2013-2014 total numbers: 787 last year

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A few years back when we were in the thick of it,it was normal for us to have to travel 1.5 hours or more to hit a tournament.We live bout 25 miles south of Terre Haute so to get good competition we traveled weekly.We actually enjoyed the treks,a lot great conversations on those trips.

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Question: Anyone know what the factor was to going back to the qualifying format?

 

 

Freestyle Numbers

 

Looked at some history

2006-2007 total numbers: 1304 and I do believe you had to qualify and this was the last year for the qualifying format, plus this was the first year they had Freestyle and Greco on the same weekend and it was at the fairgrounds

2013-2014 total numbers: 787 last year

 

It also runs direct correlation to folkstyle blowing up. 

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Here is something that will ruffle some feathers, but also get you thinking.

 

First a disclaimer: The following is just an opinion and in no way do I dislike what academies are doing throughout the state.

 

I think the academies and other regional sites are hurting the local tournaments more than anything. Kids can go there and they are guaranteed the matches with the better kids in the area. No more waiting to see if Billy Bob is at your weight or even shows up at the local tournament. No more sitting in a gym all day just for that one or two matches you really came for. On top of that  you get your weekends free to go to the lake, hang out with friends, or whatever. I know at places like Contenders, RWA, CIA, etc there are 40+ kids in the room all battling it out. Why go to a tournament and win a cheap medal and waste all day when you get that competition in your room?

 

Just a thought...fire away!

Not a horrible thought and can understand that line of thinking, but as someone that has boys going through one of the above academies not sure it is necessarily true.  At almost every single freestyle or greco tournament last spring over half the bracket was always kids from our academy (this includes both state finals).  I can only speak to our academy, but most of our kids do go to the local freestyle and greco tournaments.  

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Not a horrible thought and can understand that line of thinking, but as someone that has boys going through one of the above academies not sure it is necessarily true.  At almost every single freestyle or greco tournament last spring over half the bracket was always kids from our academy (this includes both state finals).  I can only speak to our academy, but most of our kids do go to the local freestyle and greco tournaments.  

If you are around the Indy area you can likely find a lot more local tournaments to attend. In the northern part of Indiana you can drive close to 2 hours to find tournaments. Then when you get there you get the surprise of seeing if you have any competition or not. Or you can just stay in your club and wrestle kids you know will be there and not have to worry that so and so gained 3lbs so he's not in your weight.

 

The Indy area tournaments are fine...outside there it is not exactly fine.

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The ISWA web site only states that a wrestler has to compete in two local tournaments.  It doesn't say two INDIANA tournaments.  So I wonder if a kid who lives in Da Region could wrestle twice in Chicago FS/GR tournaments and have that count?  

 

Chicago doesn't really help most of northern Indiana, though, because for many folks outside the Da Region, Chicago is just as far as Indy.


I think all this stuff is true: the academies, RTC's, folkstyle blowing up, Nuway and other organizations running large folkstyle duals.  All these have likely contributed in someway to hurting FS/GR.

 

However, this is the BOTTOM LINE: Northern clubs do not have enough time to create new FS/GR tournaments for this spring.  That's just not going to happen.  Now the kids will be punished due to this qualification only becoming known about recently.  And Team Indiana at Fargo will be an Indy All-Star roster with virtually no one from the northern part of the state.

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As much success as guys like Howe, Hump, and Angel have had at the senior level. You would think that some of our top Cadet and Juniors would want to go wrestle these tournaments including Central Regional, State, Fargo, Junior and Cadet Duals to make themselves better. Chad Red wrestles at these tournaments including the top folkstyle tournaments in the nation because he knows it will make him better. I hear a lot of coaches put down freestyle and greco instead of using it as a spring board to greater things because "folkstyle is the only way to be" You wont be the best in the world, you wont even be the best in your own country maybe even your own state without freestyle and greco.

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As much success as guys like Howe, Hump, and Angel have had at the senior level. You would think that some of our top Cadet and Juniors would want to go wrestle these tournaments including Central Regional, State, Fargo, Junior and Cadet Duals to make themselves better. Chad Red wrestles at these tournaments including the top folkstyle tournaments in the nation because he knows it will make him better. I hear a lot of coaches put down freestyle and greco instead of using it as a spring board to greater things because "folkstyle is the only way to be" You wont be the best in the world, you wont even be the best in your own country maybe even your own state without freestyle and greco.

I agreed with you 100%!  I love FS/GR.  I just don't think the new rule is fair to high school kids in track/baseball or middle school kids wrestling in USAW National Duals.

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I agreed with you 100%!  I love FS/GR.  I just don't think the new rule is fair to high school kids in track/baseball or middle school kids wrestling in USAW National Duals.

Maybe instead of petitioning to get onto the national team, they should petition to get into the state tournament? I find it hard to believe the ISWA would turn their money away because they play spring sports. 

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As much success as guys like Howe, Hump, and Angel have had at the senior level. You would think that some of our top Cadet and Juniors would want to go wrestle these tournaments including Central Regional, State, Fargo, Junior and Cadet Duals to make themselves better. Chad Red wrestles at these tournaments including the top folkstyle tournaments in the nation because he knows it will make him better. I hear a lot of coaches put down freestyle and greco instead of using it as a spring board to greater things because "folkstyle is the only way to be" You wont be the best in the world, you wont even be the best in your own country maybe even your own state without freestyle and greco.

 

to add to this, lets not forget that we dont wrestle folkstyle in the olympics...

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If you are around the Indy area you can likely find a lot more local tournaments to attend. In the northern part of Indiana you can drive close to 2 hours to find tournaments. Then when you get there you get the surprise of seeing if you have any competition or not. Or you can just stay in your club and wrestle kids you know will be there and not have to worry that so and so gained 3lbs so he's not in your weight.

 

The Indy area tournaments are fine...outside there it is not exactly fine.

Around these parts weight is not a huge issue in the off season, until you get to State level and beyond tournaments.....

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Here is a reasonable scenario for a high level high school kid who would also like to compete at freestyle/greco state but also wrestle good national level competition in the Spring:

 

March 28-29 High School Nationals - VA Beach

 

April 2-­4-­‐USA Wrestling Folkstyle Nationals - Iowa

 

April 9-­11-­‐National Scholastic Duals - Crawfordsville, IN

 

April 18 ‐Tournament of Champions– Ohio

 

April 25 - Possibly a local tournament? or a Prom or just a weekend off with family

 

That scenario leaves the possibility of only one local tournament and you still need another....and leaves this kid out of freestyle/greco state.

 

A real shame....

 

Plus the tournaments nearest to Elkhart, Ft. Wayne and the rest of the northern parts is usually a long drive away.

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