PirateDad

C'mon, guys.  The article isn't about Nick Lee, who doesn't have an undefeated High School career.  The article is about Chad Red.  
 
Only a tiny fraction of the sports fan population follows High School wrestling, so any mention of Lee would have been completely lost on 99.5% of the article's audience.  Heck, this is probably the first time most readers of the article have even heard of Red.
 
We may consider it a foregone conclusion, but Lee may not even make it to the final match...not that I don't believe he will.

As a 1st year head coach, I don't know much about dealing with the ihsaa. But here's my two cents.
 
First, I think if we want to be fairly certain that we can keep attendance up, we'd need to class the team tournament. Regardless of your position on class wrestling, that will probably be a compromise we'll have to accept to improve revenue for the ihsaa. More teams would likely yield more spectators. Spectators bring the almighty dollar with them.
 
Qualification would probably be the highest placing member of every class of every sectional. Team regional could be the following wednesday with the 3 champions out of each sectional competing against the champs from another. After just one night of the team competition we'd be down to 16 teams per class. Team semistate the following week would again consist of 1 round. Then host team state with the top 8 from each class the Wednesday before semistate.
 
Obviously this format presents similar problems to our previous team state format. Wrestlers don't want to make weight in the middle of the week during tournament time. Give them an additional weight allowance of a pound allowance to ensure they aren't cutting hard in the middle of the week.
 
As for teams that send jv teams to regional or state because they don't feel they can compete, give them the option to opt out, as long as they give ample notice to the alternate team from their sectional/regional. If the team tournament were classed, I don't think you'd have near as many teams wanting to send jv kids because the smaller schools would have the same opportunity to win it. If teams still send jv squads to compete, we could make it mandatory that a certain percentage of your wrestlers competing in the individual tournament would have to compete in the team tournament. Schools that violate this rule could be subject to some sort of postseason penalty the following year. Not ban the team from competing, but perhaps the inability to score team points at sectional the following year. Administrators would likely pressure coaches to compete in the team tournament of it ducking out cost the school concrete athletic success (in the form of a sectional championship) the following year.
 
In addition to proving to the ihsaa that the team tournament would provide enough revenue for them to consider it a success, we would also want to prove that team state is a platform for growing the sport of wrestling in the state. Statistical data from states with a similar demographic as indiana would be needed to show the correlation between team success in the team state tournament and improved numbers in following years. Included could be the fact that 336 wrestlers would be competing at that team state event. How many other sports in Indiana give that many athletes the ability to compete on their sports biggest stage?
 
Most of this has probably been suggested long before it occurred in my adle-brained self. But it seems like a win-win-win-win solution. The ihsaa gets wins by getting it's revenue. Single class enthusiasts keep their individual tournament. Class wrestling proponents get to see teams of all size competing for a state title. And the Indiana wrestling wins by getting it's team tournament back

old school 2,
You posted an opinion not a fact. Then when someone shares compiled data/fact, you say it means nothing and then share another opinion. Are you sure your not trying to piss someone off?

Well for one he did say "weakest sectional in state," not just our part of the state. So your sample size is a little small from what his remarks were about and my response was explaining.  Besides, based on your numbers Jeffersonville and Bloomington state qualifiers are basically equal over the last 3 years.  So by using those numbers Evansville's semi-state has the two weakest regional in the state and since that half the semi-state it would seem to imply Evansville semi-state must not be very strong.  I don't believe that to be true at all. 
 
If you look at the data over the past few years Jeffersonville Regional falls in the mid-range of for Regional depth. While that data is heavy on state qualification it also takes into account a few more factors which help provide a better look at each Regional past few years and current depth. No one is claiming Jeffersonville's Regional should be considered one of the top in state, but to claim it's the "weakest in the state" is far from correct.
 
Also, the thing with using just state placers number to determine regional strength within our own semi-state is that the regional all "eat each other" because of the blind draw and the no wrestle-back ticket round of semi-state.  Meaning top guys from one regional eliminate a very solid wrestler from another regional who would have also had the potential to place in state.  Example a Castle Regional guy eliminated a very likely additional Mooresville state placers in Brayton Lee.  In years the Evansville semi-state is exceptionally this type situation could like this occurs a few times making it a little harder to just relying on state placer data when trying to determine how strong the regional around the state are.  
 
Or in years where one team got multiple state placers, but no other team from that regional even qualified for state, someone would be hard pressed to call that regional one of the strongest just based on state placer.  Sure the regional has some studs, but if they are all from one team that is more a sign of team strength than regional strength.  Sure, state placement can be a solid indicator of team or area strength, but it may not paint the entire picture.  
 
Using state qualification/placement combined with a few other useful factors looks to be the best indicator we currently have available of overall regional depth.  If someone is capable of looking past just the highest peaks (state qualifiers, placers, or just what Regional has the top tier team) the data shows the Jeffersonville Regional falls in the middle of the states Regional in terms of depth. While that depth is not as strong as Mooresville or Castles Regional (currently two of the deepest in the state) to me the information does not justify Jeffersonville's Regional being called the "weakest in the state" this year or in the last few years.
 
Sorry if this sounds a little defensive (it's early in the morning), but I never understand someone (old school or anyone else) would want to talk down an area or a team. There are plenty of things that can be help up as postives, rather than gravitating to a negative jab when nothing really warrants going there.

That with a definite close second from the Mooresville regional

Craig,Schoenegge, Combest, and the winner of the 138 and 170 regional have a good shot as well in my opinion

Personally, I love the fact that Indiana wrestling is not classed. It makes us extremely unique and exciting. I've seen numerous State Championship tournaments from other states and none are as exciting as Indiana or California. The only classed state that is even close is Iowa (mainly because wrestling takes over Des Moines for the weekend). It's a special thing to have ONE State Champion for each weight and ONE State Championship Team. Please do not water it down! I also know it helps our student-athletes get recruited. College coaches from across the country scout our state tourny due to the fact that it is one class. Kids get serious D2, D3, NAIA looks for placing or qualify. 
 
In my opinion, wrestling is losing participation bc of generational obstacles and priorities that school, parents, and coaches need to address (I know it's a struggle). Indiana programs need to focus on building numbers, rivalries and Free/Greco. When Indiana starts bringing home 30+ All-Americans from Fargo, then it may be time to reevaluate. EVERY WRESTLER HAS ENOUGH RESOURCES IF THEY WANT IT ENOUGH...ONE CLASS ONE CHAMP!

Butz moves on @ 126
Cain moves on @ 220

Anytime I see a kid sitting the bench in football, basketball or baseball, I always ask them if they are practicing hard. If the answer is yes, I always advise them to immediately quit. The coach, the system, the man or all three are keeping them down. 
When a kid (sucker) is in a game because a "better" kid is hurt or sick, I point out that as soon as the star is healthy, the coach will show their abject lack of appreciation by landing him back on the bench. Don't be used: quit!
 
Offensive linemen are the biggest suckers of all--down in the trenches, doing the hard work so a pretty boy tailback can hog the glory. I always make a point of telling those guys to wise up and drop out.
 
Wrestling is the worst, hiding under the guise of a "fair" wreslte-off. The coach ALWAYS has his favorite and instructs his referee to call the match so that the "right" kid wins.
 
Again, parents need to be more involved. Coaches need non-stop criticism and instruction from parents so that their kid is treated fairly. That's the only possible way for change to be affected. Otherwise, kids should simply quit. If enough do this, soon, many schools would not have enough players to field a team. That would also be a great way to draw attention to a chronic problem.

Parent commitment is key. If you can have a strong parent involvement in the program year after year success will come. Recruiting in grades 9-12 can be a futile effort. If they have not wrestled in the past few will be interested. At this level peer pressure maybe the best way to get older students to come out. Developing a very large, strong, active, committed youth program will keep the kids out for years to come.
 
Best programs are the ones where kids have been on the mat for years (year round) and involved in wrestling outside of the school (year round) and parents are very much involved (year round). 
 
k-12 host, host, host and host events (year round). Start young, get families involved and make it fun (year round).

little secret....get a coach to help out with freshman football...make sure he is a personable coach that the kids like and he can recruit freshman who may not realize that 5'2 120 lbs doesn't really help a future in football

Did not know about Rueberg, hate to hear that, great wrestler. Prayers will be going out. Hope all your guys get healthy and back on the mat soon. Loos, good kid one of my favorites to watch.
Parris, what can I say, it's going to be an exciting next 4 years watching him take it to the mat and turning heads to our corner of state.
We should be very competitive still trying to figure out a few weight classes. All the returning guys are pretty solid but still tough to replace 5 leading seniors. Butz should be very strong at 26. Great kid, very hard worker!
Haven't heard much about EC. Negengard always solid and I believe they have a pretty descent freshman Gabe Lane. I think he's about 120.
SD is stacked pretty much top to bottom, should get a look at them Sat. @Delta duals.
Michael Deal, Batesville is out 6-9 months. Just talked to his dad last nite, Michael dislocated his elbow at Milan 6-way and when he did he chipped the bone. Had surgery yesterday, Chris said it went very well. Tbh it really sucks, I know them well. Michaels a great kid and even better wrestler who really put the work in to get better this summer. And I was really looking forward to watching him take that work to the mat, so please send prayers for healthy,speedy recovery.