Coach Hull

I got you Coach. Different boats but headed in the same direction in the same waters. Just putting it out there about IPWA and for our valued readers. CUSAW is headed towards big things either way! Heck, I know I am coming to see you and Wade myself! I'm trying to learn!!!

We are currently hashing it out with a few universities to provide these opportunities, including Purdue and IU, as well as several other colleges. This year is a transition year, as you can see with some of the days and times of some places close to each other, but the goal is to have a very well oiled machine for Indiana wrestling within 2-3 years.

I agree with Coach P. At Indiana Pride, we will put up rough numbers as some use us primarily and others as supplemental training. Loyalty has a lot to do with it as well. The most interesting bridge we encounter is aligning expectations with their primary coach, whether it be their high school coach or their other club/academy coach. Most of our parents understand we are the "experts" so they generally just hand over the reins. The American problem is our athletes have way too many coaches as it is, which can be a good thing in getting different looks, but can also be detrimental because too many philosophies and techniques can hinder the athlete. There is a fine line. Whereas in Iran and Russia for example, they generally have one coach for their entire career. If a province or region athlete makes the national team then a national team coach will just sit in the corner with the original coach. Either way, we try and work with their primary coach as much as possible on aligning expectations to ensure the athlete is maximizing their potential and we are working in unison to get them better. We have a proven system but want to make sure we are reinforcing their system as well. There can be challenges with this, but overall it can be a fun experience as iron sharpens iron and everyone can grow as a result.

There are several schools in the central Indiana area who, because of circumstances, do not have the opportunity to train like madmen all spring/summer. Rather than sending them to camps for two weeks we are able to work out deals to where a hand full (generally 4-9 guys) have access to our 5 months of weekly training at a fraction of the cost. They are looking forward to their athletes sharpening themselves among the state's best, the majority of which some of their kids will never see throughout the season, and are able to rest assured their kids are receiving elite coaching at the same time. For more information on how your team, whether high school or middle school, can take advantage of this opportunity, please contact me at coachnhull@gmail.com.

2015 RTC Schedule MARCH = Folkstyle APRIL - JUNE = Freestyle and Greco Roman NORTH PENN BRAD HARPER THURSDAY 6:00 pm (574)485-7911 bharper@phm.k12.in.us JIMTOWN MARK KERRN TUESDAY 5:30 pm (574) 850-5808 mkerrn@baugo.org CALUMET COLLEGE of ST. JOSEPHS RYAN RIVERA WEDNESDAY 6:00 pm (219) 616-6401 rrivera@ccsj.edu PORTAGE LEROY VEGA MONDAY 6:30 pm (219) 242-0750 leroy@voroil.com CARROLL JOE CAPRINO WEDNESDAY 6:30 pm (260) 402-8278 joe@indianamat.com BELLMONT BRENT FAROUTE THURSDAY 6:30 pm (260) 724-7121 fauroteb@nadams.k12.in.us JAY COUNTY ERIC MYERS MONDAY 6:00 pm (260) 438-7030 emyers@jayschools.k12.in.us MISHAWAKA CHARLIE CORNETT WEDNESDAY 6:00 pm (574) 360-9041 ccornett44@aol.com CULVER ACADEMY MATT BEHLING MONDAY 6:00 pm (574) 930-0676 matthew.behling@culver.org DELTA BRETT CLARK MONDAY 6:45 pm (765) 730-8537 bclark@delcomschools.org CENTRAL HAMILTON HEIGHTS GARY MYERS TUESDAY 6:30 pm (317) 514-0102 gmyers@newhopetitle.com WARREN CENTRAL DANNY WILLIAMS WEDNESDAY 6:00 pm (317) 625-7675 dwillia2@warren.k12.in.us PERRY MERIDIAN JIM TONTE TUESDAY 6:00 pm (317) 371-2654 jtonte@perryschools.org CARMEL ED PENDOWSKI WEDNESDAY 6:45 PM (317) 701-1512 ependosk@ccs.k12.in.us AVON ISRAEL BLEVINS WEDNESDAY 6:30 pm (317) 910-6182 imblevins@avon-schools.org GREENWOOD JAY YATES THURSDAY 600 pm (317) 332-3961 jyates@gws.k12.in.us RICHMOND JEREMY BANE THURSDAY 7:00 pm (765) 914-2646 richmondreddevil@hotmail.com SOUTH FRANKLIN COUNTY DOUG DETERS WEDNESDAY 6:00 pm (812)-584-2389 dougdeters@gmail.com JEFFERSONVILLE DANNY STRUCK TUESDAY 4:30 pm (812)282-6601X dstruck@gcs.k12.in.us COLUMBUS EAST CHRIS COOPER THURSDAY 5:00 pm (812) 344-9817 cooperc@bcsc.k12.in.us HARRISON SCOTT HINKLE TUESDAY 6:00 pm (765) 427-5283 shinkel126@gmail.com MATER DEI GREG SCHAEFER TUESDAY 6:00 pm (317) 258 - 4084 gschaefer@evdio.org The ISWA Regional Training Centers are guided by the Olympic Spirit to provide an opportunity for Indiana athletes to train and develop in the international styles. ***Sites and times are subject to change*** All athletes are encouraged to participate in as many RTC’s and local tournaments as possible. You will find many of the state’s best athletes and coaches at these practices all working to get better, including Team Indiana members and coaching staff. Your development here, particularly in the international styles, is proven to help your scholastic wrestling like nothing else, as well as better prepare you for collegiate wrestling. They are open to Bantam - Veteran athletes with a valid 2014-2015 USAW Membership Card. RTC’s officially begin March 1st, 2015 and end July 31st, 2015. Please contact the RTC Site Director for more information on their specific site, or RTC Director Nick Hull @ 317.800.5369 or coachnhull@gmail.com.

IPWA H.S. officially starts Monday, March 2nd! Practices will be held every Monday and Wednesday from 7p-830p. Membership is $50/month With over 25 2015 IHSAA State qualifiers, including placers, champs, All-Americans, national champions, college wrestlers, etc., we offer one of the toughest rooms in the state. Led by an All-star staff including Indiana Hall of Famer and 3x undefeated IHSAA State Champion Steven Bradley, 2014 USAW Developmental Coach of the Year Nick Hull, as well as 3x World Medalist Katie Kriebel and 4x All-American Shane Perkey, the instruction is world class, expectations are high, environment is tough and the atmosphere is fun. We provide a very affordable and results oriented opportunity to make great strides in this sport over the spring and summer. Whether you are simply trying to crack the varsity line-up or are ranked #1 in the country, everyone gets better. Space is limited so register today. Coaches and parents, please inquire about our team discounts and private instruction. For more information please visit www.indianaprideacademy.com We look forward to seeing everyone soon!

Glad im not the only one....

@WaltHarris Per the ISWA meeting this past Sunday, there will be a few new tournaments being hosted this spring thanks to several schools stepping up and helping the cause. As stated above, Portage will host an event on April 18th which should be a good one, and a couple more I am unaware of are hosting events as well. These will be great opportunities for schools to fund raise, exclusivity, offer northern athletes more options to compete and qualify, more exposure for F/G and hopefully start a trend. #excited

Good question Y2. My personal answer is no, but of course that would have to be discussed with the selection committee. I feel the new/old 2 tournament implementation is an attempt to promote F/G growth within Indiana and help local clubs, and regions, have more opportunities to fund raise, train, and compete in the international styles. Junior Duals is a different animal. This specific selection process is to provide us the best chance at bringing a national championship home to Indiana, at least for the first-team anyway. But that is my personal opinion and this is what committees are for. @Warsaw, I was not with the ISWA if/when this Folkstyle adjustment happened, I'm sure the ISWA does not share all of the blame, this new/old requirement is also not all to blame, and I'm not the one for finding these percentages but I'd like to see them too. As you stated, time brings change. I don't know enough about it but I'd imagine with the growth of USAW into the official governing body of wrestling in the U.S., and AAU having a much broader focus, may have played a part? My thought is what happened to these AAU F/G wrestling opportunities? These past rises and falls have nothing to do with me but I'm sure someone on this board has some insight. What part did the ISWA play in all this? Not sure, but either way that was yesterday. I'm here today, trying to assist Indiana wrestling to be the best it can be for years to come, along with every single person on that board from what I've seen. I am certain you are doing the same. On a side note, I sense the overall frustration on this thread. I have spoken with parents and coaches who are upset with how things are, have been, etc. I've been in conversations where the frustration with the ISWA, or USAW, has started at legitimate and even spills to ridiculous. It is what it is and we can't make everyone happy...but that doesn't stop us from trying. Again, all are welcome to attend the monthly meeting this Sunday. If 20+ people show up simply to curse me out, I won't be offended. Lol. At least we will have much broader and more diverse angles to cover in order to make the best decisions. On an even more positive note, good luck everyone at Regionals! Wrestlers, I know there are some good match-ups across the state and boys are fired up and ready to make statements! Whether its domination or retribution, go earn it. Coaches, best wishes to you too, whether it's only one individual or your whole team, there's not too much you can do now. Get some rest. Parents, whether they win or lose, be proud. It's a tough sport.

I have been in contact with several board members and several prominent coaches up north about hosting some additional tournaments this spring/summer to help the folks up north out. Officially it is too late. Unofficially we may be able to pull it off. We still have to wait until this Sunday to hash it out. But us dropping to 1 qualifier will absolutely come up and I would be OK with that. In regards to Cadet/Junior wrestlers who travel for Folkstyle nationally and miss local F/G tournaments, that is a decision they have to make. Our athletes are pushed to do as many as possible. It's tough for me, or I am not in a position, to care that much about individual decisions of a very select few. For me it is a matter of priority. Do you hit every national Folkstyle event you can across the country to continue wrestling Folkstyle? Or do you hit every F/G tournament you can to develop your international skills? Me personally, it's a no brainer and I'm going F/G because I wrestle Folkstyle all year anyway. In no way do I want to come off harsh or uncaring, but we have "elite" guys at IPWA who compete at these national events...and now they have to make room for TWO (possibly one) LOCAL TOURNAMENTS. If they can travel 8 hours across the country to wrestle in a Folkstyle event, they can travel two hours to a local F/G tournament. It is a conscious decision. If it is required then it is required. Again, I am biased and in no way do I think everyone should think like me. However, when I am physically there coaching at the national tournaments and we have 30+ Indiana kids who truly do not know how to gut, or stop a gut for that matter, and I have Kevin Jackson, John Smith, and Zeke Jones all standing behind me recruiting kids - it is a bad look for Indiana. To my knowledge, these coaches are not in VA, Iowa, Scholastic Duals, Tournament of Champions, etc. I do alternate between Iowa and Flo, and that is the extent of my national Folkstyle events. Outside of the open tournaments, J Robinson, head coach of Minnesota, makes his all of his redshirts train F/G all year, ending with FILA Juniors. If thats where they are going, and what they are looking for, then by God that's where my focus is if I am a competitor. Again, it's a personal decision athletes, parents and coaches must decide. As far as state populations, that to me is more of an excuse. We can only play the hand we are dealt and unfortunately we are millions of people short. On the other hand, I prefer quality over quantity in this regard. New York has more people than Illinois but Illinois still beats them pretty soundly. The reason we aren't good in Freestyle and Greco is because we don't focus on Freestyle and Greco. We have gotten better as a state in Folkstyle because we focus more on Folkstyle. In order for me be a professional basketball player, I have to practice basketball. I want to go get better at Poker and the only way I can do that is play Poker as much as I can. I can't focus on Euker and think I can pick up Poker even though they are both card games. Indiana, for the size of our state, is proportionally slightly above average using the ol' eyeball. This is all relative of course but we come in around 10th overall in all styles. We can win Folkstyle Nationals but we come in 31st out of 32 teams in Greco. Lastly, with spring sports, I get it. It is a tough position to be in. When I was younger I can remember playing baseball, basketball, tennis, soccer and football in the same year. My parents went out of their way to ensure I had every opportunity available to try everything until I found my niche. Unfortunately, we also must ultimately pick one, at the most two, sports to SPECIALIZE in. Jack of all trades, master of nothing. Again, not to sound insensitive, but spring sports aren't my problem. My focus is wrestling, particularly Indiana wrestling. To be the best at wrestling I need to dedicate myself to wrestling. This is a family decision that I fully understand and do not hold it against families that choose to invest in other sports. The success will speak for itself. More Freestyle duals are on the way. Carmel is hosting an event this year and there is talk of an ISWA Freestyle Dual State in the near future. We have to get the momentum first and to do that someone has to make a tough decision trailblazing and innovating. Coach P is the first coach I can recall that went out on a limb to have Freestyle duals. It could be an awesome event or completely bomb, but either way if you build it they will eventually come. I think it's awesome though and hopefully he lets us in! Lbvs

I understand. Some of our kids don't want F/G either but I make them do it. Granted, we are fortunate enough not to have to deal with too much politics, administration, spring sports, etc. as much as if we were a school corporation. But if we happen to have a kid or parent that is absolutely against F/G, there are respectfully plenty of other Folkstyle training opportunities they can go to. But they don't. They just may skip practice. Lol. They're sold because I'm sold. If they sense hesitation or smell garbage they will not be inspired and do something else. Each coach, athlete, parent, program and school is different and have their own share of issues and problems. And yes I agree there are probably better ways out there, but the decisions are made at the meetings, collectively by representatives of all regions, not just one person. Please come and shed any insight as we can only play the hand we are dealt. It would be welcomed. And, Y2, I would never take a shot at you as I am hesitant of your sprawl, but I get what you are saying though. Are there generally top tier guys at RTCs? Of course. But the majority of kids there are not top tier guys although they want to be...which is why they go. The majority of all of these kids do participate at local tournaments because they still like medals, shiny objects, winning, and just generally getting better. I cannot imagine there are too many kids that go to these simply to practice and not be able to perform in a tournament setting, especially when they pay for USAW membership. If so, now they will be required to at least hit 2. My job this summer is to hit every RTC in the state, take the temperature, and reinforce Indiana's collective objective. If I run into some kids who train at an RTC but don't compete in local tournaments, rest assured we will plant, water, and nurture those seeds.

As a board member of the ISWA, RTC Director, Team Indiana National Coach, and owner of Indiana Pride Wrestling Academy, I welcome this change. The current trends show F/G participation is widely down and something needed to be done. Due to the ISWA having previous success with this in the past, it was only a logical decision. Will there be bugs? Yes. They will get worked out. Will it be an inconvenience for some initially? Yes. However this inconvenience is only temporary. With any change comes a transition process and there will be some that won't like it, but in the grand scheme of things requiring qualification was the ISWA's attempt to boost F/G participation. I feel this move in turn will begin to help clubs feel more comfortable about hosting more F/G tournaments, because there are more participants, which ultimately helps Indiana get better in both quality and quantity. As an official ambassador of USAW, ISWA has the obligation and privilege of adhering to this mission: "Guided by the Olympic Spirit...shall responsibly advocate, promote, coordinate, and provide quality opportunities for its members to achieve their full human and athletic potential. This sometimes requires tough decisions to be made. "Guided by the Olympic Spirit..." Will everyone in your room be an Olympic Champion? Of course not. But our jobs, our responsibility, as coaches and parents are to push our child and athlete to maximize their potential - whatever that may be - both on and off the mat. If your goals are too low then your results will be the same, however, if you aim for the stars at least you'll hit clouds if not the moon. There is a 50/50 chance you will win Friday night at Banker's Life if you are just glad to be there, but the athlete who truly is trying to win the title will at least place 99% of the time. Here are the problems: There are not enough kids training in F/G, not enough F/G tournaments available, not enough interest in F/G, the national wrestling schedule, spring sports schedule, etc. We have become a Folkstyle heavy state and, as good as we are doing in it, the top collegiate programs and coaches prefer more well rounded athletes. No different than a college football coach preferring football players that wrestle, so too do college wrestling coaches prefer wrestlers that are versed in the international styles. Why? Because they are generally better than the seasonal wrestler. Indiana as a whole is only slightly above average on the national level in these styles and it starts at home. It is too late to teach a gut wrench at the national tournament, or even at the training camp, and hope to be successful. It has to be done before then. The problem is the international styles are not enforced, required, pushed, pubbed, etc. here in Indiana as much as they should be. Let's look at the dates: IHSAA State = end of February. ISWA Folkstyle State = first couple of weeks in March. Iowa and Flow Nationals = first week of April. ISWA Freestyle & Greco State = first week of May. This means as a state we essentially have only one month to train/compete in the international style locally before the national schedule kicks in. We train for Folkstyle roughly 7-10 months out of the year and 1-2 months in the international styles. There is the disparity and that is not going to cut it for Indiana on the national level. The best kids in Illinois wrestle F/G because they were encouraged to do so by someone or some thing. Yes they have more kids but it is the culture of their state's wrestling community that makes the the truest difference. I put the primary blame on us as coaches for the lack of F/G participation, not the academies or RTCs, as coaches are the official link between the athlete and the sport. Many of us don't influence or push our athletes to train and compete in these styles, many of us don't know enough about these styles too push it, and some of us prefer to simply be stubborn about F/G's importance. We don't see the big picture, basically focused on Folkstyle because "that is what they wrestle in college." Still, there are others who legitimately don't have the time or resources to push it. Between families, careers, finances, logistics, recruiting, training, etc. we simply have lives to live. However, this doesn't take away from the fact that in order to maximize our athletes potential and success in scholastic, Folkstyle, wrestling, you HAVE to take full advantage of Freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling. Now I can't speak for all academies but at IPWA we REQUIRE our athletes to train in the international styles. They know F/G season is coming, whether they like or not. They also get better because of it...whether they like it or not. We push F/G before, during and after practice every day, our schedule is full of local, regional and national F/G tournaments, and our members try to be everywhere, every weekend. Now, because of this ISWA requirement, these "All-Star" athletes HAVE to compete locally (which ours do already), boosting the competition and participant level of these tournaments, the handful of petitions will be even more justified, and more Team Indiana members will have a higher chance of knowing a gut wrench come national time. As far as the new RTC format, it's the same thing. We cannot control some ones room. If a coach wants to focus on Folkstyle year-round because they feel that will get the best out of their athletes and programs, that is their right and decision, and that is what many do. The RTCs are what the ISWA can control. Therefor we design it so it best suits OUR cause, which is Indiana wrestling as a whole - not just one school - so we don't have to teach guts and laces a week before nationals. If kids want to train for Folkstyle State and Folkstyle Nationals, that it what the schools and clubs are for as they already focus on Folkstyle for 7-10 months out of the year anyway. The ISWA RTC application is a modified version of the USAW Regional Training Site Application, as hosting an RTC is not a right but a privilege, and the standard class to see if you are a good enough coach is actually supposed to be 6 hours long and the absolute fastest one I have seen is 3 hours. Why? Because we cater to the coaches. People have to leave, get back to the hotel, get to weigh ins, get to dinner, etc. The answers are also discussed because many would not pass on their own without some discourse, and that is welcomed to ensure we can all walk out knowing the right ones instead of assuming. In order for our athletes to be better versed in wrestling we must ourselves be better versed as coaches, from the grassroots to the international level. USAW has even rolled out a new coaches education program on January 1st for this reason. It is designed to make it easier to understand and manage the certification process, and has much more in depth data, information and tools for our coaches to use to get the best out of their athletes and programs. They have the same problems we have to an extent. The U.S. is behind the best in the world because we are Folkstyle heavy. By educating and providing tools for grass root coaches to get better, USAW does not have to train and re-train athletes as much when they get to the international level. We as coaches need to be more inclined to continue growing in this sport, educating ourselves, continue making that sacrifice...not for the money of course but for the cause. To digress, I can guarantee the topic of requiring at least 1 tournament, rather than 2, will be brought up this Sunday at the monthly ISWA meeting, and we may be able to meet halfway. The meeting starts at noon and is held at the ISWA office in Beech Grove. The organization has never claimed to have all answers and is not the illuminati. The ISWA members are some of Indiana's most dedicated and lifelong supporters of Indiana wrestling, volunteering their time and traveling across the state to help further develop the cause. Some don't read these boards but I do. I encourage anyone that has some ideas to show up. They have never turned any one away and the door is and has always been open for anyone in the wrestling community to sit in and provide feedback. By working together and aligning expectations as much as possible we can all benefit. I hope this helps provide at least some clarification and best wishes this season!

2015 All-Indiana Junior National Dual Team Selection Sectionals are here! 2015 has already gotten off to a hot start this IHSAA season and it’s looking to heat up even more as we all get closer to Banker’s Life in February. It is also time for Indiana’s National Teams to begin preparations on making this an even better summer than last! In 2014, Indiana Cadets placed 4th and Juniors placed 15th at the Asics/Vaughn Cadet & Junior Nationals in Fargo, North Dakota, the official measurement of Indiana high school wrestling. As good as a finish as this was - led by three national champions in Konrath, Red and Lee - we have much, much more room to grow as a state. One of the premier events leading up to Fargo is the USAW Junior National Dual Championships. It will be held this June 23-27th in Tulsa, Oklahoma and features 7+ guaranteed matches against some of the best competition in the country! These teams, including Illinois, Minnesota, Michigan, Oklahoma, etc., feature the best-of-the-best in their state and are oftentimes filled from top to bottom with National Champions, All-Americans, nationally ranked wrestlers, state champions, etc. One weight class even featured 6 of the top 12 nationally ranked wrestlers in the country! Last year, Indiana had tough duals against Illinois, Florida, South Carolina, Arkansas, Ohio, New York, Utah, and several others. Our wrestlers competed hard, but the caliber and physical demand was, and has consistently been, just too much for our athletes. However, although we did not place higher as team, the experience our athletes receive individually at this tournament is absolutely invaluable. To show you what we are up against, below is a list of last year’s teams and their line-ups. Take notice of the national champions, All-Americans, nationally ranked wrestlers, many of which are now premier collegiate athletes in the NCAA. Athletes, parents, coaches: I implore you to look up individuals in your weight class and see the quality of competition you would receive at this tournament. Illinois Minnesota Oklahoma 100 Hayes, Louis 100 Gliva, Victor 100 Adams,Wyatt 106 Johansen, Kirk 106 Molitor, Rylee 100 Nafieh, Mason 106 Punke, Dack 106 Crowe, Alex 106 Gfeller, Kaden 113 Fuentez, Carlos 106 Ka, Sodan 113 Nieman, Andrew 113 Lukanich, Nick 113 Jones, Brent 113 Bridges, Montori 120 Akins, Kyle 120 Petry, Skylar 120 Fix, Daton 120 Cullen, Michael 120 Fitterer, Paul 120 Duffield, Dalton 120 Oliver, Elijah 126 McKee, Mitchell 126 Brock, Kaid 126 Marmolejo, Jonathan 132 Thorn, Tommy 132 Harding, Gary Wayne 132 Mehrholz, Andre 132 Tschida, Blane 132 Moore, Keegan 132 Polakowski, Stephan 138 Berg, James 138 Sheets, Wyatt 138 Butler, Alex 145 Voss, Mark 138 Moran, Tristan 145 White, Isaiah 145 Berge, Brady 145 Blaylock, Jonce 152 Early, Larry 152 Brolsma, Carson 152 Smith, Joe 152 Brill, Bryce 152 Schauer, Jackson 152 Mendez, Kristen 160 Sutton, Garrett 160 Moore, Paden 160 Smith, Jacobe 170 Bey, Kamal 160 Krone, Brandon 160 Loving, Cameron 170 Dietz, Vincent 170 Hall, Mark 170 Rogers, Chandler 182 Carr, Colin 182 Moore, Keegan 182 Dixon, Lance 182 Traxler, Nathan 182 Johnson, Kade 195 Howard, Conner 220 Marsden, Andrew 195 Steveson, Bobby 195 Dixon, Joel 285 Hobbs, Michael 220 Cheney, Paul 220 Dixon, Andrew 285 Jones, Adarios 220 Pegelow, Nickolas 220 Childers, Kyler 285 Pinto, Luis 285 Walker, Korey As you can see, this tournament is legitimate. It is a true opportunity to compete against the best wrestlers in the country, whether you are looking to climb the national rankings, become nationally ranked in the first place, or simply looking to get guaranteed experience against the nation’s elite. We have consistently been out-gunned at this event with our best athlete’s competing in Disney, but this year we want to showcase OUR best talent and officially let everyone know Indiana is here. Selection Process In an effort to make Indiana more competitive, give our Indiana athletes more national exposure, and truly work to bring a legitimate national dual championship back to Indiana, the ISWA has decided to adjust the Junior Dual Team Selection process to fit current national trends. For almost the past 2 decades, we used the results of the ISWA State Tournament Series to fill the team, with the ISWA State Champions in each weight class getting first right of refusal, and then working ourselves down the results until we got a commitment. This was to ensure fairness and promote ISWA and USAW participation across the state. At one time Indiana used to take multiple teams filled with Indiana’s best, once taking over a team with a combined 15 individual state titles. Recent trends, however, began causing problems with filling our best teams because some athletes could not participate at the ISWA State Tournament, or due to the timing of Disney Duals or Virginia Duals, had already committed to a team. Consequently, this led to us to having to take a more “developmental” team to Oklahoma, where we don’t place high but our individuals use this experience as a platform for eventually becoming some of the state’s top contenders. From a competitive standpoint, however, not being able to get our best athletes to this event is why we are out of contention. For example, Minnesota Blue had 29 seeding points, led by national standouts including Mark Hall, Bobby Steveson, Tommy Thorn, Mitchell McKey, and many others. Defending national champion Illinois led in seeding points with 48 and had the guns and names to prove it. These are just A FEW examples of how tough this tournament is and who you could potentially wrestle. Well this year is looking to be different! We are excited to announce the ISWA has adjusted the selection process to now allow a selection committee (ISWA Board, national team coaches, Directors, etc.) to pick the first team and alternates, consistent with the other top states in the country. The selection process will now be primarily based off the separation criteria used in the tournament (outlined below) and the athletes we feel based off of ISWA placement, participation, national experience, etc. that ultimately gives us one of the best shots at competing for a national dual championship. Seeding Criteria A) FILA Junior World Champion - 5 points Junior National Champion - 5 points C) FILA Junior National Champion - 5 points D) Cadet/FILA Cadet National Champion - 4 points E) FILA Junior World Place Winner - 3 points F) Junior National Place Winner - 3 points G) FILA Junior National Place Winner - 3 points H) FILA Junior World Team Member - 2 points I) Cadet/FILA Cadet National Place Winner - 2 points J) Current Year Junior Regional Champion - 1 point 2015 All-Indiana Junior Dual Team Selection Because of the caliber of competition and the physical demand of wrestling 7+ matches a day against the country’s best, taking alternates is major part of building a national contender. From wrestlers getting dinged up to simply having better match-ups, alternates are necessary and oftentimes get just as many high-quality matches as their counterpart. Using the above stated criteria along with the ISWA selection committee’s input, the official 2015 Indiana Junior Freestyle Dual Team selection are listed below. The highlighted athletes provide current separation points, non-highlighted names are athletes we feel give us a good shot at competing better at this level, and the OPEN slots are available to additional Indiana wrestlers interested and ultimately voted on by the board. 100 – OPEN 106 – Colton Cummings (Lowell) Cameron Diep (New Palestine) 113 – Paul Konrath (Mt. Vernon), Drew Hildebrandt (Penn) Garrett Pepple (East Noble) 120 – Brock Hudkins (Danville) Cornelius Elliott (Perry Meridian) Breydan Bailey (Cathderal) 126 – CJ Red (New Palestine) Guage Torres (Portage) OPEN 132 – Nick Lee (Evansville Mater Dei) Evan Eldred (Westfield) Matt McKinney (Warren Central 138 – Brandon James (Perry Meridian) Tommy Cash (Lawrence North) Joe Lee (EMD) 145 – Jacob Covaciu (Merriville) Steve Lawrence (Portage) Trent Pruitt (Warren Central) 152 – Tommy Forte (Mishawaka) OPEN OPEN 160 – Drew Hughes (Lowell) OPEN OPEN 170 – Dylan Lydy (Ben Davis) Ben Harvey (Cathedral) Jacob Stevenson (Franklin) 182 – Chase Osborne (Penn) OPEN OPEN 195 – Blake Rypel (Cathedral) Randy Scott (Mooresville) Jacob Cavins (Milan) 220 – Kobe Woods (Penn) OPEN OPEN 285 – Shawn Streck (Merriville) Norman Oglesby (Ben Davis) OPEN To the above athletes, coaches and parents: We understand that some athletes may not be available, are still growing physically, ultimately may not be able to go, or want to go but not at the selected weight class. Again, this is a HUGE OPPORTUNITY to wrestle the best in the country, especially as a pre-cursor to Fargo. Either way, for accepting or declining this selection, or for more information on this opportunity, please contact Tom Erikson (Team Leader) at 765.426.7072 or terik28901@aol.com or Nick Hull (Asst. Team Leader) @ 317.800.5369 or coachnhull@gmail.com. We look forward to a new era in Indiana wrestling and feel you would help Indiana bring home the legitimate title at the 2015 USAW Junior Dual National Championships! To other Indiana athletes: We are also looking to take an additional Freestyle and Greco Team based on previous selection criteria and implore ALL ELIGIBLE INDIANA WRESTLERS who are interested to stay tuned on how you too can also participate in this high-quality event. Eligibility based off of Indiana high school wrestlers, age, participation in ISWA tournaments, ISWA State series, Freestyle and Greco-Roman, participation at RTCs, USAW Regional Tournaments, etc. It is no secret that many former team members use this experience as a platform for eventually becoming some of the state and country’s top contenders. What: 2015 USAW Junior National Dual Championships When: June 23-27, 2015 Where: Cox Business Center 100 Civic Center Tulsa, OK 74103 http://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Events Costs: On average the trip ranges between $400 - $700. This depends on size of team, eventual hotel, etc. but the ISWA will work to ensure we are as affordable and efficient as possible. This price includes national team camp, gear, transportation, entry fees, lodging, etc. Athletes are encouraged bring spending money as not all meals are included and other opportunities may pop up like visiting the Wrestling Hall of Fame. As soon as more information is released by USAW, we will be able to finalize the trip cost. Our hope at getting it out this early is to help get a jump on any necessary fundraising opportunities. Deadline: We are looking to finalize the team as soon as possible and urge all selections to secure their spot immediately if possible to begin individual preparations with National Team Coaching Staff. However, our tentative date to have made contact with the above selection is as early as February at the IHSAA State Tournament, and at the culmination of the ISWA State Series in May. Our final deadline on submitting the roster will be at the end of July. CONCLUSION We look forward to a great 2015 IHSAA State Tournament Series these next few weeks, and also to a great summer of Indiana wrestling on the national stage. We will be at Banker's Life in February to continue securing commitments and building new relationships. In the meantime, continue focusing on the IHSAA State series and Team Indiana and ISWA will be waiting for you!

http://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2015/January/22/Coach-Tony-Ersland-looking-to-make-big-impact-at-Purdue Nice to see Indiana schools getting some love. Great job coach!

Thanks for the insight. I do understand what you are saying in that the kids on our teams are from the community and can be used to fill other teams who have forfeits. I get it. For example, at Perry this past weekend Indiana Pride had over 20 members wrestling for their club teams rather than us and that is both expected and ok. Fortunately we never wrestled against them but many/most of our kids wrestle for their community schools already. Our issue however is we have a select group of kids/parents who don't want to wrestle for another team and in some cases can't because their community does not have a team. I get the concept of sending some of those kids to other schools/teams to fill their roster, but that is not what these parents want or pay us for. They bring them to us so their kids can get better, have access to higher quality training, and because of the coaching they receive with us. Simply put, they want them under our banner with us in their corner. We can always stick with the individual tournaments but the dual team concept is something my parents have shown interest in, which is why I posted in the first place. I am all for community schools filling their rosters and having great tournaments, but there is a small niche of kids and parents who want more/better opportunities for their athletes to advance in this sport and these academies fill that void. When I first started IPWA it was to provide Indiana athletes of all ages another opportunity to maximize their potential and our results have been fortunate enough to speak for themselves. RWA, Contenders, Outlawz, etc. are in the same boat. I do not want to take up the torch of leadership for this cause because I have other responsibilities for Indiana wrestling, but I do wish these academies could compete against each other so our "other" kids can have that opportunity as well. However, if the academies were allowed to compete in a dual state tournament in a separate division and only two groups signed up, lol, then I will digress. Again, I am just now getting involved in Indiana youth wrestling and I do not want to overstep my bounds or step on anyone's toes. I appreciate the follow-up and and of course the platform this message board provides for us to bounce ideas around and sharpen each other....all in the name of Indiana wrestling.

I'd like to see an All-Star/Academy division for the elementary state dual tournament, separate from that of the school clubs. At Indiana Pride, we would not be able to compete in the state duals under the current format because we would be considered an "all-star" team, but I would like to see an opportunity for our kids to still compete in a state dual tournament. Essentially an RWA vs. MCWA vs. Contneders vs. Outlaws vs. CIA vs. Red Cobra vs. IPWA vs. whomever. We are just starting our youth program and are well behinds some of these programs currently, but we have kids who's school does not offer a club and therefor they wrestle and train with us. In an effort to give them the same opportunities as other kids their ages I think this would be beneficial. Regarding more parity for the big vs. small schools conversation, that is over my head as I know enough to know I don't anything at all. We are just now getting into this arena but I do think it's awesome that so many youth programs, coaches and kids are participating in wrestling at this age either way. As one of Team Indiana's Cadet and Junior coaches, these kids will soon be representing Indiana on the national stage and I will be working with many of them in some capacity. With that said, I commend all of the ambassadors of our sport working to maximize our state's potential. Coach Brewer and everyone, thanks again and keep up the good work!

http://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2014/December/11/Foxcatcher-gets-three-Golden-Globe-nominations It can be seen in Indianapolis on January 16th at Keystone Art Cinema

I happened to see that dual as well and caught myself yelling at the TV non-stop, match after match. We forfeited 125 to Jiminez and pretty much got rolled on. It looks like the same issue Indiana Cadets and Juniors have at the national level where we wrestle "tough" but tough doesnt cut it when everyone is tough. We have to be killers on the mat, meaning attacking, taking shots, etc. It's pretty tough to watch really, no pun intended. Everyone calls for Goldman's job year after year and there are plenty of theories why he still has the position. I know Simmons addition has helped in the recruiting aspect bringing in some out of state talent and at least getting some top recruit visits, but success breeds success and IU unfortunately hasn't had too much. And as far as talent goes, many of Indiana's best do go to IU, and have for years. It's just that when they get there no one seems to maximize their potential. In their defense I'm sure the coaching staff were not pleased with our performance and will look to make some adjustments. No one likes losing...especially like that. Best wishes to IU and our guys.

This weekend is gearing up to be one of the best collegiate tournaments of the year. Any Indiana athletes competing that we should look out for? I know each team is only allowed to bring 10 guys. Live on Flo....

We have officially entered the fray! IPWA, one of Indiana's premier wrestling academies, is putting together dual teams this season and will be competing locally, regionally and nationally at various tournaments. Our college and high school rooms have a reputation for training some of the top athletes in the state and country, and now we are moving to taking this world-class instruction to the front lines with the Elementary and Middle School programs. We have several dual meets scheduled and are stacked at various weights, but we also have some openings as many of our members wrestle for their school clubs. Currently, we are specifically looking to fill our elementary open weights 90 - 130. If you have an elementary or middle school wrestler interested in training with some of the state's best and getting some more matches in outside or during their respective school/club/season, please contact me at coachnhull@gmail.com on how your athlete can get involved! For more information on IPWA please visit us at www.indianaprideacademy.com

Deondre Wilson is at North Idaho doing well. Currently undefeated and ranked #8 but the rankings are outdated: pinned #10 NAIA in 2 minutes, 15-4 major over #4, wins over multiple D1 wrestlers including PT Garcia (3x Colorado State Champ, Fargo Runner-Up) from University of Wyoming. Should have pretty good competition coming up against Boise State and Oregon State this weekend. Noah Perdue is taking a medical red-shirt at IU after having surgery last weekend but will be in the mix over next few years. Georgio Blades is doing ok at Indiana Tech with a recent Michigan State Open Runner-Up finish. Shabaka Johns is starting for VMI this year after missing NCAA qualification last year in round to go. Who are some of the other Indiana athletes representing us across the country? We know about Nathan Boston and Stevan Micic, but is there any word on Mitch Sliga, Cody Lecount (CMU), Wes Bernard and Vinnie Corsaro (Rutgers)? Even guys like Matt Kelly are rolling in college last time I heard. Can we compile a list for Indiana fans to track?

North Idaho is ranked #1 in NJCAA Rankings and Wilson comes in ranked #8 in the country. Should be moving up sooner than later, recently won Northwest Open defeating University of Wyoming's PT Garcia (3x colorado state champ, Fargo runner-up, national wrestler of the year) in finals 3-2.

IPWA HS Preseason October Camp October 1st - October 29th, 2014 Every Monday & Wednesday @ 7-830p $50 - we accept Cash, Credit Cards, Personal Checks, and Paypal 2926 E. Washington Street Indianapolis, IN 46201 Central Indiana, DO NOT MISS OUT THIS GREAT OPPORTUNITY!! For only $50 your athlete is able to train and compete in arguably the best room in the state!!! They will be practicing with National and State Champions, All-Americans, and a multitude of state place winners, qualifiers, and those looking to make their mark. Even if they are not "on that level" yet, what better way to get on that level than train with the best?! Iron sharpens iron and our room does exactly that. On top of the competition, the IPWA staff is second to none and rivals that of D1 college programs. From World medalists, former college coaches, and Indiana Hall of Famers, our team of coaches are fully dedicated to one thing: maximizing Indiana's potential. We take a hands-on approach in teaching, getting out there just as much as the athletes (in some cases even more), and don't just coach from the wall. Most are Team Indiana National coaches and we do this FULL-TIME, which means all we focus on is wrestling! Private sessions are also available throughout the season, but the schedule is filling up fast - so act now!! Again, DO NOT MISS this great opportunity to train with the best. We work collectively with parents and school coaches alike as many are in the midst of their own pre-season training. There are dozens of HS coaches who send their athletes our way, even if it is once a week, because the level of competition and coaching in our room cannot be duplicated and we are extremely affordable. This month of training is only for October as we shut down H.S. practices in November with the official IHSAA season starting. Throughout this October we will be fine-tuning technique, strengthening good habits and getting out of the bad ones, improving on our top, bottom and neutral positions, learning a proven philosophy that achieves success on both the local and national level, raising expectations across the board, and most importantly we GET RESULTS! For more information, please visit www.indianaprideacademy.com. We look forward to seeing you there tonight!!

It's going down today!! Registration starts in a few minutes for the Arizona State Wrestling Clinic! Don't miss this great opportunity to get in and learn with some of the best clinicians in the country. See you @ Warren Central!!!

Coaches, We have set up some group rates with several schools in order to take advantage of this great opportunity. If you are interested in making this happen for your club or school, please feel free to contact me at coachnhull@gmail.com Thanks!