BLF Snow Cone

🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

From EC:
Duneland 23 (12 CP, 4 Lake Central, 3 Merrillville, 1 Chesterton, 1 Laporte, 1 Valpo, 1 Portage)
Northwest Crossroads 7 (3 Hobart, 1 Lowell, 1 Highland, 1 Hanover, 1 Munster)
NIC 6 (Penn 5, New Prairie 1)
NLC 6 (3 Mishawaka, 3 Plymouth)
Three Rivers 5 (all Rochester)
North Central 4 (3 Harrison, 1 McCutcheon)
Midwest 2 (North Newton and West Central)
Hoosier 2 (both Rensselaer)
Hoosier Heartland 1 (Delphi)

Long Qualifier-less Streak Broken:
North Newton’s first SQ since 2006
 
and just for fun, breakdown by Regional:
CP: 19
Penn: 16
Hobart: 13
Logansport: 8

From EC:
Duneland 23 (12 CP, 4 Lake Central, 3 Merrillville, 1 Chesterton, 1 Laporte, 1 Valpo, 1 Portage)
Northwest Crossroads 7 (3 Hobart, 1 Lowell, 1 Highland, 1 Hanover, 1 Munster)
NIC 6 (Penn 5, New Prairie 1)
NLC 6 (3 Mishawaka, 3 Plymouth)
Three Rivers 5 (all Rochester)
North Central 4 (3 Harrison, 1 McCutcheon)
Midwest 2 (North Newton and West Central)
Hoosier 2 (both Rensselaer)
Hoosier Heartland 1 (Delphi)

Long Qualifier-less Streak Broken:
North Newton’s first SQ since 2006
 
and just for fun, breakdown by Regional:
CP: 19
Penn: 16
Hobart: 13
Logansport: 8

From EC:
Duneland 23 (12 CP, 4 Lake Central, 3 Merrillville, 1 Chesterton, 1 Laporte, 1 Valpo, 1 Portage)
Northwest Crossroads 7 (3 Hobart, 1 Lowell, 1 Highland, 1 Hanover, 1 Munster)
NIC 6 (Penn 5, New Prairie 1)
NLC 6 (3 Mishawaka, 3 Plymouth)
Three Rivers 5 (all Rochester)
North Central 4 (3 Harrison, 1 McCutcheon)
Midwest 2 (North Newton and West Central)
Hoosier 2 (both Rensselaer)
Hoosier Heartland 1 (Delphi)

Long Qualifier-less Streak Broken:
North Newton’s first SQ since 2006
 
and just for fun, breakdown by Regional:
CP: 19
Penn: 16
Hobart: 13
Logansport: 8

From EC:
Duneland 23 (12 CP, 4 Lake Central, 3 Merrillville, 1 Chesterton, 1 Laporte, 1 Valpo, 1 Portage)
Northwest Crossroads 7 (3 Hobart, 1 Lowell, 1 Highland, 1 Hanover, 1 Munster)
NIC 6 (Penn 5, New Prairie 1)
NLC 6 (3 Mishawaka, 3 Plymouth)
Three Rivers 5 (all Rochester)
North Central 4 (3 Harrison, 1 McCutcheon)
Midwest 2 (North Newton and West Central)
Hoosier 2 (both Rensselaer)
Hoosier Heartland 1 (Delphi)

Long Qualifier-less Streak Broken:
North Newton’s first SQ since 2006
 
and just for fun, breakdown by Regional:
CP: 19
Penn: 16
Hobart: 13
Logansport: 8

Amen.

Anything is better than that Kona Ice crap. I'd rather have some ice cubes with cherry flavoring than Kona Ice.

🐐

The IDOE released their numbers from the most recent count about a week ago. The IHSAA is expected to release their data in the next couple of weeks. 
 
Here is the IDOE data:
Finally released by the DOE. Schools with an * do not report enrollments to the DOE, so their numbers are just what the IHSAA has in their directory and may not be current. Enrollments only include students in grades 9-12. Probably not perfect, but it should give an idea what the next alignment would be based off of.

2 schools, Purdue Polytechnic and MTI School of Knowledge, will become tourney eligible in 23-24, so they are included. The two listed as ineligible cannot play until 24-25 or 25-26, so they will not be included in the next alignment.

1 Carmel 5327
2 Ben Davis 4557
3 Warren Central 3845
4 North Central (Indpls.) 3709
5 Fishers 3611
6 Hamilton Southeastern 3430
7 Pike 3387
8 Penn 3345
9 Elkhart 3294
10 Avon 3248
11 Noblesville 3220
12 Lake Central 3211
13 Franklin Central 3206
14 Brownsburg 2983
15 Crown Point 2923
16 Lawrence North 2833
17 Center Grove 2754
18 Westfield 2611
19 Homestead 2502
20 Carroll (F.W.) 2472
21 Southport 2379
22 Perry Meridian 2373
23 Portage 2269
24 Lawrence Central 2245
25 Zionsville 2233
26 Columbus North 2219
27 Lafayette Jefferson 2153
28 Indianapolis Arsenal Tech 2111
29 Jeffersonville 2099
30 Warsaw 2087
31 Fort Wayne Northrop 2080
32 Harrison (West Lafayette) 2079
33 Valparaiso 2063
34 Whiteland 2012
35 Merrillville 2003
36 Decatur Central 2001
37 Chesterton 1995
38 Goshen 1980
39 Castle 1933
40 South Bend Adams 1917
41 Hammond Central 1904
42 Fort Wayne Snider 1872
43 Floyd Central 1854
44 Anderson 1837
45 Plainfield 1810
46 McCutcheon 1807
47 New Albany 1787
48 LaPorte 1756
49 Hammond Morton 1729
50 Concord 1689
51 Evansville North 1687
52 Bloomington South 1655
53 Terre Haute South 1650
54 Seymour 1604
55 Bloomington North 1592
56 Mishawaka 1584
57 Terre Haute North 1575
58 Franklin Community 1571
59 Munster 1568
60 Columbus East 1534
61 Michigan City 1526
62 Fort Wayne North Side 1513
63 Kokomo 1488
64 Greenfield-Central 1474
65 Huntington North 1442
66 Muncie Central 1437
67 Northridge 1410
68 Pendleton Heights 1409
69 Bedford-North Lawrence 1391
70 Mooresville 1391
71 Fort Wayne South Side 1385
72 Fort Wayne Wayne 1379
73 Mt Vernon (Fortville) 1375
74 Richmond 1315
75 Martinsville 1284
76 East Central 1264
77 Evansville Reitz 1264
78 Hobart 1264
79 Logansport 1252
80 Gary West Side 1226
81 Greenwood 1186
82 Jennings County 1180
83 New Palestine 1162
84 Indianapolis Crispus Attucks 1135
85 Shelbyville 1133
86 Evansville Harrison 1124
87 Columbia City 1108
88 East Chicago Central 1107
89 Indianapolis Roncalli 1081
90 DeKalb 1080
91 Plymouth 1079
92 Indianapolis Cathedral 1073
93 Lowell 1068
94 Kankakee Valley 1055
95 Evansville Central 1051
96 New Haven 1047
97 East Noble 1042
98 Jasper 1038
99 Marion 1036
100 South Bend Riley 1030
101 Highland 1021
102 Indianapolis Shortridge 1015
103 Lebanon 1001
104 New Prairie 985
105 Connersville 981
106 Indianapolis Herron 976
107 Beech Grove 968
108 Leo 963
109 Northview 955
110 Wawasee 945
111 Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger 928
112 Silver Creek 911
113 Indianapolis Washington 906
114 Frankfort 893
115 Boonville 879
116 Northwood 879
117 New Castle 875
118 Jay County 871
119 Brebeuf Jesuit 841
120 Western 838
121 Culver Academies 832*
122 Mississinewa 808
123 South Bend Saint Joseph 806
124 South Bend Washington 801
125 Edgewood 800
126 Angola 793
127 Norwell 790
128 Delta 781
129 South Bend Clay 778
130 Evansvill Bosse 776
131 Hanover Central 763
132 Yorktown 763
133 Danville 759
134 Franklin County 756
135 West Lafayette 752
136 Guerin Catholic 740
137 Washington 738
138 Madison 736
139 Hamilton Heights 731
140 Corydon Central 730
141 Vincennes Lincoln 722
142 Charlestown 717
143 Greensburg 716
144 Lawrenceburg 715
145 Scottsburg 715
146 Batesville 707
147 Gibson Southern 703
148 West Noble 698
149 Crawfordsville 695
150 Mishawaka Marian 690
151 South Dearborn 689
152 North Harrison 687
153 Indianapolis Bishop Chatard 667
154 Rushville 656
155 Twin Lakes 655
156 Owen Valley 650
157 Peru 650
158 Mt Vernon (Posey) 643
159 Bellmont 641
160 John Glenn 636
161 Tri-West 624
162 Calumet 622
163 Heritage 615
164 Heritage Hills 615
165 Fort Wayne Concordia 610
166 Griffith 609
167 Northwestern 605
168 Maconaquah 604
169 Garrett 602
170 Princeton 596
171 Indian Creek 591
172 Jimtown 582
173 Lakeland 578
174 Purdue Polytechnic (23-24) 563
175 Tippecanoe Valley 561
176 Evansville Memorial 556
177 Knox 551
178 North Montgomery 549
179 Fairfield 543
180 Speedway 543
181 Woodlan 538
182 Monrovia 531
183 Salem 531
184 Oak Hill 526
185 West Vigo 525
186 Centerville 517
187 Rensselaer Central 517
188 Boone Grove 516
189 Southridge 515
190 Pike Central 512
191 River Forest 511
192 Western Boone 511
193 South Vermillion 509
194 Benton Central 508
195 Frankton 507
196 Bremen 502
197 Indianapolis Cardinal Ritter 502
198 Brown County 501
199 Christel House Manual 501
200 Evansville Mater Dei 496
201 Heritage Christian 496
202 Cascade 495
203 Hammond Bishop Noll 493
204 Alexandria 492
205 Rochester 492
206 Blackford 489
207 Eastbrook 489
208 Southmont 487
209 Brownstown Central 483
210 Whiting 482
211 Fort Wayne Bishop Luers 481
212 Manchester 479
213 Illiana Christian 477
214 Lapel 477
215 Greencastle 475
216 Sullivan 472
217 Bluffton 471
218 Wabash 471
219 Triton Central 461
220 Eastern (Greentown) 455
221 Gary Lighthouse CPA 455
222 Tipton 454
223 Mitchell 451
224 North Posey 445
225 North Putnam 444
226 Tell City 440
227 Indianapolis Scecina 439
228 Wheeler 436
229 Prairie Heights 432
230 Switzerland County 428
231 Northeastern 425
232 Muncie Burris 423
233 Gary 21st Century 421
234 Eastern (Pekin) 419
235 Delphi 418
236 Central Noble 417
237 Whitko 417
238 Crawford County 415
239 Shenandoah 415
240 Lewis Cass 411
241 South Bend Career Academy 411
242 Elwood 410
243 Indianapolis Riverside 409
244 Andrean 408
245 Winchester 405
246 Paoli 401
247 Churubusco 397
248 Clarksville 395
249 Austin 394
250 Union County 393
251 Perry Central 392
252 Lake Station Edison 388
253 LaVille 388
254 North Knox 388
255 Eastside 387
256 Seeger 387
257 Winamac 387
258 Linton-Stockton 386
259 Westview 384
260 Forest Park 383
261 Eastern Hancock 379
262 South Knox 379
263 Park Tudor 378*
264 South Spencer 375
265 Southwestern (Hanover) 375
266 Parke Heritage 368
267 Adams Central 366
268 South Ripley 362
269 South Putnam 359
270 North Newton 358
271 Wapahani 358
272 Hebron 355
273 Clinton Prairie 353
274 Covenant Christian (Indpls.) 352
275 Madison-Grant 352
276 Taylor 352
277 Indianapolis Irvington 343
278 University 343*
279 Carroll (Flora) 337
280 South Adams 334
281 Hagerstown 332
282 Sheridan 329
283 Knightstown 328
284 Hauser 327
285 Providence 327
286 North Judson 323
287 Eastern Greene 321
288 Monroe Central 320
289 Milan 318
290 Pioneer 313
291 South Central (Union Mills) 313
292 Cloverdale 312
293 Riverton Parke 311
294 North Decatur 301
295 Henryville 299
296 Lafayette Central Catholic 296
297 Covington 294
298 Fremont 291
299 North Daviess 286
300 Wes-Del 286
301 Bowman Academy 285
302 North Miami 285
303 Tecumseh 283
304 Daleville 281
305 Hammond Academy of Science & Tech 279
306 Fountain Central 275
307 Northeast Dubois 274
308 Northfield 273
309 Cambridge City Lincoln 272
310 North White 272
311 Jac-Cen-Del 269
312 Kouts 268
313 West Washington 268
314 Rossville 267
315 Westville 267
316 Springs Valley 264
317 Washington Twp 264
318 South Decatur 260
319 Triton 258
320 North Central (Farmersburg) 257
321 Indianapolis Metropolitan 256
322 Orleans 256
323 Victory College Prep Academy 256
324 Clay City 255
325 Culver 255
326 Clinton Central 252
327 Southern Wells 252
328 Fort Wayne Canterbury 251*
329 Loogootee 251
330 Cowan 248
331 Barr Reeve 246
332 Union City 246
333 Fort Wayne Blackhawk Christian 245
334 Bloomfield 244
335 Christian Academy 242
336 Anderson Prep Academy 241
337 Indiana Math & Science 241
338 Southwood 240
339 White River Valley 239
340 Lanesville 237
341 Morgan Township 236
342 Caston 234
343 Tri 234
344 Tri Central 233
345 Faith Christian 232
346 Marquette Catholic 229
347 Rising Sun 229
348 Edinburgh 227
349 South Newton 225
350 Indianapolis Lutheran 224
351 Wood Memorial 220
352 Indianapolis Tindley 219
353 Tri-County 218
354 South Central (Elizabeth) 215
355 North Vermillion 213
356 Borden 208
357 Shoals 207
358 Frontier 196
359 West Central 196
360 Dugger Union 193
361 Blue River Valley 191
362 Providence Cristo Rey 191
363 Argos 190
364 Morristown 189
365 Oldenburg Academy 179
366 Evansville Christian 177
367 Rock Creek Academy 176
368 Southwestern (Shelby) 176
369 New Washington 174
370 Attica 170
371 Lakewood Park Christian 169
372 Shakamak 167
373 Greenwood Christian 166
374 Waldron 161
375 Randolph Southern 159
376 Elkhart Christian 148
377 Trinity Lutheran 146
378 Oregon-Davis 140
379 Hamilton 138
380 Indianapolis International 138
381 Crothersville 131
382 Shawe Memorial 127
383 Liberty Christian 126
384 Bethany Christian 124
385 Traders Point Christian 124
386 Eminence 121
387 Trinity School at Greenlawn 119
388 Union (Modoc) 112
389 LaCrosse 111
390 Lakeland Christian 108
391 Bethesda Christian 107
392 Indiana Deaf 94*
393 Covenant Christian (DeMotte) 90
394 Cannelton 88
395 Bloomington Lighthouse Christian Academy 79*
396 Seton Catholic 78
397 MTI School of Knowledge (23-24) 77
398 Washington Catholic 74
399 Vincennes Rivet 68
400 Medora 51
401 Central Christian Academy 48
402 Evansville Day 44
403 Smith Academy 40

Ineligible 
Steel City Academy (25-26) 181
KIPP Indy Legacy (24-25) 304

“Boys Volleyball, Girls Wrestling approved as IHSAA Emerging Sports! 🏐🤼‍♀️
Board of Directors approve 38 of 42 agenda items during today's annual meeting!“
 
official press release here: https://www.ihsaa.org/Portals/0/ihsaa/documents/news media/2021-22/050222.Board.pdf
 
https://twitter.com/ihsaa1/status/1521243944809545728?s=21&t=2tNnZ-96xQde1nTcySfxug

“Boys Volleyball, Girls Wrestling approved as IHSAA Emerging Sports! 🏐🤼‍♀️
Board of Directors approve 38 of 42 agenda items during today's annual meeting!“
 
official press release here: https://www.ihsaa.org/Portals/0/ihsaa/documents/news media/2021-22/050222.Board.pdf
 
https://twitter.com/ihsaa1/status/1521243944809545728?s=21&t=2tNnZ-96xQde1nTcySfxug

After Marshall Fishback's HWT title, it got me thinking about enrollments and small over large. Here are some of the notable enrollment disparity results from this year's state finals. *(Forgive me for missing any - also, I did not include EMD results) **(I am using 2022 IDOE data, not IHSAA's 2021 covid numbers)
 
Adams Central  366 > Penn 3345 - 2979
Adams Central 366 > Noblesville 3220 - 2854
Charlestown 717 > HSE 3430 - 2713
Oak Hill 526 > Crown Point 2923 - 2397
Daleville 281 > Westfield 2611 - 2330
Bluffton 471 > Portage - 2269
Rochester 492 > Westfield 2611 - 2119
Frankfort 893 > Brownsburg 2983 - 2090
 

After Marshall Fishback's HWT title, it got me thinking about enrollments and small over large. Here are some of the notable enrollment disparity results from this year's state finals. *(Forgive me for missing any - also, I did not include EMD results) **(I am using 2022 IDOE data, not IHSAA's 2021 covid numbers)
 
Adams Central  366 > Penn 3345 - 2979
Adams Central 366 > Noblesville 3220 - 2854
Charlestown 717 > HSE 3430 - 2713
Oak Hill 526 > Crown Point 2923 - 2397
Daleville 281 > Westfield 2611 - 2330
Bluffton 471 > Portage - 2269
Rochester 492 > Westfield 2611 - 2119
Frankfort 893 > Brownsburg 2983 - 2090
 

After Marshall Fishback's HWT title, it got me thinking about enrollments and small over large. Here are some of the notable enrollment disparity results from this year's state finals. *(Forgive me for missing any - also, I did not include EMD results) **(I am using 2022 IDOE data, not IHSAA's 2021 covid numbers)
 
Adams Central  366 > Penn 3345 - 2979
Adams Central 366 > Noblesville 3220 - 2854
Charlestown 717 > HSE 3430 - 2713
Oak Hill 526 > Crown Point 2923 - 2397
Daleville 281 > Westfield 2611 - 2330
Bluffton 471 > Portage - 2269
Rochester 492 > Westfield 2611 - 2119
Frankfort 893 > Brownsburg 2983 - 2090
 

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Ok, great. The precedent has been to use the new IHSAA numbers in a re-classification year. I didn't realize it had been announced. We'll redo it with DOE numbers provisionally, and make it official once IHSAA numbers are out. Thanks for the help, guys.

Rest In Peace, Coach. Hobart and NWI lost a great man. His legacy will live on through the impact he had on hundreds, if not thousands of students and athletes under his influence for nearly half a century.

Bedford Stonecutters
Brazil Red Devils
Dyer Central Indians
Earl Park Cardinals
ECR Roughriders
ECW Senators
East Gary Edison is just today’s Lake Station Edison Eagles. East Gary was the name of the city of Lake Station from 1908-1977
Fort Wayne Central Tigers
Gary Andrean is just current day Andrean 59ers (always located in Merrillville, but part of the Gary Diocese)
Edison Blazers
Emerson Tornados
Froebel Blue Devils
Horace Mann Horsemen
Tolleston Raiders
Wirt Troopers
Monticello Tioga Indians
Muncie North Titans
Petroleum Panthers
Pine Village Pine Knots
Roanoke Stonewalls
Russellville Bees
SB Central Bears
SB Jackson Tigers
SB Lasalle Lions
Garfield Purple Eagles
Gerstmeyer Black Cats
Schlute Golden Bears
Stinesville Quary Lads
Wiley Red Streaks
Waldron Mohawks
Wingate Spartans

Bedford Stonecutters
Brazil Red Devils
Dyer Central Indians
Earl Park Cardinals
ECR Roughriders
ECW Senators
East Gary Edison is just today’s Lake Station Edison Eagles. East Gary was the name of the city of Lake Station from 1908-1977
Fort Wayne Central Tigers
Gary Andrean is just current day Andrean 59ers (always located in Merrillville, but part of the Gary Diocese)
Edison Blazers
Emerson Tornados
Froebel Blue Devils
Horace Mann Horsemen
Tolleston Raiders
Wirt Troopers
Monticello Tioga Indians
Muncie North Titans
Petroleum Panthers
Pine Village Pine Knots
Roanoke Stonewalls
Russellville Bees
SB Central Bears
SB Jackson Tigers
SB Lasalle Lions
Garfield Purple Eagles
Gerstmeyer Black Cats
Schlute Golden Bears
Stinesville Quary Lads
Wiley Red Streaks
Waldron Mohawks
Wingate Spartans

Bedford Stonecutters
Brazil Red Devils
Dyer Central Indians
Earl Park Cardinals
ECR Roughriders
ECW Senators
East Gary Edison is just today’s Lake Station Edison Eagles. East Gary was the name of the city of Lake Station from 1908-1977
Fort Wayne Central Tigers
Gary Andrean is just current day Andrean 59ers (always located in Merrillville, but part of the Gary Diocese)
Edison Blazers
Emerson Tornados
Froebel Blue Devils
Horace Mann Horsemen
Tolleston Raiders
Wirt Troopers
Monticello Tioga Indians
Muncie North Titans
Petroleum Panthers
Pine Village Pine Knots
Roanoke Stonewalls
Russellville Bees
SB Central Bears
SB Jackson Tigers
SB Lasalle Lions
Garfield Purple Eagles
Gerstmeyer Black Cats
Schlute Golden Bears
Stinesville Quary Lads
Wiley Red Streaks
Waldron Mohawks
Wingate Spartans

Through 2021:
Bloomington South 123 (retained all pre-Bloomington split history)
Muncie Central 35
Mater Dei 31
Southport 31
East Chicago Roosevelt 28
South Bend Central 27
Cathedral 26
Hammond High 26
East Chicago Washington 24
Lawrence North 22
Bedford 20
Warren Central 18
Delta 18
Shortridge 18
Mishawaka 18
Portage 16
Arsenal Tech 15
Decatur Central 15
Franklin Central 15
Merrillville 15
Perry Meridian 15
Crown Point 14
Kokomo 14
Lafayette Jeff 14
Wabash 14
Bellmont 13
Ben Davis 13
Bloomington North 13
Crawfordsville 13
Griffith 12
Hammond Clark 12
Hobart 12
Lake Central 12
Lowell 11
Carmel 10
Hammond Tech 10
North Central 10
Stinesville 10
Terre Haute Wiley 10
Yorktown 10
  

Through 2021:
Bloomington South 123 (retained all pre-Bloomington split history)
Muncie Central 35
Mater Dei 31
Southport 31
East Chicago Roosevelt 28
South Bend Central 27
Cathedral 26
Hammond High 26
East Chicago Washington 24
Lawrence North 22
Bedford 20
Warren Central 18
Delta 18
Shortridge 18
Mishawaka 18
Portage 16
Arsenal Tech 15
Decatur Central 15
Franklin Central 15
Merrillville 15
Perry Meridian 15
Crown Point 14
Kokomo 14
Lafayette Jeff 14
Wabash 14
Bellmont 13
Ben Davis 13
Bloomington North 13
Crawfordsville 13
Griffith 12
Hammond Clark 12
Hobart 12
Lake Central 12
Lowell 11
Carmel 10
Hammond Tech 10
North Central 10
Stinesville 10
Terre Haute Wiley 10
Yorktown 10
  

Through 2021:
Bloomington South 123 (retained all pre-Bloomington split history)
Muncie Central 35
Mater Dei 31
Southport 31
East Chicago Roosevelt 28
South Bend Central 27
Cathedral 26
Hammond High 26
East Chicago Washington 24
Lawrence North 22
Bedford 20
Warren Central 18
Delta 18
Shortridge 18
Mishawaka 18
Portage 16
Arsenal Tech 15
Decatur Central 15
Franklin Central 15
Merrillville 15
Perry Meridian 15
Crown Point 14
Kokomo 14
Lafayette Jeff 14
Wabash 14
Bellmont 13
Ben Davis 13
Bloomington North 13
Crawfordsville 13
Griffith 12
Hammond Clark 12
Hobart 12
Lake Central 12
Lowell 11
Carmel 10
Hammond Tech 10
North Central 10
Stinesville 10
Terre Haute Wiley 10
Yorktown 10
  

I think this is exceptionally true and there was a good conversation about this a few weeks ago. Like most things around here, it started as one topic, but quickly shifted to another and evolved as the thread carried on.  The long story short was that if you're going to compete at the highest levels now you need to have specialized and do a ton of off-season club training and tournaments. This makes it harder than ever to be a multi-sport athlete. 
 
Maybe you like to do cross country in the fall. You'll miss pre-season folkstyle tournaments. Maybe you like to track or baseball in the spring. You'll miss the freestyle season. Next thing you know, you're behind the competition and unranked because you were off doing other things. And heaven forbid you actually be a kid in the summer, have a summer job and maybe spend a few weeks on a lake somewhere.
 
I know several really good wrestlers who are now in their junior and senior years. State placers. Have had good showings in the national tournaments. A bunch of them are starting to ask whether it's all been worth it and whether they want to wrestle in college. Sure it can knock a few grand off the price of tuition, but except for a select few will wrestling ever "pay all the bills" in college, let alone after. 
 
I'm not suggesting that any of this is unique to our sport, by the way. It's the current reality of amateur sports. As coaches and parents we need to find ways to support our young athletes however they choose. We can't live out our own dreams through them. If they're in this for the long term and committed to being the best, we support them. If they're doing it now because it's fun and challenging, we need to support that too.
 
I don't want any kid to miss out on the benefits that wrestling offers in terms of self discipline, self confidence, ability to deal with challenges and loss, just because they weren't interested in putting in the insane amount of work required to reach the upper echelon.