CoachJoyce

OKAYYY - So, after giving it a couple of days and finally having some free time I'll write this because I know it's clearly the biggest area of concern. TrackWrestling. I cannot confirm or deny whether it will happen next year or not. Regardless, my hope is if not next year, then absolutely the year after that (2023). Straight from the word of mouth from my AD. The wiring is all ran and ready to be live, however, the one (or few) final components that actually send the signal to the big antenna in space is still on backorder (7 months+) by now. Soooo, the goal, and I say this cautiously optimistic is that in the off-season we will hold a tournament (Similar to rumble in the bowl) that happened in 2013&14 and use Track as a testing grounds for running a wrestling tournament in that capacity. Hopefully we will have all the kinks and technology issues figured out and by this time next year we can have the 49th Spartan Classic that will be ran through TrackWrestling. Leaving us with I'm sure a brighter future for this tournament along with, in short, working smarter, not harder. 🤙🏼

Ok Wrestling family, cant sleep cause I work nights! Looking over the Brackets
and Tourney Results here are what pops out at me!!
 
The FWSS has a lot of smaller talented Programs that make the Team State
Duals very interesting. ( Jay Cty, OakHill, Bluffton)
This was a very good field this year at the ECIC tourney. Nice Variety of talent.
* 106- Johns-Bluffton a Stud. Not sure why he is not 2/3 in his FWSS 🤔
* 113- Rowles-Jay Cty is good, will be fighting to stand on Podium!
* 120- Jay Cty and Oakhill kid will see alot of each other this year.
*126- Reiley-JC bumped up 👏, Spurgeon-Ohio is a Stud in his State, Placed 
7th @ 120 w/a 45-8 Record. 
   Now that being said Justice Thornton is for Real. Kid caught my eye in MS few
years back. He will be a 4x State Qualifier and Multi x Placer..  IMO 
*132- Wood-JC bumped and beat a very tough Thrine-NC & State placer in 
Bertsch-Bluffton. I love the kids challenging there abilities!!
*138 - Wide open class, was anyones.
*145- Very loaded and Brody -Oakhill took care of Business.
*152- Front runner handled business, Dull-SA.
*160-Great final match. These 2 will go at it In the Richmond Regionals! 🤑
*170- Ohio Wrestlers was tops in this Class.
*182- Page-Mo Cnt back on track after a tough match VS. Veazy! Can he get
back to Podium? I liked what Slocum II-did this weekend! (Wolka paying dividends)
*195-Harty-MC as a Freshman going to be tough.
*220- Waters-MC vs Kennedy-MC put on a show! Guys will compete for a State
bid from the FWSS>
Hwt- ORR- the leader of the biggs for Muncie Central. Will Place again.
 
                                     Thanks , Happy Holidays. Bigtoe19 

Not as in depth as Matt's answer, which needs to be pinned to the top. 
 
But I know that there are some wrestlers out there that want to play football in college..
 
I share this on Facebook every year - 
 
"You want a solid off-season workout? Join the wrestling team. No piece of iron can simulate what you will endure in a wrestling practice.
Why should a football player wrestle?!?!?

I just came across these old football recruiting letters I received in the Spring of 97. What’s significant? I had just gotten runner up at the IHSAA state wrestling championships. That spring I toured Illinois, Notre Dame, Purdue and a number of other schools. Why I ended up wrestling, wrestling got my foot in the door at a number of legit schools.

Hey football player, get your butt in the wrestling room!!"
 
For the record though I ended up wrestling NAIA
 
 

A little bit of self promotion, but it's tried and true.
 
Fill out your kid's IndianaMat profile with GPA, SAT/ACT scores, intended major, and even a nice picture amongst some of the other things that can be added. When searching for kids MANY college coaches come to this website and when searching for a wrestler IndianaMat is always a top Google result.
 
You never know who is perusing the site and having that information filled out is a nice thing for college coaches to see if you are a good fit.

Stay away from the recruiting sites.  It’s a money grab.   At Fargo I asked every college coach I saw how they find recruits.
1. Who’s interested in us. Who contacts us. (Start early.  Freshman year is good.)
2. My (the coach’s) network and HS coaches that reach out.
3. Look at State and National tournament performance (National level like Fargo and Super 32.).  Fargo is a scholarship getting machine.  If you aren’t doing Freestyle and Greco….

They never mentioned recruiting sites.  One said.  There’s some online thing I look through if not having any luck.   Save your money.  Sure somebody will say it worked. But their top way of finding recruits doesn’t cost you a thing.

This is a great and loaded question that has no simple answer. I’m my opinion, this really needs to be talked about more and better explained to our athletes and families. 
 
My family had the opportunity to go through the recruiting process with my oldest son. We learned a TON during his last couple years of high school. While my son did all the work on the mat, it took the whole family and others to help him reach his goal of being a college wrestler with a full ride. I would like to share some thoughts and observations that may help others in this journey. With this said… this post may get a little long, but hopefully it can help… because many times nobody will take the time to explain or even has the knowledge of the process.
 
1. First and foremost (absolutely most importantly) is grades.
 
If a kid decides to go the NCAA division 1 or 2 route, they go by title 9. This dictates that NCAA division 1 and 2 programs must limit the amount of athletic scholarships per wrestling team to 9.9 full scholarships. In college there are 10 weight classes. Most college programs have 30 to 45 kids on the teams. Most of those 30 to 45 kids at D1 and D2 schools are state champs or placed VERY high. So… let’s do the math…. 9.9 for 40 kids… that means on average a D1 or D2 kid is only getting a 1/4 ride.
 
Very few (and I mean VERY few) D1 and D2 kids get full athletic scholarships. With that said, a wrestler MUST make academics a priority! Schools will help a kid with academic money but the wrestler must make the minimum threshold for those funds. They will find athletes academic money that a typical student, with the same gpa, wouldn’t get. They typically need a 3.5 GPA or better and / or good SAT or ACT scores to qualify for most academic money. This means that a wrestler MUST take his whole high school career seriously. Do not think that a kid is going to make a C average his first two years of high school then magically turn it around his last two years! By then it’s two late. From day one… do the work and make good grades. Without good grades… most likely they are paying and paying a lot. 
 
Testing… start taking ACT and SAT early and often. I would recommend at the end of their sophomore year. First they must determine which one is easier for them. My son liked the SAT because it’s ran by the national college board. Once you take the SAT test, they will provide you with resources (including the Khan Academy) that will help you with future test. While you can’t actually study for what’s on the SAT or ACT, programs like Khan Academy will help you learn how to process the questions and help you score better. Also.. schools will allow them to super score your test results. Meaning this…. If you take the SAT five times and score really high on Math one time and really high on English another time, they will allow you to combine the two highest scores to make your applied total. So again..  take those test multiple times if the school requires SAT or ACT for acceptance or academic scholarships.
 
That is D1or D2. As far as I know…. D3 has zero athletic scholarships, but typically offer scholarships and grants to help with cost. D3 guys typically make good grades to get that help. 
 
Which brings us to NAIA. These schools are not bound by title 9 (as far as I know). My son did not go the NAIA route so i have less knowledge on this. In general, these schools are allowed to give more athletic money. We have some great NAIA schools and teams here Indiana. These teams have had a lot of success and should be considered by any kid looking to wrestle at the next level. 
 
Many high schools have an NCAA rep. It is typically a councilor. These reps can provide you with some helpful information and help you with stuff like getting your NCAA card (needed to take visits) and getting transcripts to potential schools. If you don’t have a designated NCAA rep, make sure you find out the best person at your child’s school to help you with the process. At our former school we found out that our weighted grade scale did not meet NCAA guidelines and could not be considered. With that said, my sons weighted GPA could not be considered when applying for some money. Not having his weighted GPA considered messed with some of his offers. With this said… a few years later, they still haven’t adjusted their grade scale and NCAA can’t use their weighted gpa (must be Covid). I’m still trying to help get it changed there. With this said… make sure your schools grade scale is approved by the NCAA so that your wrestler gets every dollar possible! Again.. your NCAA rep or councilor can help you with that. 
 
2. Put your wrestler out there! Pick the schools that they are interested in and let them know you are interested. Reach out to the coaches and let them know that they want to come to their programs and what you have to offer them. Most team websites have a recruiting page. Fill that info out. That puts your wrestler on their radar and helps them get noticed. Colleges coaches are busy. Help them help you. 
 
3. Pick the right team. A kid may be a state champ or multiple time state champ. Know this.. if he goes to the Big10… every kid is a state champ or multiple time state champ. Each weight class has 3 to 5 kids. Know that it’s gonna to be a up hill climb just to start one season. Know who is in the line up at the school you pick and who’s coming in. I’m not saying not to challenge yourself.. just know that most likely your not coming in a taking the spot from a returning AA. Know that you may sit some places for a while. Can you handle that? 
 
4. Pick the right school. If you want the traditional college experience… don’t pick a service academy! What I’m saying is… take your visits get to know the school, the town, the coaches, and the team. Ask members of the team if they like it there. During my sons visits some kids told him that they loved it and many told him they hated it. Financials should be a priority, but if they are going to be miserable for 2 to 6 years… then it’s not worth it. D1 allows 6 official collage visits. They are typically very fun for the whole family. If you can, take them all. 
 
5. To answer your main question… wrestling. Go wrestle good kids and beat them! No matter where. If you beat a good kid… people will know. And… try to have fun as a family doing it. That’s the easy part that we all can understand. The other stuff is what we don’t talk about and is not explained to us enough. 

We're working on it brother! I think the lack of technological advancement (I.e., Trackwrestling) has hurt us. Since we still do it paper and pencil; Along with Team state happening around that time. However, looking to pull teams back in such as Perry, Cathedral, Franklin Community, Center Grove, etc. over the course of the next couple of years is the idea!
 
1 step at a time 🤙

Evansville Rankings will be out by Friday.
 
Per normal I'll list some kids in multiple weights, I'll list teammates in the same weight (wait Conway and May aren't teammates anymore? Shoot!), and I'll sprinkle in some 5th year seniors. Oh and by Friday I mean I hope to have them out Wednesday.
 
Good luck this year! The Dirty Dirty South will be rolling and collecting medals. If you live in the Fort Wayne area, skip the trip to Indy. If you live in the East Chicago Area, don't listen to the region hype all year it'll hurt even more when you get sent home Friday night by some hilljack from the boondocks, and if you go through New Castle.... I'm sorry....
 
Letttttttssssssssssssss Gooooooooooooooooo
 
#MouthOfTheSouth

I was waiting for a class wrestling debate!!!
 
"Well... its harder to train at small schools...... blah blah blah......"
 
Actual answer... These kids need to practice or lift 5 to 6 days a week year round (unless sick, injured or on vacation). Its 2 hours of exercise a day. Kids may not want to exercise everyday, but who cares.
 
Hell.. I don't want to work everyday. But, I have never worked a day (to make money) and say "Well.. that sucked... I hate making money and providing for my family." After a day of work, I'm typically happy and feel accomplished.
 
Same with kids.  When my kids say they don't "want" to practice or workout... I say.. "I dont care, your going!" And... after every practice, I ask "how did it go?" 99.9 percent of the time, they say... "good.. Im glad I went." Just like us adults on payday... they feel accomplished. With that said... remind the kids (after each practice) how it feels to get through something tough. Tell them to go to school the next day, look at everyone, and realize that they did something that no other kid in that class was willing or could do.
 
Bottom line... burn out is a manufactured issue. Manufactured by athletes that don't want to have that "I accomplished something" feeling  and parents that allow them to not feel it. Do not dwell on the actual practice. Dwell on the feeling that they get after making through a tough workout or accomplishing a goal (btw.. they have to have a goal sheet). That's what we need to bottle and sell. That is what gets kids to the next level, and ultimately college dollars. 

The Columbus North Wrestling program is excited to welcome Jacob Fleckenstein and Adam Wolka to our staff!
 
Fleckenstein finished High School with a 159-17 career record, was a two-time Indiana state place winner, and went on to wrestle at Purdue. While at Purdue he earned Big10 wrestler of the week honors and finished 19th on the career takedown list. 
 
Adam Wolka joins CN with previous experience in both Head and Assistant Coaching roles. Wolka, a multi-sport athlete in High School (FB & WR) and semistate qualifier, brings a wealth of Big-Man wrestling knowledge to the CN program.
 
Welcome to Columbus North! 

Good stuff Coach

The Columbus North Wrestling program is excited to welcome Jacob Fleckenstein and Adam Wolka to our staff!
 
Fleckenstein finished High School with a 159-17 career record, was a two-time Indiana state place winner, and went on to wrestle at Purdue. While at Purdue he earned Big10 wrestler of the week honors and finished 19th on the career takedown list. 
 
Adam Wolka joins CN with previous experience in both Head and Assistant Coaching roles. Wolka, a multi-sport athlete in High School (FB & WR) and semistate qualifier, brings a wealth of Big-Man wrestling knowledge to the CN program.
 
Welcome to Columbus North! 

Fleckenstein was fun to watch even though he was from rival East Central Trojans, not the Nc Trojans lol.

The Columbus North Wrestling program is excited to welcome Jacob Fleckenstein and Adam Wolka to our staff!
 
Fleckenstein finished High School with a 159-17 career record, was a two-time Indiana state place winner, and went on to wrestle at Purdue. While at Purdue he earned Big10 wrestler of the week honors and finished 19th on the career takedown list. 
 
Adam Wolka joins CN with previous experience in both Head and Assistant Coaching roles. Wolka, a multi-sport athlete in High School (FB & WR) and semistate qualifier, brings a wealth of Big-Man wrestling knowledge to the CN program.
 
Welcome to Columbus North! 

The Columbus North Wrestling program is excited to welcome Jacob Fleckenstein and Adam Wolka to our staff!
 
Fleckenstein finished High School with a 159-17 career record, was a two-time Indiana state place winner, and went on to wrestle at Purdue. While at Purdue he earned Big10 wrestler of the week honors and finished 19th on the career takedown list. 
 
Adam Wolka joins CN with previous experience in both Head and Assistant Coaching roles. Wolka, a multi-sport athlete in High School (FB & WR) and semistate qualifier, brings a wealth of Big-Man wrestling knowledge to the CN program.
 
Welcome to Columbus North! 

The Columbus North Wrestling program is excited to welcome Jacob Fleckenstein and Adam Wolka to our staff!
 
Fleckenstein finished High School with a 159-17 career record, was a two-time Indiana state place winner, and went on to wrestle at Purdue. While at Purdue he earned Big10 wrestler of the week honors and finished 19th on the career takedown list. 
 
Adam Wolka joins CN with previous experience in both Head and Assistant Coaching roles. Wolka, a multi-sport athlete in High School (FB & WR) and semistate qualifier, brings a wealth of Big-Man wrestling knowledge to the CN program.
 
Welcome to Columbus North! 

The Columbus North Wrestling program is excited to welcome Jacob Fleckenstein and Adam Wolka to our staff!
 
Fleckenstein finished High School with a 159-17 career record, was a two-time Indiana state place winner, and went on to wrestle at Purdue. While at Purdue he earned Big10 wrestler of the week honors and finished 19th on the career takedown list. 
 
Adam Wolka joins CN with previous experience in both Head and Assistant Coaching roles. Wolka, a multi-sport athlete in High School (FB & WR) and semistate qualifier, brings a wealth of Big-Man wrestling knowledge to the CN program.
 
Welcome to Columbus North! 

Good luck with that Wolka fella.  

The Columbus North Wrestling program is excited to welcome Jacob Fleckenstein and Adam Wolka to our staff!
 
Fleckenstein finished High School with a 159-17 career record, was a two-time Indiana state place winner, and went on to wrestle at Purdue. While at Purdue he earned Big10 wrestler of the week honors and finished 19th on the career takedown list. 
 
Adam Wolka joins CN with previous experience in both Head and Assistant Coaching roles. Wolka, a multi-sport athlete in High School (FB & WR) and semistate qualifier, brings a wealth of Big-Man wrestling knowledge to the CN program.
 
Welcome to Columbus North! 

It's amazing to me that nobody is talking about this. Congrats to Team Indiana on an outstanding showing in Westfield! 

I know,  thought this was an Indiana Wrestling forum?🙂 It was a good but tough time. I know my son, and a few other team members said this is one of the most enjoyable experiences they've had. Good job to all the kids and coaches. 

Our football coach makes the same argument.  I thought it was crazy when he first said it, but I now dont know that there isn't some validity.  We want football to push kids into wrestling, but as of right now there are only two varsity options for alot of linemen  (220 and 285).  I have had a lot of kids who are in that 230-245 range that wrestling becomes pretty tough for.  Unless you are a pretty solid athelete wrestling 285 when you weigh 245 is a pretty big challenge.  I think we would see more football kids coming out if that extra option was added for them.

The other big change is allowing six matches in one day foran athlete, but only for a state series event. 
 
Could this be a gateway to Wrestle backs at Semi State ? 

Kyle you are bringing up a great memory.  I know you and Smiley never won a college conference title.  You must have been watching my VHS tape from 1999.  Was a grueling day.  Was able to grind out a win in the finals.  I was always disappointed that I didn’t get to wrestle Cael Sanderson my senior year in the Wisconsin Parkside Open.  It was an “Open”.  He could have come.  I lost to some other guy in the finals, but it was because I was frustrated Cael dodged me....again.  

Commissioner Faulkens said he would not waive the 6 qualifying weigh-in rule. He did stress that you can get weigh-ins without meets as long as ref is there to do it. You can have a ref come weigh in people whenever you wish.