Mattyb

My research reflects that the team champs in the middle school and 6th grade and under divisions had Indiana kids on those teams also. Middle school champs had Cheaney Schoeff and Evan Bates. 6U had Big Nate Rioux. All world 3rd grade and under coach Triple B just came up short with the Indiana boys in the 3rd grade and under division.

Indiana boys bring home 5 of the 13 titles in the high school individual tournament today. Jesse Mendez 108 Dawson Combest 138 Jacob LaPlace 155 Carson Brewer 167 Brady Shepherd HWT

Many of the Indiana based teams had kids from other states on them. Hey... its summer wrestling. It's more about having fun and doing stuff with other kids and other teams. You know how it was with Tallented son. Studs like him get to meet cool kids along the way. Just kinda neat to see kids that typically wrestle against each other on state based teams (like scholastics) come together and have fun. I really think that is what the "off season" stuff is all about. With all of that said, Indiana as a whole did very well up here.

Great day of wrestling. This is a very tough tournament to win. Proud of all the Indiana / Ohio boys. More importantly is the friendships and bonds that have been made. The whole team earning all-American honors (in the gold bracket) at this very tough tournament is an amazing feat. The mafia organization is a class act. Not sure of everyone's records. I'm sure that sig40 can give us all a great breakdown as he was the table worker all day. His son Jesse is a beast. I'm sure that he will be out next 4 timer (if he stays around). #TheCounty was represented by a few guys. All went 6-1 and wrestled well.

Garcia is right about Hubner. Kid has put on about 35 pounds of muscle. Look for him to continue the tradition of tough big men for the Orioles. Predicting a break out year for this kid. Look for Justice Cash of Bloomington NORTH to take a huge step forward at 120ish this season. He has put in some work over the summer. Nick South of Columbus East will be a top contender at 152 (had to sit last year out).

Montgomery is going to be at Brownsburg. Ben Dalton will be a Monrovia. Look for Tyler Conley, Jaden Reynolds, Brady Mckivitz, and Clayton Peters to be very tough at Avon. EMD have another very tough in coming class with Fitts, Boarman, Ross and Freeman (I think). Chesterton has Ellis and Bates coming in. Perry has Little Cottey and Little Warren. I would love to know if any of the Region kids are going to make their way over to Crown Point.

Yes.. I have spoken to many other National team leaders also. The majority of the most successful team hand pick their teams. With this said, a handful of years ago I was given the task (by the ISWA) to create and develop the ISWA Elementary National Team. Knowing that this group included multiple age groups, I realized that we could not simply take our state champs. I figured a first year 6th grade schoolboy that finished 4th at state would smash our novice state champ (in most cases). With this said, I developed the ISWA elementary wrestle offs. I knew that multiple studs could show up at the same weight.. so I built in the opportunity to wrestle off at multiple weights (did the wrestle offs in sessions). This process has led to our elementary team being one of the best in the nation (year in and year out). They always make the gold pool and wrestle the best in the USA at nationals. Here is the process that I think would produce our best team: 1. Make up a committee to hand pick our very best teams. This committee would be made up of academy coaches and team leaders who have a vast knowledge of the talent within our state. This committee would be tasked with having consistent communication with our elite wrestlers. They will inform them of the national team opportunities which may present themselves to them. They will also collect national team applications from our elite athletes. These applications will be due the weekend of folkstyle state. The committee could meet the week after state. At that time, the committee would choose our proposed national teams. 2. Members of the proposed team will be encouraged to attend the state tournaments. If members of the prosed teams win state, then the spot is theirs. If someone other than a member of the proposed team wins state in a weight class, then the member of the proposed team shall wrestle off the champ for the spot in a best of three (world team style) for a spot on the team. If that member of the proposed team loses the wrestle off, then a alternate spot will be offered to that wrestler (we need alternates anyway). So basically hand pick a team, and build in a process to allow a better wrestler to take a spot (if your hand picked guy doesn't perform as he or she should). I think that this process would get us back in to the gold pools. The most important part of this process will to be to stay in contact with our wrestlers and keep them interested and informed. When I was taking the elementary teams to kick butt at nationals. I would contact families and coaches to ensure that they knew how great the tournament was going to be, and to ensure that they showed up to wrestle offs. I would even share with them which weight classes I though that they would fit best at.

I have been around for a while. I have also coached and been a team leader for national team duals. This is how I see it. Most of our studs continue to wrestle folk style well past our state tournament. They do little to no freestyle or Greco practices or meets leading up to our freestyle and Greco state tournaments. Most of our studs win because they are just better all around athletes and better wrestlers (all styles). Once they make the team they do little to no freestyle and Greco until they get to camp. That brings us to that..... camp! I do think that it is very important, but the timing (especially for the schoolboys) is not good. These kids do this camp for a few days, spend one night at home and spend the next four days wrestling the best kids in America. Come the last day of competition... they are done. And the add in the fact that alternates are not allowed... this makes it hard. Most of the top teams bring extras to keep their studs fresh for when it counts. No way states like Utah should be consistently be killing us. They wrestle these styles more, and prepare better than us. Here are my suggestions.... Continue a 1 day team camp if need be (to organize and hand out gear). Make it a couple days prior to the trip. That way the kids can prepare themselves mentally at the best place possible... their own bed. As soon as folk style state is over... do state team RTCs (one in each iswa section). These will be for those who plan on making a team or wrestling these styles at the national levels. These can take place once a week until state and twice a week after state (once teams are determined). This will also help fill teams and build depth (for alternates). Mandate these workouts to be two hours. One full hour of freestyle and one hour of Greco. Oh yeah.... two state team RTCs would count as one qualifier. Make it mandatory for team members. Weekend tournaments are great, but you can learn soooo much more in a good RTC. As a part of the national team, you should be mandated to attend central regionals if you do not have seeding points. Our seeding is killing us. Look into corporate sponsership or fund raising to help with cost. Just my thoughts. And yes..... I would be willing to help. I'm not the type to complain or suggest stuff, and not help fix stuff.

Seems like our freestyle and Greco national dual teams took it on the chin (all age groups). It seems that we can compete with the big dogs in folkstyle (closing the gap). Not sure what is up with the other two styles. Hate to see this.

BTW.... Perhaps the most impressive Indiana wrestler was Derrick Blubaugh from Bloomington South. He went 11-0 with 10 falls! Great kid.... well deserved success.

Brownsburg and Columbus both go down! Columbus wrestling for 7th at 2pm Brownsburg wrestling back. Yorktown has two more to win it all. #TheCountyTMZ south weather bureau is reporting rain again at about 2pm! ...... back to more rainy Harry Potter for me!

Brownsburg is beat up... a couple studs out. Will have a tough one against north Florida with some key guys out. If Columbus wins and Brownsburg loses this round (10am), they would wrestle at noon. Winner would go on to third and fourth place match. Carroll takes a loss this morning and has been released to check out the rainy parks. Nice run by that team.

Carrol and Columbus both wrestling back in gold pool. If they both win this morning at 8am, they will face each other at 10am. Brownsburg rolling in the semis. They have a tough north Florida team this morning at 10 am. I think that they should be favored. Most likely will get a very tough rhino (pa) team in the finals at 2pm. Our Yorktown Tigers are rolling towards another national title in division 2. Btw... it is going to rain again today!

Columbus lost a very close one to a very game north Florida team. No Columbus vs Brownsburg match in the morning. Now I get to root for #TheCounty!

Ha... didn't want to get it wrong and get banned! Here you go.... #TheCountyTMZ far south bureau is reporting that OUR Carrol Superchargers are still alive to make the gold pool. Need to win out today (I think). Boys look great!

Yes.... it was bull. It was a match penalty point, not a team point. That is not criteria typically. If this criteria was not added the mafia would have won the dual (most 6 point wins). There were no team point deductions and matches won was even.

Both semi finals in all-star division are barn burners! Great duals. These top four teams are solid. Finals will be killer. Again, Parris and Bailey on Ohio Mafia.. rooting hard for them. Our Gorrillas are making a great run in the silver bracket (all-star). They will be in the finals of that bracket this afternoon. Lots of under classmen on this team. Great job boys! Comminity one action gets real today. Balboa (Columbus East) has a tough dual against North Florida Wrestling Academy at 2. Winner of that will win the pool. Brownsburg is killing it. They are going to win their pool. Very good chance to see a Brownsburg vs Columbus East match up tomorrow morning (10am) in the D1 semi finals of the gold pool (if all goes as I think it will). Perry, Penn and Warren may be going to the silver bracket. Sorry if this is wrong. Btw... more rain on the way! No more Harry Potter pleeeeaaaassssee! But.. the volcano bay water park at universal is GREAT!!!

Another day in rainy Orlando. The Mafia still rolling. I think that they have only given up 3 team points. Stuff gets real today. Looking forward to a Perry vs Columbus east at 10:00. Brownsburg has not been challenged. Haven't seen any other Indiana teams (too busy at Harry freaking Potter).

Liberty Ohio does not look near as strong as they did last year in community one.

Saw that.... man that mafia team is stacked! Some good efforts by the gorillas. Jordan "cool kid" slivka with the great overtime win for our only team points (may be the only points scored on the mafia today). Bailey did not wrestle against his Indiana brothers? Other than that... a couple of solid team wins for the Gorrillas.

All-star division has some great kids down here. Look for the Ohio mafia to be the front runners. They have the Decatur bros, Brey Bailey, Mason Parris (he's at 220 Nick), and multiple Ohio state champs. They are in the pool with the Gorrillas. Pennsylvania teams are stacked also. A PA team may take the title also (young guns are stacked too). #TheCountyTMZ is reporting 5 top 15 ranked kids in the USA are here at 126. Anderson vs. Bartlet will be sick! Prep nationals rematch there. Asa Garcia will have some tough matches. Look for liberty to go back to back in the community 1 division. They have a few kids that transferred from st parris graham. They may have had a shot at the all star title last year (imo). Look for Brownsburg and Columbus East to make deeps runs here. Look for our Yorktown tigers to bring home another title in the community 2 division, as they looked great in their duals that they hosted last week. I can't see another "small" school team beating them. Now.... back to getting motion sickness on rides, spending another bunch of money on wands, butter beer, big homer doughnuts, and duff beer! #IHateHarryPotter

Raining down here... should be the same everyday. Perfect weather for wrestling! Action starts tomorrow. Looking forward to seeing our boys kick butt. You have much better weather 1000 miles north.... enjoy!

Word on the mean streets of #TheCounty is that #TheCountyTMZ has their top guys on this, and are working to get the scoop first. Garcia's (aka... Harvey) top reporters have been seen outside of the Lee home and Red Cobra.

For sure! Was thinking that Mason was going 220 again.

Saw this. He is my front runner for a state title at 285 next year. Dude has gained over 100 pounds in the last few years. Very impressive kid, that is young for his grade.