Dwilly

I know Plymouth went through Ft Wayne in the 1990's at least. 
 
 
Tony Currie

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he would have to leave the safety of being behind his keyboard to make the trip and then he may be vulnerable......no chance

I'm going to keep copying and pasting this because I think what I have listed are viable options...
 
It's been said a couple of times already I think but if Freestyle is something the ISWA wants to get back to in Indiana, then the focus and push will need to change.  I think Freestyle is great.  Loved it back in the late 80's and early 90's...it helped develop me at a very fast rate.  But back then, that's all there was.  Part of the problem is they started changing the rules and just made it really stupid IMO.  I think it is back to being what it once was, but all the rule changes turned a lot of people off to it.
 
Having said that...here is my 2 cents to pushing Freestyle again:
 
1.  Folkstyle Season for PeeWee-Schoolboy's will be November and December.  Tournaments can start the beginning of November and end just before Christmas Break.  We don't need to have a state tournament...we have too many "state" and "national' tournaments.  Just wrestle.  If you want to have a state tournament, then make the local tournaments a qualifier for the final one in December.
 
2.  January to IHSAA State Finals- Training for freestyle/Greco technique and rules interpretation.  Train your officials and pairings people.  No tourneys.  It's a proven fact that our kids wrestle too much and don't practice enough.  Ask any other country in the world and they will tell you we do the exact opposite of what they do.  We do not get the results other countries do...hmmm.
 
3.  February - March: Freestyle/Greco tournaments only.  
 
4.  April - Freestyle and Greco State
 
5.  Late April - ??: Training and more training for those kids that make the Fargo teams or any other types of teams.
 
I'm still thinking through some things but those are some rough toughts.  I'm telling you right now, kids will train freestyle if they want to get better.  Those that don't, will see a noticeable difference in their HS seasons and they will get on board.  If they don't, they will get passed by.  
 
Thoughts??

Don't blame Joe or the kids...blame me if you want to blame someone...I coach the Gorillas team so its on me for wanting to coach my own kids.  
 
I would wrestle my high school team in it if possible and we would probably be pretty successful.
 
This isn't like Cadet/Jr Duals where only 2 teams per state are allowed...if it was this would be an 11 team 6 state tournament....the prestige just isn't there. If and Indiana team would have won this it wouldn't push us to some higher tier when it comes to national wrestling ability

We can officially announce IndianaMat has been awarded the National Wrestling Website of the Year award from the National Wrestling Media Association. I want to thank Chad Hollenbaugh and Eric McGill for talking me into starting this monster. Also thanks too many others that have contributed hours upon hours of time into this website.

Would love to see a national championship team!!!! Btw... the group of kids from 2013, also got 3rd in Kingsport, TN in 2012. Best finishes by Indiana teams at both events. Those guys were freshmen this year, and are doing VERY well at the high school level.
 
If anyone has any doubts about going on these trips, or going to an academy.... just look at these results. Early on, I caught a lot of flack for encouraging my club kids to attend academies (my own kids included). People said that our Avon teams weren't Avon teams... and knocked us for not training the kids full time. Many coaches still are reluctant to support academies. We have 4 coaches in our club that wrestled in the Big 10 (All national qualifiers). With this said, we can only do so much at the club level. Having great clubs, along with being able to attend academies with tons of other state champs to push our kids, is a formula for success. This is what has been working for the Illinois kids for the last decade.
 
Love seeing these results. Cant wait to go be a part of Middle School National Duals this weekend!!!
 
#TheState

I'm surprised that there's been hardly any talk about this kid since this weekend. Too much focus has been on one wrestlers mistake and not Jake's accomplishment. He goes in and beats a nationally ranked stud and looked very impressive doing it. So congrats Jake Kleimola on a great weekend

Red has nothing to prove, you are right.
 
However when you accept an invitation to a prestigious event you make a commitment to also make the weight. The committee paid for his hotel, a FLIGHT, meals, event activities, and gear for him to wrestle. In total he probably received around $750 in perks to wrestle. Then when you show up 9lbs over weight and don't attempt to make it there is a big issue. To compound it we as a state were there and it made not only Red look bad, but our whole state. It was NOT a fun conversation with the committee, nor was it in my itinerary for the weekend. To put it rather bluntly it was an extremely embarrassing situation to be a part of and there is no other way to put it.

People think that events like that no matter how big or small is only for them and their kid. They will complain endlessly about waiting more than a half hour for a match. It is all about them as they only care about getting out by noon and have no regard for anyone else.

You just got exposed as someone who's never seen Angel wrestle.  I've seen both of them in many, many matches and I think Red would win--but you've clearly never seen Angel and definitely didn't see him in high school.

I believe Jeff Pease has five stop signs.

That is an outlier of an outlier. So I would guess no there are not people who have changed their heart......i could be wrong though def wouldn't be the first time

After 12 years of being involved in wrestling in the state of Indiana, the Franklin family is saying thanks for the memories.  Two boys and over 215 career IHSAA (between them) victories later we are bowing out and thanking the sport for all it has taught us.  Jack made it to Banker's this year which was a special moment for all of us.  For those of you that remember Jack's older brother, Andy (3x NHC Champ - 2008, 2009 & 2010), he is in his second year of law school at IU (Bloomington) and in the top 20% of his class.  Jack is headed to Ball State this Fall.  As for me, I hope the aging process slows to a normal pace as it feels I've aged 25 years during the times I lived and died with my sons these past 12 years.  Homestead HS, where Jack and Andy attended, is in great hands with Coaches Devaux, Stockman and Oberlin.  Viva Indiana wrestling!

That was a very cool way to start the finals. Going to be fun to watch him the next 3 years.

Congratulations to Red with his 4th state title and to Lee for going after #1 in the nation twice in his high school career. Exciting match that lived up to the hype.

Confident and brash is not the same as arrogant and rude.

Classy interview and celebration for Lee

Most importantly I just received a message from Ron Dull of South Adams to advise that his wrestler (Maverick Summersett) who injured his arm in the match against Franklin Community yesterday at Team State underwent surgery last night and the doctors were able to properly set and align the arm and he was released to head home.
In all of these post and accusations against teams by people maybe we just need to keep in mind that these are kids and it's kids sports in the end of the day.
Congrats to all the teams that came to Team State yesterday and braved the weather to get there and to all the families that came and supported their wrestlers and teams.

I certainly don't mean to open up a can of worms on this topic, or hi-jack the original intent of this thread, but I feel compelled to offer my opinion on this topic. I have
long been a proponent of class wrestling. It works beautifully in many other states across our nation and offers magnificent opportunities for kids and teams from
all size schools and communities (that they likely may not have the opportunity to experience in a single class system). The notion and need for some form of class wrestling
in Indiana becomes glaringly evident if you were in attendance at the Classed Team State Duals event. Teams/Schools of all sizes afforded the opportunity to compete within
divisions with schools their own size with similar enrollments, similar size coaching staffs, and similar school resources to name a few "pro-class" characteristics.
 
I don't know that we can put our finger on hard statistics, but I have enjoyed a number of conversations that I have had with coaches and fans from primarily the middle and
small classes regarding the Classed Team State Duals. One coach I spoke with said, "our team numbers are up because our kids want to come back each year and shoot to win the
Team State Duals. They are actually out recruiting friends to come and join the program on our quest to compete and win at the Team State Duals." Another coach noted that the Classed Team State Duals was THE pinnacle event of the season for their team. It's neat to see the teams (from all of the classes) who bought event-specific gear just for
the Classed Team State Duals tournament.
 
As noted in another thread, the fan base for this event is growing. I couldn't help but notice Prairie Heights' fan section when they sealed their championship
yesterday. The roar from their large fan base made everyone's head turn. I realize many people have their varying opinion on the need for classed wrestling in Indiana,
but I think the Classed Team State Duals event is a pretty good indication of what is right and best for ALL wrestling programs in the state.
 
Thank you to all of the schools who participated in yesterday's event and thank you to the fans who made the trip to Ft. Wayne to support your teams.
 
Coach McCormick

My kids are required to wear headgear in our room. It's hard to police but think it should be required in practice as well as in matches. 

That's not a funny punchline. It is a hateful punchline.

Forging a new birth certificate would be the least of my concerns....

What was the name of the absolute monster who wrestled 215 from Gibson Southern (I think) back in 96 or 97 that won state.  The largest 215 I have ever seen and pinned everyone that year if I remember correctly.
 
Never mind....I found his name and it was in 98
 
DJ Radnovich
 
https://www.facebook.com/gshswrestling/photos/pb.120898191315709.-2207520000.1446389212./605372916201565/?type=3&theater

Much of what you are stating is accurate from a certain perspective.  I would slightly disagree with the suggestion that "Wrestlers are now choosing what style to wrestle, and they are choosing folkstyle."
 
Imop, what actually occurred was many adults that were ignorant/scared/uneducated about freestyle complained about freestyle for years.  Then when Nuway, Flo, et. al. came around, it was like a loophole was created in the wrestling 'system' that had existed for decades.  Basically, the adults who ignorantly saw freestyle has some form of sissified European/Asian wrestling didn't ever have to have their kid wrestle freestyle again.  Now we have a whole generation of kids who were taught by their adult parents that freestyle=bad and are now conditioned as teenagers to ignore or marginalize it.  
 
I'm as red, white and blue of a traditionalist American as they come.  But the fact is going back for decades the US wrestling community has had a faction of ugly Americans who erroneously believe that wrestling freestyle will create some form of European socialism to take over American high school wrestling and give birth to the anti-Christ.  Ok, I'm joking around a bit.  But those of you who have been around for decades and seen all this know what I'm referring to.  

Many schools have been in session on Saturdays due to snow make up.  Is there any provision for these kids? 
 
I like the idea of attending a certain number of RTCs in order to qualify. 
 
I understand and appreciate the intent of this new rule.  It was slow to get out (at least for me) and will now mean that Indiana will have less participation in wrestling.  Not more. 
 
As an aside, I am not sure there is a real appreciation by some for those who do not live close to Indy.  I am certain those in the center of the state are tired of hearing this, but the cost and time associated with travel to Indy is significant.  I know our family travels to Indy at least 6 weekends a year for wrestling.  I think this type of mandate will cause (and is causing) less participation from outside Indy since many must travel to Indy to just qualify for state.   
 
In my humble opinion, we should try to make it EASY to go to freestyle/Greco state.  Beg people to come to state.  More participation the better.  Be inclusive not exclusive.  Give a state meet discount to kids that attend multiple local tourneys and clubs that bring multiple kids.  But don't exclude a kid because they (usually the parent) can't make it to two local tourneys.