Galagore

As we started this season, I reached out to some former wrestlers for words to provide to the guys who think the sport isn't for them. These were guys who weren't "wrestling first" guys. These were guys who either had to be talked into being on the team, were there specifically to prep for football, chose not to wrestle one year, etc. This particular reply stood out, and I thought the Gorilla community might enjoy it. For the record, this is from a 2013 graduate. This particular wrestler was a one time sectional champion and did not qualify for semi-state. Somehow I find that makes his words more powerful...not from a top-dog guy. From a guy who was grinding every day just getting what he could out of the sport. Almost better than this longer version is the text he sent me later when I thanked him - "It's simple though, mentally, wrestling makes all other high school sports easier."
 
The Struggle is REAL:
Wrestling at first glance seems like it’s mostly physical. I wrestled for four years and didn’t understand what it was doing for my mental development yet, so regretfully I took a year off. After a year away, luckily I enjoyed what it did for me enough physically to come back to the mat for another three years. I wish someone could snap their fingers, tell you that your hard work will be worth it, and you will just believe it.   Sorry, too bad it’s harder than that.   At first glance, it’s doesn’t seem so, but wrestling is more mentally than physically beneficial.    You know that feeling you have deep inside when you’re struggling? Just trust in yourself and know, that feeling is the first sign that you’re about to learn something new about yourself. Be conscious, have the wherewithal to push through the struggle for a solution, then take the time to reflect on what pushing through that struggle taught you, and ultimately you will have truly learned that NOTHING worth learning is easy. Each time you learn something new, it will breathe new confidence within you to go through the next struggle or barrier in your way.   Whatever you do, take the measures and have targeted objectives to get better at struggling. Break down personal barriers and do yourself a favor, use what you’ve learned to struggle for a shorter period the next time. Make the valleys shallower and the peaks higher with each learning experience.   Put in the time to learn the mental chess game that wrestling really is, and you won’t regret that decision. Learn how to strategically and more efficiently employ both your body and mind. Once you’ve learned how to tie a few good moves together, counter your opponent, and mentally grind through a full three periods, then win or lose you just took the measures to think one step ahead of the person in front of you; a skill you’ll use for the rest of your life.   Struggles will come as long as you live. Wrestling has mentally prepared me for handling trials and tribulations. I hope that you’ll have that same experience.     

Our line up doesn't change unless you want to make the weight classes
141  145   190   200   220   230   240   250
Thinking about changing our name from wrestling team to "Lineman off season conditioning team"  :}

Our line up doesn't change unless you want to make the weight classes
141  145   190   200   220   230   240   250
Thinking about changing our name from wrestling team to "Lineman off season conditioning team"  :}

Our line up doesn't change unless you want to make the weight classes
141  145   190   200   220   230   240   250
Thinking about changing our name from wrestling team to "Lineman off season conditioning team"  :}

I would like to think there is enough participation in all of our schools to add a weight class..... However the reality is that it would most likely increase forfeits and unfortunately there are too many of those already.

Size of state should not matter.

Wyoming tries harder

If the issues that are being stated about Elementary Duals are true, it is time we reflect on what the purpose of the event is. Obviously it has gotten way out of hand if we are paying kids or having illegal kids on teams. That kind of win at all costs atmosphere at that age is not healthy for the kids and the sport.

I know this is a little off the main discussion topic, but our club does not start till end of November. I believe the season is long enough already. 4 months of folkstyle then another month and half of freestyle. I fear of the burnout factor for the younger kids. 
Also, I am not sure it would fix the "All Star" teams. I think it would be worse as clubs could pull in any kid and just add them as a member. 

Clearly Jeremiah Harvey wins this. Why are we even discussing?

Clearly Matt Hurford wins this. Why are we even discussing?

Wasn't this thread about the next Kris Rumph? These seem to be past examples...who's up and coming who could pull off a feat like this?

Wasn't this thread about the next Kris Rumph? These seem to be past examples...who's up and coming who could pull off a feat like this?

Wasn't this thread about the next Kris Rumph? These seem to be past examples...who's up and coming who could pull off a feat like this?

Boy howdy. There was a time when that thing made nearly every out of town trip with me. But now it is in survival mode. Only in action for special occasions. A treasure to be sure.

If it's one with the old logo that is a tresure! I don't even have one of those. I know @Galagore will be wearing his OG shirt on Saturday.

This point isn't stressed enough, and is maybe the biggest difference between a full team from a big school and one from a small school.

I know a state champion from Michigan. His name is Louis. One day I asked him, "Lou, what happens if someone says you are only a state champion of a classed state?" His reply was pretty much gold. He replied, "I would say, what about you? Are you a state champion?" That's probably how most of them feel about it.

And that they are a private school in a large city that pulls quality kids in from that large geographic regions spanning 2 states and can pull kids in due the to prior success of the program.

Westforkwhite,
Actually you're exaggerating the number of games played under a classed system.   So it looks like they had approximately 400 schools in the basketball tournament in 1996.  So the tournament  with 400 schools, I calculated, would have approximately 350 games.   With a similar amount of schools under the 4 class systems you would have approximately 420 games.  So you're only looking at 70 more games or 20% more, not the 300% more as you stated. 
So why did the attendance drop?   Here's a big reason why and its not because the tournament was less appealing.   In the one class system,  the bigger schools beat the smaller schools signifcantly more often. So the teams that advanced had more fans to bring to the next round.   Im not sure how sectionals were back in the day but, say you possibly had in 1st round Carmel vs Sheridan which was geographically possible.  Compare Carmel today with 5000 kids vs Sheridan with 329.      Whose going to bring more fans next round, Carmel?  And they're 1,500% bigger, so they bringing 1500% more fans.  Its a system setup to favor the big schools, bigger fan bases and more gate revenue for the state.  I would speculate back in the day, Class 4a type schools won the sectional 80 to 90% of the time.
So say we come to 1996,  and put in class basketball.  Now Carmel is playing Ben Davis  in 1st round (instead of Sheridan), the two biggest schools.   Now you have a more competitive game,  but one of the two largest schools is knocked out.  So in the 1st round,  you took out one of the 2 largest fan bases.  These fans know stay home next round.        Also,  yes know Sheridan with their 329 population would play Indy Lutheran with 251 population.   So the difference in 1996 vs 1995 is teams like Sheridan or Lutheran are advancing,  and schools like Carmel and Ben Davis are losing in the 1st round.   You're losing 1000s of fans as a result.  Multiply this affect over 64 sectionals and you're losing a lot fans because the big teams lose earlier, and small teams are advancing further.
So the ISHAA always knew this, and this was good for them because they subsidized their revenue on the backs of the big Indiana Schools and at the expense of the small schools, at least until 1996.  But to keep the fans and schools  from revolting against into this system, they had had to have a hook.  And this  was the "Muncie Miracle"  and they made a movie about it.   Hey, if the small school wins,  then anybody can.   Fans love it but it was an anomaly,  but still burned into the psyche of the Indiana sports fan.  Its like the  lottery affect.  Some Joe hits the multi-million jackpot, then all these other people who are bad at math, think they can do it to. 
 
 

Another under-appreciated fact is the decline of the small public school. The local high school used to be the apple of a small town's eye. Now it is often a town or two away, thus diluting a lot of the pride that existed "back in the day." Some of that pride is even replaced with resentment in some cases.

Another under-appreciated fact is the decline of the small public school. The local high school used to be the apple of a small town's eye. Now it is often a town or two away, thus diluting a lot of the pride that existed "back in the day." Some of that pride is even replaced with resentment in some cases.

Another under-appreciated fact is the decline of the small public school. The local high school used to be the apple of a small town's eye. Now it is often a town or two away, thus diluting a lot of the pride that existed "back in the day." Some of that pride is even replaced with resentment in some cases.

Maybe the drop in attendance is due to the fact that there is a lot more to do in 2017 than there was in 1984. People have more entertainment options. The same can be said for wrestling participation. In the 80's and 90's, kids joined high school sports teams because that was what you did. If you weren't varsity, you participated on the jv and were still part of a team. Now, if you aren't varsity, you have a lot of options (internet, video games, etc.) to occupy your time that doesn't include being someone's back up. In an instant gratification/5 second highlight society, this shouldn't be that difficult to understand.

All of those options sounds great, but who organizes and sponsors all of it? I think this would be great to incorporate regardless of classing versus not classing.
One thing that people who haven't seen both sides of the fence fail to realize is that small schools and larger schools are very nearly playing a different game. It isn't even about "fairness" it is about having an appropriate tournament for each game being played. Small schools are playing a game where success is a full line-up, starters making it through the season, coaching staff remaining consistent year-to-year.
Who has spent meaningful time at a small school (less than say 650 students) and at a large school (more than say 1000 students) and is honestly against classing the tournament?