Coach Hull

Leave it to no$occermom to come thru!!  Thanks. Best wishes to all Indiana wrestlers!

Would you please provide some examples or perhaps the matches where you witnessed inequities so that we may use these for training purposes in the future. If you can give me the names of the wrestlers or the age group and weight class that would be great. USA Wrestling's Officials Association (USWOA) does focus on grass roots programs along with national and international level officiating. We provide extensive training and educational programs for referees both in folkstyle and the international styles. The examples that you provide would not only benefit our referees, but they would also benefit our athletes enabling us to make the correct calls. 
Tom Clark
Vice President
USWOA

That's all on me, as, the director of officials. In the past I've made it a point to move officials around and utilize as many as possible on the championship mat. Quite honestly, I just overlooked it. I had some issues with a few inexperienced officials and I was focusing on watching those mats/matches and moving things around with them as needed. I just flat overlooked it. That being said, not one single issue was brought to my attention involving the championship mat on either day. However, the officials who dedicated their time this past weekend certainly deserved the consideration of working in on the championship mat and I apologize to them for my shortcomings in leadership. I promise it won't happen again. I have worked very hard and have been successful in recruiting some of the best officials in the state to buy into the ISWA program to serve as mentors to younger inexperienced officials at our state final events and I don't want to lose any of the headway I've made in that effort. My apologies to all...!!!

Congrats to my middle school head coach and staff for another outstanding season. Shaun led the team to an undefeated and IHSWCA middle school state champion season. In fact Coach Richardson and the middle school Falcon Wrestling program have only lost two duals in the last nine years. The cupboard is not bare thanks to the elem and MS staffs efforts. Great job Coach Richardson, Coach Steward, Coach Warren and the elem staff of Coach Elliott, Coach Oliver and Coach Haggerty.

First I would like to state the ISWA is doing a lot of great things and has great leadership.
I happened to agree completely with the qualification process for Freestyle/Greco State.
 
Even if you dislike freestyle/Greco, your wrestler needs to know when a throw is coming (to defend) even if he or she never offensively attempts a throw. (see over under throws countered beautifully with a Metzger)
 
Anyways back to question.
Why does the older kids like Cadet/Juniors earn a spot based on result in Freestyle State and Greco State for Indiana traveling teams to Fargo and other places and the Schoolboy/Novice age kids have a wrestle off type tournament with no coaches allowed?
I am pretty old but when I was on the traveling team back in the ancient days, we qualified by placement at ISWA state.
Our Indiana youth traveling team included Lance Ellis, who should be on the short list of best thrower ever from Indiana. The kids in his weight class at out of state tournaments had no idea about our throwing machine thanks to the lack of the interwebs.

If you were insulted by this article, you are too sensitive.  Remember to sugar-coat everything.  Everyone is a winner.  Participation ribbons for all.  

Having more tournaments in the North is the answer. Find some local sponsors, get hooked up with track wrestling and have a tournament. With the lack of tournaments up there it should also help your club generate some cash flow that will help the kids as well. If you need help getting a tournament together I'm sure that some folks from this forum would be glad to help you get it up and running.

you guys keep blaming and blaming the ISWA, do something about it, host a tournament...."Your Killing me Smalls!"

I feel as if lots of kids these days are getting caught up in the idea of being Division I athletes. While being a Division I athlete is stellar, it isn't the only level. I feel as if being a Division I athlete is something you should shoot for and to train like, but you don't have to become one. You see kids with their social media bios saying "D1 dreams" or "D1 bound", or something of that nature, but I wouldn't want my kids getting caught up in the idea of that. You should use collegiate athletic scholarships as a stepping stone into the next phase of your life and to help you earn an education. Some Division I institutions don't offer the things you're looking for in life. When you choose a college, you should choose one that you are most comfortable with. I don't care if you're a state champion, placewinner, semi-state, regional, or sectional qualifier. If you want to continue to wrestle in college, you should do as you wish, and you should still work hard. Kids who were semi-state qualifiers and don't necessarily get that shot at being a Division I athlete for a top program shouldn't be down and out. You can be a semi-state qualifier in high school and continue to wrestle in college at a D2, D3, NAIA, or Junior College and still train hard to win something big. You may want it even more then because you didn't have it in high school. You can still train and become a national champion. I hear kids too often who love the sport that don't make it out of semi-state or regionals and quit the sport because they believe they're no good. Sometimes, it's just not your time, but in college you can still train at a higher and more intense level to become an All-American or champion. If you become a Division III national champion, you're not any less of a national champion than a Division I or Division II or any more of a national champion than an NAIA or Junior College. I just don't want my kids to believe that they have to quit doing something they love because they didn't get a big time shot or get as far as they hoped.

Lol. I got your back Wade.  Think Steve Young after Joe Montana.  You're the truth.
 
@WrestlingScholar, I think everything you are insinuating is true.  Clubs/Academies do play a good part in the quality of our younger kids AND top level coaches ARE involved in their programs year round.  Clearly, I am biased, but I know for a fact we help kids at Indiana Pride make larger strides in the sport when sometimes circumstances, at a middle school program for example, are not meeting the expectations of a parent.  I've had parents call me in tears because their son or daughter went backwards during the scholastic season.  On the other hand, you have coaches like Harper, Tonte, Pendowski, Red, Snyder, Williams, Schaefer, Seltzer, Blevins, etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. who put in the time and the results speak for themselves.
 
At the same time, I think there are also more opportunities and tools for our kids to develop as well, like the internet for example.  I didnt have the internet coming up and didnt utilize my first email address until I was a sophomore in college.  But now if kids want to see advanced techniques, they can log on to Flo. If they want to track competition they can go Trackwrestling. If they want to see this competition they can hit YouTube. These are just a few examples.  Does anyone remember Encyclopedias?  Now it's Google.  With a standard smartphone our kids literally have the world in the palms of their hands now.  They can see more of what greatness looks like and therefore it is easier to model. Information is golden. 
 
All I had in high school was the "Indiana Grappler" magazine and the rankings came out on cheap little tri-fold.  I remember trying to model the "Featured Technique" in the USA Wrestling newspaper but couldn't quite figure out how he got from position 2 to 3.  I still love the afros and mullets though. Lol.

Lydy hasn't finalized his decision on college.
 
Should happen after a few visit post national duals.

This is our first week for Regional Training Center.  They will be on Thursdays.  We plan on having different clinicians and coaches each week to share there wrestling experiences and expertise.  This week, Rashaad Trapp will be running it. 
 
Columbus East High School
230 S. Marr Rd.
Columbus, IN 47201
 
5:00pm to 7:00pm
 
Cost is FREE

red
Hull
Coach p
Hump
Little midget aka Eppert
 
Can I come be a fly and take notes in Your rooms? I just want to learn!

AJ,    I get better everyday, tougher everyday, stronger everyday, faster everyday, and better looking everyday.
 
Coach Hull, thanks for having my back.    Ed just likes to poke fun because I have a better haircut than him.
 
Everybody else in case you are wondering... An ISWA Card is required to attend Carmel USA Wrestling Club workouts.   We look forward to seeing all the high school guys start filtering back into the room starting this Sunday and in the coming weeks.

Bellmont has a conflict on Wednesdays so we are changing day and time.
 
Bellmont's RTC will be on Thursdays and will start at 6:30. First session will be March 5th

Lol. I got your back Wade.  Think Steve Young after Joe Montana.  You're the truth.
 
@WrestlingScholar, I think everything you are insinuating is true.  Clubs/Academies do play a good part in the quality of our younger kids AND top level coaches ARE involved in their programs year round.  Clearly, I am biased, but I know for a fact we help kids at Indiana Pride make larger strides in the sport when sometimes circumstances, at a middle school program for example, are not meeting the expectations of a parent.  I've had parents call me in tears because their son or daughter went backwards during the scholastic season.  On the other hand, you have coaches like Harper, Tonte, Pendowski, Red, Snyder, Williams, Schaefer, Seltzer, Blevins, etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. who put in the time and the results speak for themselves.
 
At the same time, I think there are also more opportunities and tools for our kids to develop as well, like the internet for example.  I didnt have the internet coming up and didnt utilize my first email address until I was a sophomore in college.  But now if kids want to see advanced techniques, they can log on to Flo. If they want to track competition they can go Trackwrestling. If they want to see this competition they can hit YouTube. These are just a few examples.  Does anyone remember Encyclopedias?  Now it's Google.  With a standard smartphone our kids literally have the world in the palms of their hands now.  They can see more of what greatness looks like and therefore it is easier to model. Information is golden. 
 
All I had in high school was the "Indiana Grappler" magazine and the rankings came out on cheap little tri-fold.  I remember trying to model the "Featured Technique" in the USA Wrestling newspaper but couldn't quite figure out how he got from position 2 to 3.  I still love the afros and mullets though. Lol.

You have the opportunity to watch the best DIII NCAA Regional this weekend at Wabash College! Wrestling starts at 9am in Knowling Fieldhouse located on the Southside of campus. The top 3 in each weight class qualify for the NCAA National Tournament in Hershey, PA on March 13-14th. Last year we sent 6 of our 10 guys and will look to do much of the same Saturday. Quarterfinals should start around 10:15am.
 
National Ranking/ Teams
 
#2 Wisconsin-Whitewater
#3 Wabash
#4 Wisconsin-Lacrosse
#12 Alma
Olivet
Wheaton
North Central
Chicago
Elmhurst
Wisconsin-Stevens Point
Trine
Manchester
 
Hope to see you this weekend,
 
Coach Irwin
 

Some folks have had a lot of negative things to say about the Lebanon junior, but I saw him do something very admirable after his 3rd place match at New Castle. Right after beating Rutledge of Southport for 3rd, he spent time showing Rutledge some techniques and even drilled with him for a while. In this day and age of extreme competitiveness and 'not showing your cards' to your opponent, I thought this was good sportsmanship in its clearest form and I wanted to commend him. I think he's been unfairly targeted by some people. That doesn't mean he's perfect or not responsible for his less ideal behaviors, but I've seen him a lot and I think he's a good kid and a really tough competitor. Just wanted to shine a little light on something positive.

This was a tough decision for the ISWA to make and you don't have to be a major player in the Indiana Wrestling scene to know that there would be 'pushback' from the member clubs of the organization for mandating local freestyle tourneys to qualify for freestyle state.
 
I've been involved with the ISWA for a while now and there have been decisions made by our organization that I thought were outstanding and some that I thought sucked eggs (please don't make me list them publicly! ha!).
 
Truth be told, the ISWA is a large and very mature wrestling organization.  I always love coming back from an out of state USA Wrestling tourney.  If you go to Central Regionals when it's held in MI, you'll appreciate how well our organization works.
 
The qualifiying process of two local tourneys to qualify for freestyle state was established to help grow freestyle opportunities.  I'm under the impression that a couple local clubs in different areas of the state are in the process of getting a freestyle tourney.  That's exactly what the ISWA was hoping would happen.  
 
The question of whether this was a good idea or not is still left to be decided.  I know in last weekends meeting I specifically brought up the question of whether this qualifying process is going to be evaluated and up for discussion in the future and it will be.  It might turn out to be something that was awesome and this is an outstanding decision made....or it could be awful and hurt the growth of freestyle opportunities.  Either way, our organization will make adjustments.
 
I sat through all the meetings in the past as freestyle season was shortened because more and more people wanted folkstyle tournaments and our organization acted accordingly.  Now our organization is trying to find a way to encourage freestyle opportunities.  
 
My reason for this post is to hopefully rally the troops to look at the ISWA as 'OUR' organization.  There have been decisions that have been made in the past that have totally pissed me off (again, please don't make me post this list either! ha!).  Other decisions I thought have been great.  I do feel that while our organization is far from perfect, is the best in the country.  
 
The worst thing we can do is "pick up my ball and go somewhere else".  I believe that the worst thing could happen to Indiana wrestling is if we had a pocket of Indiana that is AAU another pocket of Indiana that is USA Wrestling and another pocket that is MYWAY.  I am far passionate about all the things USA Wrestling does and it's effects on ISWA, but it's OUR organization and I feel that it is best for all of Indiana Wrestling if we act together.  
 
If you don't like what happens in the ISWA, then contact the office. You can send an email to your section rep and they can present it at the meeting if you cannot attend.  I think the webcast idea is awesome and I'd bet that the board would make that happen if there truly was an interest in that.
 
More importantly my hope is that we look at our organization as OURS and everyone does as much as they can to continue making it the best in the country.

I have a similar schedule minus folk nats....but add a 9 yr old daughter who's getting pretty good @ softball, who's team I coach....believe me its rough, but for us mom & dad take kids separate places every weekend & to all the practices all week long....im sure I spend more on gas every month, than I do in rent...but I can assure you of this, my son & nephew will get qualified for FS/GR state & I will do my damndest to be sure my daughter bats for .500 this year....that's what I signed up for when I became a parent, does it suck? sometimes, is it stressful? ABSOLUTLEY, but it is what I have to do for my kids to enjoy their lives...SO BE IT!!!

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!

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 

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!

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 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.