Clint Gard

I'm sure the NWCA and NFHS has the data but it would be nice to see all states and how the FF data would break down by class. I'm guessing most states have similar data. The issue is using that data to make decisions to help wrestling. It's clear, at least in Indiana, something needs to be done with 106 and 113. Don't know that I have the answer but here are my thoughts... 12 Weights: 115, 120, 126, 133, 140, 147, 155, 165, 175, 190, 215, 285 Moving to 12 weights would shorten up dual meets and tournaments, which I firmly believe is a major issue with wrestling. But, if that is a no go, then... 14 Weights: 115, 120, 126, 132, 138, 145, 152, 160, 170, 182, 195, 215, 245 or 250, 285

Not at all. I think we need to have better defined off seasons, I think we need to practice and train more...wrestle in competitions less. We need to get away from everything being folkstyle. I think we need to do a better job of eliminating all day Saturday/Sunday events. We aren’t losing the kids who are all in. We are losing the kids and families who aren’t. There are lot more kids that are middle of the road than killers. We keep losing them...look at the FF data from 2015 to 2018. A lot of people get on here and argue or complain. I offered up some solutions. Sorry if that’s too much reading for you. If we continue doing what we are doing, the data will continue the same trend.

Very good data. The comparison between 2015 and 2018 is eye opening. They all are but geez!

There have been a ton of interesting topics and threads about the subjects listed in my title...every year they come up. We are a very passionate group and I think we all agree that wrestling needs to grow. From my little perch in Rochester, Indiana here is my 2 cents...which my step-dad always used to say "Wouldn't buy me a cheap cup of coffee"...so take it as you will. 1. I am a class supporter...both individual and team. I don't think it will solve every problem but I do believe, in my heart, it will affect the numbers of our sport and more kids will participate and benefit from wrestling. Yes basketball is classed and viewing numbers have dropped BUT, at Rochester, basketball still has a full varsity, a full JV, and a full freshman team. People may not attend as much as they used to, but kids are still playing. No offense to our basketball coaches, but we aren't very good and about 5-6 of those kids should really be wrestling. I believe that those individuals wrestling in a state championship tournament from a Class 1A or 2A school, will bring notoriety to their school, be talked to by college coaches, and ultimately attract kids to give it a shot...especially at the younger levels. 2. We are fighting a bigger battle than class wrestling and that is a societal change from our youth programs to the HS Seniors. I love kids, love teaching them, and love coaching them...but the fact is there aren't has many kids to choose from now days that are willing to do what you have to do to just be on the team. I'm not talking about wrestling varsity. I'm talking about just being on the team. Very few young men want to endure the physicality of wrestling to wrestle JV. Kids are used to getting it now or hitting the "reset" button and being able to start over when they lose. Wrestling requires a ton of work to get what one wants. Kids don't want to do the work and wait around for 2-3 years to earn their spot...they especially don't want to wrestle year round to have to earn it. While I don't understand that way of thinking, I do recognize it as an issue. 3. I'm going to get crucified for this...We, coaches and lovers of wrestling, have done a really bad job of making our sport fun, marketable, and fan/family friendly to the masses. I include myself in that as well. We wrestle too many all day super duals, two-day 10 ways, and too many matches. At Rochester, we have adjusted our schedule to make it more marketable to kids, families, and fans. This year it helped with attendance and numbers. We had a dual with Northwestern and brought in our elementary and MS teams to wrestle before the HS dual. Had a DJ and spotlights...each kid had their own walk-out song. Nothing but positive feedback. We also took some long Saturday's off of our schedule and put in some week night Quads so kids could have their weekend back. That was a hit with parents. HS season is long...even longer for the elite kids that go year round. Can you imagine how long it is for those kids with a .500 or losing record wrestling every Saturday and going 0-5, 1-4, 2-3 and maybe earning 1-2 wins or getting forfeits? How many more youth events can we host in a year...especially in Folkstyle? We got HYWAY, ISWA (From November to April), Elementary Friendship meets, etc. Yep, I'm guilty as a Coach and a Dad...we take advantage of it. But that doesn't make me right. I started wrestling at 14. Wrestled the HS Season, went to Freestyle and wrestled as much as I could, but it was over in April. Nothing from May to November unless you made a Fargo team. Now there is something EVERY single month of the year to choose from. We want kids to be kids and play other sports but there is something for wrestling EVERY.SINGLE.MONTH. We don't stop. The argument is, and it's valid, the family or coach has to choose and know when to back off. An argument to the argument, and it's valid, is that if it's not available then the family or coach doesn't feel like they need to do it. Our kids also don't feel like they have to choose. I'm NOT advocating that we throw the baby out with the bath water, but coaches and our associations should take a look at how we can retain kids, give them experience, and not have an event EVERY.SINGLE.MONTH!! 4. Bring back the Freestyle and Greco season after the IHSAA State Tournament. If the ISWA won't give up Folkstyle State, then at least look at a different date. HS kids don't have to be included in that. They just wrestled an entire season of folkstyle. Once IHSAA State ends, have 3 weeks off with no tournaments. RTC's open all over Indiana and train exclusively in FS and Greco. Starting in Mid-March, have 5 tournaments on a Saturday or Sunday. One in the North, South, East, West, and Central for 2 consecutive weeks. Then 2 weeks of training. First week within in your RTC, then the second bring 2-3 RTC's together to train. 1 week of tournaments...same as before. Then the State Tournament. Be done in April instead of May. I'm sure this would need tweaking and my weeks might be off...but the idea has merit. 5. This kind of goes along with #3 and all of the folkstyle events for our youth, but I believe we need a true youth season. I'd like to see us go November Practice, December Compete, and have Folkstyle State the same weekend as the ISWA Elementary Duals and then be done with Folkstyle. Janauary...OFF...no wrestling. Start them training in FS and Greco in February, no tournaments. Tournaments start in Mid-March and go to Freestyle State in April. This stuff of going November - December with duals, wrestling state duals over break, then coming right back to the "individual" season from January to March, then freestyle (for those that can't control themselves and just have to do it :)) from March to May...it's kind of ridiculous. We tell our kids that they shouldn't play tackle football year round, we tell our baseball players that they really can't throw year round...but we have kids at 8-9 years old wrestling from October (most practices start) to May. Before you tear me up...just think about that...from October to May. Why is that ok for wrestling but not ok for other sports? I know there are arguments against my points and we have some kids that want to train all the time. I get it. If there would have been year round wrestling in Richmond, Indiana when I was 14, I would have done it. I love it that much. I would have hit the RTC's, the tournaments, everything. But I don't coach me and the majority of our kids and families can't afford to, don't have the time to, or just don't want to train/compete as much as the die hards do. Do the kids who want to train/wrestle year round deserve the chance to do it, yep, and I'm sure we can all find a way for those killers to do that...heck they will anyway. But as a group, wrestling can do better to attract and retain those kids and families that don't. We have pretty much given the masses the ultimatum of either do this to be great or quit...unfortunately I think too many quit. Side note: This doesn't include summer camps, academies, and off season open mats. Just my 2 cents... Ready...GO!

They said the 6 duals/6 tournaments will be 2018-19 so I'm guessing the other two approvals will be the same year. Although, those 2 could be implemented easily next year.

http://www.ihsaa.org/Portals/0/ihsaa/documents/news%20media/2016-17/050117.Board.pdf Like the uniform being passed. Not sure what to think about the 6 duals and 6 tournaments. I like the 6 duals but not sure about being limited to 6 tournaments. If you have a conference tourney, you'd have to drop a regular season tourney. Could this affect Team State participants in 2018-2019. Good discussions to have. http://www.ihsaa.org/Portals/0/ihsaa/documents/about%20ihsaa/minutes/2016-17/050117.BoardMinutes.pdf http://www.ihsaa.org/Portals/0/ihsaa/documents/about%20ihsaa/minutes/2016-17/050117.CommitteeMinutes.pdf

I don't have a dog in this fight other than taking a few Rochester kids up to South Bend Riley HS this Saturday. Just want to encourage programs to expose their wrestlers to FS and GR. Last year they had a little over 115 kids. I'm sure we can do better in the northern part of the state. Coach Flatt has not asked me to do this...I'm just trying to spread the word and get kids up there to wrestle. We have been working FS exclusively in our practice room and the kids love it. Every time we practice, they ask "Are we focusing on Freestyle tonight?" They look forward to it. Anyway...I think it's worth it for my kids, my program, and Indiana Wrestling. Go to ISWA.com and find the flyer under Events. Hope to see you there! Clint

On the paper they handed out "Head to Head Competition: (the wrestler with most head to head wins gets the seed. If they have beaten each other an equal number of times, then the winner of the last match gets the seed). I believe this is different than stated above from the video.

I did listen to it. I listened on Monday before the meeting. I do not interpret it that way at all.

So for 21 years, our sectional has been doing it wrong and I'm guessing many others? I'm not talking about the 160 kids, I'm looking at the 182 class. The way they used head to head to seed that is not what we have ever used. I'd Sectionals are being seeded wrong and we have the rules wrong, then they need to be reseeded ASAP. Below is NOT the way I have ever seen it done in ANY tournament.

Guys...I know there is an issue with kids and getting a raw deal. BUT...the bigger picture and question is WHY WAS THE COMMISIONER RUNNING IT AND WHY DOESNT HE KNOW THE RULES??

I honestly hope that what you say about Mr. Faulkens' interpretation of Head to Head is not true. This guy oversees our sport and he doesn't know the basics of a seeding meeting? Can anyone confirm this? Why was he even running the meeting?