UncleJimmy

Kinda like reaching back on bottom…some things are best learned through experience. 

I’ve seen a lot of talk the past couple years that CP benefits from their semi state compared to Brownsburg. The talk started up again this year and realizing how tough CP draws were I did some research. 
 
CP has 14 wrestlers trying to qualify for state. In their way are 12 different state ranked opponents. (86% chance CP will wrestle a state ranked opponent to qualify.) Brownsburg has 13 wrestlers trying to qualify for state. There are only 7 state ranked opponents in their way of qualifying (54% chance BB will wrestle a state ranked opponent to qualify.)
 
I noticed CP got really tough semi final draws. CP could have a state ranked opponent in every semi final compared to 12/13 for Brownsburg. But here’s the madness. CP has 6 different Semi Final matchups against Top 5 State Ranked wrestlers (4 of those are ranked top 2). Brownsburg will face 0 top 5 state ranked opponents during the semi finals this weekend. 
 
Evansville is still clearly the harder semi state and I would argue that the two toughest individual draws between CP and BB are Gibbs and Haines. But I think the evidence above proves that CP will have to earn their state title this year just like Brownsburg/ CG will. 

I think it’s important now that the season is nearing its zenith to address one of the most important issues that I think goes under talked around this time, which is the hard working kids who lose at semi state. Obviously, we should celebrate those who make it to state. That is the goal of almost every high school wrestler, to be among the best in the state and compete in the best venue in all of Indiana. But inevitably, most wrestlers Sunday will not end up advancing to the state tournament. And I think it’s important that we address how to support the kids that lose, especially the seniors who will possibly wrestle their very last matches on Saturday.
 
Last year as a senior, I went into my season with high expectations. For three years straight, I went to everything. My high school coaches could tell you I was person who missed the least practices. I showed up to everything; morning practice, optional practice, summer open mats, I even went to RWA three days a week and trained at my coaches own gym in order to build up my strength and conditioning.  I felt like I was one of the hardest working, toughest people in the state. In middle school at my first off-season tournament I suffered a concussion. My freshman year I broke my left elbow and had to get screws out in, which I still have to this day. Junior year I dislocated my rib wrestling freestyle, and over the summer I suffered severe second degree burns which caused most of the epidermis on my back to slough off. But still, I worked through it all because I felt like if I didn’t I wasn’t being the best wrestler I could. Going into regionals of senior year I broke the scaphoid bone in my wrist, and couldn’t press down or grip my right hand for the rest of season. I felt like all of this only contributed to me being a tougher wrestler on the mat. And even with all of that, I got completely out wrestled at semi state. My broken wrist meant nothing, I did not live up to my potential and didn’t wrestle my best, and that’s why I lost. For at least a month after semi state I was completely in the dumps. It’s like I had a rain cloud overhead, I felt like my career meant nothing. It was over, and I didn’t accomplish what I wanted to. No matter what people said to me, it really didn’t ease the fact that I felt completely empty. I also felt angry. I felt so angry that I had teammates who put in way less practice time than me, who didn’t show up to half the things I did, and yet still advanced farther than I did. I wasn’t angry at them, though, I was angry at myself. I was angry because I felt like that there was something that I must have missed, some piece of the puzzle that despite all my hours I just couldn’t get. And that made me really hate myself for a few weeks. Our sport is so much more draining mentally than it is physically, and for those seniors who lose at semi state, it can really knock your happiness down a few notches for a quite a while. So coaches and parents, if you have a wrestler whose career comes to an end this Saturday, it’s important to not look at their whole career under a microscope and appreciate the whole journey. You got to participate in the toughest sport in the world, you were able to make it to semi state, which while not a particularly impressive accomplishment, still means that likely hundreds of hours of hard work went into that qualification. It’s okay to feel upset, but don’t let it hang over your life. You worked hard, and you did something that most wrestlers in the state didn’t. And to those who have more years, never stop grinding. Embrace it, and make sure to have fun with it. When the sport is fun, you do better. You can make it to state, but you can’t take your foot off the gas.
 
I love wrestling, so so much. It’s the best thing I’ve ever done, and something I plan on continuing even though I’m not on a college team. I’m so grateful to the sport and my coaches for making me the man I am today, and for teaching me such invaluable life lessons. And I think loving the sport is really what’s so important. If you were able to make an athlete fall in love with the sport, with the process, then you succeeded as a coach. If you support your kids and help them foster that love, then you succeeded as a wrestling parent. The lessons athletes learn from wrestling are some of the best life lessons you can learn, and when you are able to fall in love with the sport, these values are only engrained deeper. So to those seniors out there, wrestle your hearts out. Don’t be afraid to lose, don’t be afraid to score points. Leave it all on the mat and put your name in the history books. And to those seniors who worked so hard and end up coming up short, it will suck. But you’ll live. You’ll be okay. And I think that, even if you lose at semi state, if you managed to fall in love with the sport, then it was all worth it in the end. We are all apart of something amazing, and wrestling is absolutely the greatest sport ever. Fall in love with it, and wrestle your hearts out. 
 

Is this the first IndianaMat "doxing" on record? I've often wondered who some of you #KnuckleHeads were but dang....if I posted all my @TeamGarcia DM's you'd question that HOF self nomination....Miss you man! 

My buddy ! That’s what I’m talking about ! 

Is this the first IndianaMat "doxing" on record? I've often wondered who some of you #KnuckleHeads were but dang....if I posted all my @TeamGarcia DM's you'd question that HOF self nomination....Miss you man! 

Nice thanks!
 
So Indiana ranked 14th in NCAA DI qualifiers in 2023. Slightly better than what should be expected from our population (17th).
 
Additionally as I guessed, if you re-rank them looking at qualifiers per capita Indiana goes to 11th.
 
1. Iowa 5.0 qualifiers per 1 million in population
2. Pennsylvania 3.5
3. Oklahoma 3.2
4. Illinois 2.5
5. New Jersey 2.5
6. Minnesota 2.1
7. Ohio 1.9
8. Missouri 1.9
9. Michigan 1.6
10. Colorado 1.5
11. Indiana 1.0
12. New York 0.9
13. California 0.5
14. Florida 0.4
 
So as you can see Indiana while considerably behind the best wrestling states in the country, we are out performing our population numbers. And how many states with class wrestling is going to rank below us I wonder? Sorry but I do not believe that this proves beyond a doubt that class wrestling is going to improve our quality.
 
Of course this does not include the entire list. I could only do this exercise for the short list that you provided. There are perhaps some states that are below us in pure numbers that would go ahead of us per capita.
 
But again, I am not against class wrestling. It is needed for the team aspect. Unfortunately, the IHSAA is not concerned with that.

I may know someone that will smash everyone post here, this one poster, (if) I don’t do it first … will chew them up and then 
 
them out if he comments on this Stir The Pot .
We don’t care ! This guy works for #TheCounty North Division. @UncleJimmy . Tell’em Legend of the Board ! 
 
 
You other Posters to TeamGarcia & @UncleJimmy Greatness . 
 
We say  
 
we run this Forum . 

We are the Greatest Indianamat Tag Team this site ever seen . If we stir the pot we get 20 pages, 20k of valuable Indianamat entertainment for your viewing pleasures . EVERYONE KNOWS THIS ! 😂🤣😂

 
 

 

Not listening to the show blasphemy 

Penn did not wish to be considered for a spot. 

That is always encouraged with or without reason.

When there is a surplus of referees, then it's fair to criticize and ask for better options.  Until then, be thankful that these people are willing to give up their Saturday or weekday evening to help the show go on for the kids.  I'm not a referee but I know that it's a very thankless job with relatively low pay and constant complaining.  Maybe this gentleman had knee issues or even replacements - until you know someone's story just remember that they are not out there saving lives they are just calling an amateur contest and nearly volunteering their time

I find this topic interesting. My kid worked 2x as hard as I did. My youth was spent playing baseball, soccer, basketball, etc. In Middle school I ran XC, played basketball, wrestled, baseball, & ran track.  Local wrestling club was 2x a week for freestyle in spring. When not doing that I was playing pickup basketball with friends, organizing a baseball game in the local field with soda cans & paper plates as bases with ghost runners, doing the same for football games etc. I cant remember the last time I saw ANY kids doing any of this. The reason?...we have monetized youth sports & make them practice 24/7, and we call them soft.  These kids we call soft are going to club practices, RTCs, and academies all week every week starting at early ages. How many are single sport athletes at ages younger than 12?  Many. Kids arent softer, just different & burnout is real. 

We often lose track of of these wrestlers after high school, but it’s comforting to me knowing while I sleep that Zach and his brothers, Jacob and Adam, are protecting me and our country. 
 
Thought this was pretty cool and wanted to share. 
 
 

We often lose track of of these wrestlers after high school, but it’s comforting to me knowing while I sleep that Zach and his brothers, Jacob and Adam, are protecting me and our country. 
 
Thought this was pretty cool and wanted to share. 
 
 

We often lose track of of these wrestlers after high school, but it’s comforting to me knowing while I sleep that Zach and his brothers, Jacob and Adam, are protecting me and our country. 
 
Thought this was pretty cool and wanted to share. 
 
 

We often lose track of of these wrestlers after high school, but it’s comforting to me knowing while I sleep that Zach and his brothers, Jacob and Adam, are protecting me and our country. 
 
Thought this was pretty cool and wanted to share. 
 
 

We often lose track of of these wrestlers after high school, but it’s comforting to me knowing while I sleep that Zach and his brothers, Jacob and Adam, are protecting me and our country. 
 
Thought this was pretty cool and wanted to share. 
 
 

We often lose track of of these wrestlers after high school, but it’s comforting to me knowing while I sleep that Zach and his brothers, Jacob and Adam, are protecting me and our country. 
 
Thought this was pretty cool and wanted to share. 
 
 

We often lose track of of these wrestlers after high school, but it’s comforting to me knowing while I sleep that Zach and his brothers, Jacob and Adam, are protecting me and our country. 
 
Thought this was pretty cool and wanted to share. 
 
 

We often lose track of of these wrestlers after high school, but it’s comforting to me knowing while I sleep that Zach and his brothers, Jacob and Adam, are protecting me and our country. 
 
Thought this was pretty cool and wanted to share. 
 
 

We often lose track of of these wrestlers after high school, but it’s comforting to me knowing while I sleep that Zach and his brothers, Jacob and Adam, are protecting me and our country. 
 
Thought this was pretty cool and wanted to share. 
 
 

We often lose track of of these wrestlers after high school, but it’s comforting to me knowing while I sleep that Zach and his brothers, Jacob and Adam, are protecting me and our country. 
 
Thought this was pretty cool and wanted to share. 
 
 

We often lose track of of these wrestlers after high school, but it’s comforting to me knowing while I sleep that Zach and his brothers, Jacob and Adam, are protecting me and our country. 
 
Thought this was pretty cool and wanted to share. 
 
 

We often lose track of of these wrestlers after high school, but it’s comforting to me knowing while I sleep that Zach and his brothers, Jacob and Adam, are protecting me and our country. 
 
Thought this was pretty cool and wanted to share.