aoberlin

Ditch your head on the outside singles and high crotches. Focus on head up inside singles and finishing off the mat. Defensively start with stepping around the corner and crotch lifts. Then start with good old gut wrenches and defending them. Tell them stand ups can be bad news. Let them know to have some fun.

Oh and drill back arch and turns for a while.

For the love of wrestling can Verizon get another tower in that area? Or really good public Wifi? Other than that it was a well oiled machine.

2 hours ago, mcnorthcarolina said:

I see your point. And circumstances were very different at the time and things have improved at Wabash drastically. But under the circumstances we had to deal with then we chose the best option for my son. And what we have sacrificed as a family has not been easy. We didn't just jump local  school systems. I'm all for growing the sport but an opportunity presented itself and we took it. Both of my son's give back still to there local program. 

I am aware of your situation and I don’t disagree with your decision. Totally different than what others are talking about. That is why I said there are different circumstances. 

15 hours ago, mcnorthcarolina said:

So what do you do when a program falls apart? When the long time coach leaves and the result is a total decline of the program and your kid seems to have a future in the sport? Do you waste HS years waiting for it to improve or go where winners are produced? Not every coach or every AD has the ability or the means to get your kid to the next level and I'm sure most of the transfers it is a mutual decision between parents and coaching staff. If I can provide my child with opportunities to  achieve his goals I'm surely going to do it and have done everything you mentioned in your post. So far with results that have exceeded my expectations.

Well the goal should be that your wrestler is a leader the program needs to start the fire again. Every program needs a spark every now and then. When those sparks go to other schools it doesn't help grow the sport in my opinion. But... every circumstance is different.

I have permission to host this at Homestead. We are still shooting for this year possible mid April if not we will be looking at next year. Trying not to conflict with other events.

13 hours ago, SWINfan said:

Generally in an arena like Gainbridge, there is a primary leaseholder.  That would be the Pacers. So the Pacers would absolutely have something to say and leverage.  I'm sure they're between a rock and a hard place.  But the IHSAA likely doesn't want to pick a fight with a community partner, one who sponsors their championships as well.  I have no idea if the Pacers pay the IHSAA sponsorship money or just provide a venue.  My guess is the venue availability is provided at X rate and the Pacers pay the IHSAA to sponsor.  It would be a fairly typical agreement.  So I think there is a lot more than just one year of wrestling State.  It's relationships that would be damaged as well as the potential to lose the site in the future.  Would you trade this situation, if in say 3-5 years Gainbridge was no longer available?  What if it affected the IHSAA's standing in using it for basketball as well.  Just because they hold weight, doesn't mean they should use it.

Meh… it’s still a crap thing to do and basketball sucks.

3 minutes ago, TripleB said:

NO ONE WANTS TO SIT ON WOODEN BENCHES FOR 2 DAYS

57 minutes ago, Ahawkeye said:

Lets's just have it in that corn field north of Sheridan so no one gets butt hurt.

These 2 things go together. Will Sheridan have chairs with cushions? If so I vote for it and that will help my butt.

20 minutes ago, jets said:

I don't think it would be "good business"  for the IHSAA to get into a pis#$ing match with the local PRO sports team that has been willing to schedule games around a weekend of events (not just wrestling, but basketball as well). Our kids are fortunate to be able to play at such venues like Lukas and Gainbridge. This all-star thing sucks...but I'm not sure how you could have avoided it. (I'm actually in favor of moving the State Series, but I know it's not that simple) 

I disagree. I am sure the facility was subsidized and has been given tax breaks to be there. To my knowledge Gainbridge is a fieldhouse used for many different things. Basketball being the main one. IHSAA is a non-profit that promotes amateur youth sports in the State of Indiana. Our tax dollars help keep that place alive. I am sure they make plenty of money for IHSAA State wrestling and have over the years. Just because they can make more money than what they make on us doesn't make it right. I guess choose your battles but as a tax payer and someone that has spent a ton of money in Indy over the last 30 years during this weekend I feel slighted. Also I have sour grapes because I know Fort Wayne was not really considered in this process so I am being petty.

To add to that the IHSAA is no joke. They hold real weight. Youth sports is a huge money maker for local businesses. They have levers they can use for sure. 

Is it too late to just say this is bullpucky that we even have to move it? It's what contracts are meant for. I would like to see the clause that says. "If there is something better that weekend you guys can't have it."  What lawyer looked at the contract that was originally signed or who created the contract? Did the IHSAA at least get some kick back for being thrown out next year or at least a discount for the year after? I hope so because it is just bad business. Don't worry about the loyal 13000 wrestling fans that have supported your facility and downtown district for many decades. 

4 minutes ago, infowrestling said:

This is not good..........

Sorry coach if this happens and you can't get a refund I will repay you by giving you a free camp or 2 for your kid. But.... you have to help coach again.

25 minutes ago, Y2CJ41 said:

Purdue threw their hat into the ring late in the process per what I gathered while at the IHSAA. It sounded as if they had a location ready to finalize and Purdue made a strong late push that the IHSAA is considering.

So.... I shouldn't have used Priceline without insurance? 

Crazy this topic is going after I already told you it will be Evansville.

Not all schools have coaches that have the time to coach 365 days out of the year. Some academies have to be open 365 of the year because there are bills to pay on the monthly that will not go away. Parent coaches can be 365 days out of the year because they are invested in their wrestler and they can bring others along for the ride but those parents usually graduate with their wrestlers. Many times that is why you see a program spark up for a little while then die back down.  Academies attract the kids and parents that are looking to put in that extra work when every other room is closed or when their isn't enough competition in their own room or a wrestler connects with a certain coach. At it's best an academy is supposed to be a supplement for a wrestler to get better and improve all the while working along side the school system they go to. At it's worst it is used as a recruiting ground to help a high school program. Recruiting happens and will continue to happen, it is what it is. I have an extremely open room policy. I love when high school coaches come and help with the practices. As matter of fact you start getting more kids from that particular school coming because the coach is part of the process. 

To push back a little on money helping I am not sure I buy that. No pun attended. There is way more dynamics that go into other than money. I have offered many many things for free with World level talent and I have had those opportunities passed up many times. It's about motivation, rather that comes from the parents, coaches, or the wrestlers own hunger. But... if you have a whole community dumping money into a program that there is allot of pressure and motivation to make things happen. So... in that sense I may agree.

2 hours ago, jonah7474 said:

Word on the street is… the assistant tried to tell him it was a bad call and he over ruled him… AND after the match he said it didn’t matter because it didn’t affect the outcome of the match. 

I believe you are talking about the wrong match.

1 hour ago, Justin Ratliff said:

The match didn't end where the picture above is.  The Owen Valley wrestler had his leg in a Merckle position.  He didn't have the head and arm like a merckle though.  His left hand was under the left armpit of the Mater Dei wrestler.  His right hand hadn't been secured behind the right arm of the bottom wrestler yet and the ref called it a reversal for 2.  The official was already walking past then the OV wrestler secured his hand behind the bottom wrestlers armpit just before time ran out.

 

From where I was it definitely looked like a 2 before time ran out.

 

I'm not sure what Coach Schaefer questioned but I wondered if he asked the official if he had both arms secured behind the bottom wrestler's arms?  The official may have realized that when he awarded the points that the OV kid did not have both hands secured behind the Mater Dei's wrestler's arms, then took away the reversal.

 

However, the OV wrestler did secure it before time ran out from our vantage but the official had already walked around to the other side.

Personally I didn’t like when they changed the rule to the merkle being a takedown. It changed the way finishing a head on the inside single that goes to the mat. It use to be a good limp arm out and you were good to go now if they catch that arm you are caught in the merkle position. So now it has turned into chasing the ankle. Which many times can turn into a stalemate. You are seeing more half slidebys and elbow slides going to merkles to get the 2. I just don’t see it as control. I think it is more of a 50/50 situation but once the ref calls 2 it changes how the wrestlers react. But… that is just me.

2 hours ago, infowrestling said:

I’ve booked several non refundable rooms solely based on the confidence of Coach Oberlin. 

When have you ever known me to be wrong? And... you can't ask my wife.

Buy your hotel rooms for Evansville. It's a done deal.

From the book Outliers. It was found when flying having the co-pilot be the more experienced pilot and having some authority caused less plane crashes for many different reasons. Just some food for thought.

It's Evansville. I'll bet a wrestling facility but... you have to take over the bills and the loan.

From what I heard the head ref does not have to listen to what the assistant ref says he saw and that may have been the case in this instance. 

I see some wrestlers we didn’t think qualified. If they are on the list of wrestlers does it mean they did? Thank you!

10 minutes ago, Lawdiggity said:

Excellent article. Now if only my dumb brain could remember how to get back to this article each year for reference when I describe our tourney to out of town friends and family. 

Thank you. I will be posting this as a blog on my website. The article is more for those that are just learning about Indiana wrestling. Most of you already know everything that was written. 

It’s that time of year again here in Indiana, February Madness, and I’m not talking about basketball. There is a very strong community of diehard wrestlers, fans, and coaches in Indiana for whom late January and early February is a time of excitement, anxiety, and sleepless nights. Those involved know what is at stake this time of year and for many it has been a 13 year journey . I’m going to attempt to give you some insight. In my humble opinion, Indiana’s state wrestling tournament is the toughest in the nation for a wrestler to punch a ticket through to the Indiana high school state because of the number of wrestlers in the state, the single class system for wrestling, and the lack of wrestlebacks. Indiana competes well at the national level and is one of only 5 states that has a single class for their state tournament. Furthermore, Indiana is the only state that doesn’t have wrestlebacks in their State High School Tournament.

View full article

25 minutes ago, Clint Gard said:

Talk about a nerve racking Sunday, before the internet.  I used to go out and get all of the Sunday papers and work through the formula.  

Yeah well I remember finding out on the bus ride home from Regionals that I drew Myers for the 2nd year in a row in the ticket round after getting caught in the finals. Some things you can't forget. 

21 minutes ago, HawkinIndy said:

Gard’s comment is what sparked my response because at the end of the day, to be the best you have to beat the best. I would take the comment I referenced from the wrestler to my grave and will certainly take your advice on elevating this to our AD and the IHSAA. The draw is the draw at this point, but it’d be nice to know that nobody outside the IHSAA knows the formula in advance.

Years back coaches got the draws right after their Regional was done. You do the math on what happened when one Regional finishes before the other Regional.