bharmon01

Danny and Trent, Don't let the negative response bother you. When I was an officer and we brought in some great high school coaches to the clinics I was asked by one coach " what am I going to learn from a high school coach?" The answer is a lot can be learned. The high profile name guys are not always the best to get great information from. I like the high school coach parts of the clinics and hearing from wrestling coaches we may not be so used to hearing about. If you think it cost too much and is not worth you time then don't come. Once the trials are over then maybe we can get some of these guys mentioned to be part of our fall clinic or spring clinic next year. I'm all for giving back to our own home grown kids. Hopefully we can work them into future clinics. I look forward to maybe getting some new ideas from the spring clinic this year - and I'm sure I will. The key to learning is keeping an open mind.

How does the IHSWCA have any power over controlling Indiana wrestling coaches? How can they have any power over controlling any wrestling coach? Thats the responsibility of the IHSAA, our governing body. I know the are bad apples out there - if you know and have proof of teams practicing on Sunday - report them to the IHSAA. The IHSWCA brought up IHSAA concerns about the Team Tournament to our coaches at every fall and spring clinic I have attended. Some listened, some didn't. Some have never attended a fall or spring clinic. Some care, some don't. The IHSWCA has elections every year, how many more elected positions do we need? How many presidents, vice presidents, secretaries and treasurers do we need? Do we need elected sectional, regional and semi-state reps? What power does or can the IHSWCA have over coaches? They are hired by the Principals and school board. There is a clinic coming up on April 20th - if you have any answers be there and give your input. I don't have the answers - if I did we would have wrestle backs in the individual tournament which included a state individual team champion and a team dual meet state champion. I'm just here stirring the pot, its just my opinion on Indiana wrestling

Nick - you miss my point - I don't care if the IHSWCA sponsors a tournament. I just think calling a Team State tournament gives the IHSAA something to come back on the IHSWCA later and say "the ihswca went ahead and did their own thing again without our approval." Like the did with the IHSWCA Individual Team State Champion. They told us in 1996 after the individual tournament team champion was ended by the IHSAA. They then came back later and used it as an argument to end team state. That is why we didn't give out a team individual champion in 2011 and 2012. We thought not giving out a IHSWCA individual champion at the hall of fame banquet might help the chances of saving team state, but it didn't. Call it the IHSWCA Invitational Dual tournament, because that is what it is. Don' give them something to use later when we may try to propose a team dual state championship again in the future. They can come back and say we went ahead and did something they told us not to do again. It's not a State Tournament because all teams are not included like all other IHSAA State Tournaments. If we want a class team state - show them how it can be done with all teams included. I just don't want all the IHSWCA efforts put into this tournament and give up other issues like wrestle backs, which looks like the direction we are going in. There will never be a Team Dual State again until the IHSAA wants there to be one. There will never be class wrestling team or individual until the IHSAA wants it and can make it work for all individual sports. As stated in earlier post the IHSAA has made it clear there are no plans for class in individual sports, so going ahead and running a class team tournament and calling it a state tournament is putting back in their face. Giving them ammunition to use against the IHSWCA again. A lot of teams bought into the idea that the IHSWCA Team State Tournament would give them a chance to participate. The problem is not every team has a chance. Its still based on individual tournament success to be considered for invitation. The consideration for participation came down for some teams for finishes at individual state - at least that was what I read on a thread heading into individual state. All teams are not included so don't call it a State Tournament. Go ahead and do it, but don't call it a team state tournament and declare team state champions - because it is not a state championship - call it a IHSWCA Invitational Class Championship. I would rather the IHSWCA put its efforts into wrestle backs in the IHSAA Individual State Tournament than a IHSWCA Invitational team tournament - thats just my opinion. You don't have to agree. This is where we are now - a Individual tournament that decides a state champion - I think we need to focus on making it better now. Like our president said "team state is over in the IHSAA's eyes." So put our energy there now. When they recognize wrestling as a team sport - go back after team state. When the iHSAA recognizes wrestling as a class sport - go after class team state. Until then I would like to focus our energy on individual state, thats all we have.

I don't really think the IHSAA looks at the IHSWCA as a bunch of renegades. They have been portrayed as such on this web site. I had many meetings with Blake Ress and Bobby Cox and I don't think they ever considered us renegades. They listened to our arguments and sometimes even agreed with us. They then had to look at what our proposals, if granted, would affect the other individual sports. They always class wrestling as a individual sport, even when we had team state. Team state was passed before Blake Ress became commissioner. Blake was old scholl from Martinsville and opposed class anything. He told us the IHSAA made a bad decision in making basketball 4 classes from the start and all team sports after had to meet the requirements for class like stated earlier in these post. He even used the argument (when we proposed class for wrestling) that a kid from a small school won state in the 100 and got a scholarship that it wouldn't have happened if track were classed. You old guys remember this. It has nothing to do with bargaining, it comes down to how will this affect the rest of the individual sports. The decisions are money driven, venue availability driven and official availability driven. Show them how it can be economically possible, venue possible and official possible and you might have a chance, but it has to work for all individual sports - not just wrestling. The difference is we (IHSWCA) has continued to propose class and wrestle backs and lost. Does that make us (IHSWCA) renagades, I don't think so. They told us (IHSWCA) to propose what we are passionate about and we did that. They told us (IHSWCA) to show support by our coaches and w did with surveys at the sectional getting 100% response. It still didn't matter because if the IHSAA gave wrestling wrestle backs or class then what would the other individual sports want? Like I have stated before, I have been on many committees as well as vice president and president for our association in dealing with the IHSAA. They listen to what we have to say and then do what they believe is best for all individual sports, not just wrestling. In fact at one meeting about the new big sectionals they didn't even listen to our input for sectional sites and alinement. The difference between wrestling coaches and other sports is we continue to fight for what we want even if it means being voted down. And the thing is the IHSAA told us to propose what we were passionate about. Other sports don't do that. My fear is we have bought into the idea "just come in and talk to them" and take what they give us. We got that this year. Keep proposing even if we are doomed to failure. That doesn't make us renegades, just passionate about what we want for our student athletes. If we don't keep proposing wrestle backs and class then what do we propose? Give us some ideas of how to get what we want without proposing it? If proposing wrestle backs and class makes us renegades, the I guess we are renegades. I still don't think hey see us as renegades, they just don't know how to give wrestling wrestle backs and class without the other individual sports wanting the same thing. We want want wrestle backs and class so what is the answer? Someone please tell us (IHSWCA) how to get it done, but don't call us renegades for fighting for what we want. I can still call up Bobby cox and talk to him and I don't think he thinks I'm a renegade. He listens to what I have to say, tells me what I want to hear and then does what he thinks is best for the IHSAA. I don't have an answer to what we want and how to get it - if I did we already would have wrestle backs, a team Individual champion and class team state. Someone tell us how to get it done!

Trent - Mr. Faulkins said it was ok to call it a classed team state, but did the IHSAA say it was ok? He is not the commissioner. Did he get the commissioners approval on this? They told us 17 years ago it was ok to give out a IHSWCA Individual team champion, second and third place and then said the IHSWCA was doing something that the IHSAA didn't agree with when they used it against us to end team state. What makes this any different? I feel they are setting us up if we ever try to get a IHSAA sanctioned team state again. Get an e-mail from bobby cox that says the ihsaa says its ok and i will feel more comfortable about this. But only a little more comfortable because i know how the ihsaa works. If we every do come back and propose a team tournament single or classed they now have a argument that the IHSWCA went ahead and did something the eliminated in 2012. They can come back later and say we went ahead and did something they told us not to do making the IHSWCA looking like the bad guy. 2013 is our proposal year - from your response it sounds like we will not be making a proposal for wrestle backs or some type of team state - so what do we plan on proposing? Theses seem to be our most passionate issues, so what are we bringing to the table? Just talking to them? About what? What else do we want for our sport? Thats my question Another reply said that we will not get a waiver for weigh ins, but thats ok because teams will just have be creative with weigh ins. I don't think that many teams have enough reserve wrestlers to sit their varsity out of a tournament or two dual meets to be able to do this. This means that they will have to pull out of a tournament or dual meets they are already committed to. Now some teams will be expecting competition at a tournament or dual meet that will not be there. To me thats not much different than the argument of teams holding kids out of the old team state. I don't see any way this will not hurt already existing tournaments. If teams follow the rules for weigh ins, most will have to pull out of something or send their back-ups as replacements to these tournaments or dual meets. Like the argument about the old team tournament - how does this not hurt the integrity of the already existing tournaments or dual meets? Thats the positive of being a ihsaa sanctioned event - the weigh in issue is over after the state tournament begins. The ihsaa knew this when they said "we are ending the current team tournament, but you guys can hold one if you want." I find it ironic that this still favors the strongest teams with the most depth and all the small schools and even a lot of big schools have bought into it. Just for a chance to say you were a ihswca team state champion, which to be honest doesn't mean a whole lot. It just feeds the egos of the coaches, which was a lot of the argument against the old team state.

Coach McCormick I plan on being at the spring clinic, but for those not able to attend - what is the IHSAA's stand on the weigh in issue? Will the teams planning on attending get a waiver on weigh ins or will they have to give up a tournament to participate? Is the IHSAA ok with this being considered a team state tournament? They made it clear they didn't like our association keeping score at the individual tournament and recognizing a team state champion for the individual tournament last year(so we didn't - hoping it would help the team dual tournament status). If we (the IHSWCA) go ahead and have this tournament (under the idea it is a team dual state tournament) will the IHSAA be unhappy with the IHSWCA? I think a lot of people think this tournament is to replace the team state tournament that was lost. If we say he champions of each class are IHSWCA team state champions, how will the IHSAA look at this? Is this going to be a IHSWCA team state championship tournament or just another high profile dual meet tournament? Will the IHSWCA give out a Class Team State Championship trophy or just IHSWCA Class Super Dual Team Championship trophy? If we (IHSWCA) give out a Class State Team trophy, will this upset the IHSAA? I don't see this as any different than what we were doing when we gave out team trophies after the individual state - and the IHSAA used that against us in the end to end team state. The IHSWCA didn't give out trophies the last two years of the individual tournament because the IHSAA said they were against it. I think most people see this tournament as a replacement for the lost team state. They want to leave this tournament as a class team state champion - how will the IHSAA feel about this? How will this help our fight for dual team state, class team state with the IHSAA? I hate to play the devils advocate, but how is this going to help our standing with the IHSAA. What are our associations plans for team state, wrestle backs and even class? What is our direction as an association in these areas - team state, class wrestling team or individual and wrestle backs? I know its not easy(I've been there), but what is our plan of attack? What is our plan for future proposals? Give me something to fight for. Bob Harmon Castle

I was there when these coaches from California asked us about coming to their tournament. When we told them we couldn't trAvel that far they said Indiana has a lot of crazy rules. They wanted more Midwest teams at their tournament. After we talked a little as we left they said one good thing is we are one class like them. They liked being unique as a one class state. I'm not saying they are right, it's just interesting how passionate they were about being one class. To be honest I like one class for individual, but I understand the argument for class I can live with class for team, but I like our individual tournament with the only change being wrestle backs..

I think Bobby Cox will make the final decision on weigh ins. He said it wouldn't happen because other sports would want the same. Typical response from the IHSAA. If the IHSWCA goes ahead and teams participate, I don't think they will get another weigh in. They will have to pull out of a tournament they already are in. This will hurt some tournaments and teams will be expecting to compete against competition that will now not be there. I think the IHSAA knew this when they told us last year they were going to end team state, but we could still hold it as a association. I don' t think this is good for Indiana wrestling. It's going to hurt some already existing tournaments. When the team tournament was under the IHSAA the weigh in issue didn't exist because it was after the individual tournament had started. They gave us a carrot, and we took it rather than putting up a fight - win or lose. Now this is what we have to deal with. I hope I'm wrong, but I don't think it's going to work out like we expected. Just my read on this.

What tournaments do these schools that have committed plan to get out of next year? If they are going to participate they will have to drop a tournament for next year because of the weigh-in issue. How is this going to affect the tournaments they are already commited to by contract for next year?

Without the additional weigh-in being granted, I think this will hurt participation. Teams are locked into contracts for multiple years. Not sure what tournament they are going to drop with the possibillity of not qualifing the next year for the IHSWCA tournament. I don't know many ADs who want to break contracts. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

Congrats Zach - make the USA proud

nnhs - I guess you are calling me a liar, not sure, but I don't like being called a liar. tskin- not sure from your post, but after highlighting my statement , I guess you are calling me a liar also. All I can tell you is during my time as vice president and president, we had surveys done at the sectional seeding meetings to find out what our coaches wanted (not membership, because not all were members) all head coaches at the sectional seeding meeting. We also discussed the concerns at the fall and spring business meetings - which was for the most part only the same coaches as always. During my time attending the fall clinic from 1984 when I came back to Indiana to present( I was in Texas from 1981-84) the IHSWCA always proposed what the coaches wanted. The IHSWCA has proposed class in the individual tournament and team tournament. The IHSWCA has been told over the years by the IHSAA not to propose class or class in the team tournament. The IHSWCA continued to propose what the coaches wanted knowing it would be voted down by the IHSAA Executive Board( because that was the consensus of the coaches at the fall and spring clinics and surveys at the sectional seeding meetings). The IHSAA said "why don't you wrestling coaches just come in and discuss your concerns and not propose anything like the football coaches do" I guess we did just go in and talk this last proposal year and guess what happened - end team state. I guess it didn't matter, because if team state was not class most coaches didn't care this time they threatened ending team state. There was not much fight against ending team state from our coaches. Blake and Bobby used how many coaches had contacted them and said they were against team state against the IHSWCA at he Executive Board meetings. How many it really was is not known, but it worked when talking to the Executive Board members. In the past when we were confronted with issues like going to big sectionals with no wrestlebacks and ending team state we had emergency meetings and headed it off. I wish all you guys with all the answers had a chance to deal with the IHSAA. I was very out spoken for years at fall and spring clinics. When I finally got the chance to sit on committees with the IHSAA, I was shocked by their responses. I will never forget talking to Rex after a meeting and him saying to me - now you know. At the same time I now understand their point, They can not (or will not) look at wrestling by itself, but put it with all individual sports. I don't agree with them but I understand if they give wrestling class, then the other individual sports will want class also. There were many times our assistant commissioner over wrestling said they liked the idea and then coming back with - what venues will hold this event, time (travel), how will we get officials(we already don't have enough for the tournament now). They have good arguments. How do you include all IHSAA schools in a individual and team tournament? Venues, officials? It doesn"t matter what an particular sport wants - it matters how can all individual sports do it? The IHSAA is not dealing with wrestling, but all individual sports. If the IHSAA wants wrestle backs in wrestling and it is economically, venue and official possible, then it will happen. If the IHSAA wants class wrestling individual or team(not a select few, but all IHSAA member schools) and it is venue, official and economically possible it will happen. It doesn't matter if 75%, 85%, 95% or 100% of coaches want it. There are a lot of good ideas out there and some coaches with the best interest of Indiana High School wrestling out there. I hope they continue to fight for what is best for Indian High School wrestling and not what is best for my program. You have to give the IHSAA a concrete plan of how it can be done for all IHSAA member schools. Come up with it, propose it and keep proposing until it happens win or lose. I think the IHSAA may look favorable on some type of wrestle back in the individual tournament to better determine a true state champion now that team state is done. Just propose it so it looks like their idea. They like that. I think team state is done for now. I hope we don't give that fight up. Find a way for it to work that will make all coaches support it. The only problem is until the IHSAA wants tindividual sports to be class, I don't think that won't happen. It seems to me the only way all wrestling coaches will support a team state is it is classed. I think that is a long way off by the IHSAA's thinking. These are the facts like them or not - but don't call me a liar. I told you all I know from my experiences. Now it's up to you young guys to do something about it.I've fought my battles, now you young guys step up and fight the fight.

y2- you know I'm not that good with technology. Heck I sent a message one time I thought only went to one person a few years ago!

I agree with all the reasons that have been stated for the positive of having a wrestling room. But, I don't think it is the key to having success. My first years out of college, down in Texas, we practice in the front entrance of the gym and then a hallway above the auditorium. We had success not because of a room, but because the kids worked hard. It didn't matter where we practiced. They didn't know any difference. That was all they knew. They didn't have any idea of what a wrestling room was. Thats the great thing about wrestling - improvise, adapt and overcome - as Gunny Highway would say! Wrestling is a sport that doesnt get a lot of respect, but thats ok - most people who have wrestled dont really care. We do it because e love it and thats all that matters room or not. Thats what I love about next weekend - a bunch of people in st louis that only care about wrestling. Its my favorite weekend of the year besides state. So make the best of what you have and keep wrestling. A room is great, but it doesnt define the sport. Of course I have a room now and I can say that - for all of you out there without a wrestling room - keep wrestling! improvise, adapt and overcome!

Well then congrats coach, I enjoyed coaching with you at scholastic duals and you'll do a great job! I don't read the Indy Star down here in good old southern indiana very often - you know us hicks, we don't get to the big city very much

Like I have said in other post, this is what happened While I was VP with coach Miller when we proposed wrestle backs at both the regional and semi-state level a Principal interrupted our proposal and asked about giving up team state in favor of wrestle backs at the individual tournament. Tom stated we were there for our proposal of wrestle backs and not team state. This was not the first time BLAKE had made his dislike for team state My last year as president was our proposal year. After polling our membership at the sectional seeding meetings, it was clear our membership wanted wrestle backs at the regional and semi-state levels of the individual tournament. I drove back from nationals in michigan to propose wrestle bcks at the ADs Executive meeting. With the support of my AD, who was on the AD Executive Board, we won the AD's vote for wrestle backs at the regional and semi-state. We were feeling confident. In May JD, Barry and myself proposed wrestle backs to the IHSAA Executive Board. Half way through our proposal a principal, maybe the same one, asked if we would give up team state for wrestle backs. We told hem we were there for our proposal for wrestle backs and not team state. They continued to pressure us asking us "What would you like to see?" I stated what we felt didn't matter - we represented our membership and wrestle backs were what they were concerned with. We wouid have to go back to our membership and discuss and vote on team state, which we did at both the spring and fall clinics following the IHSAA response. The membership wanted to continue wrestle backs and felt why give up something we already have? During a break at the May meeting a principal,who was a former wrestling coach, cornered me and said"Bob if you agree to this you can have wrestle backs and go back to the old way the tournament was scored." I said "I can't do that without the consent of our membership, I'm only a representative of our membership, my opinion doesn't matter" I wrote a letter to all members of the Executive Board telling them how unethical it was to ask our officers to do this without first polling our membership. This was all explained at the Fall Clinic and our membership agreed. We warned everyone that the team tournament was in jeopardy. Blake argued during our proposal about how much more time wrestle backs would add to the tournament - which no administrator wants to hear, even when they are not even there and the ADs had voted in favor. I told Blake over and over you could wrestle a Regional with wrsetle backs and still have a basketball game the same day. The semi-state was not a problem because there was no basketball game at those sites. He just wanted to make the principals that it would take more time - like they would be there anyway! He also used the argument that so many coaches had personally told him they were against team state and so many teams didn't wrestle their varsity squads at team regional. Like I have state before, yes there were a few times a team wrestled a full jv at team regional, how many times did it really happen? It is no different from football or any other sport holding out a key player for injury or sickness in the play offs. They made it seem like the majority of teams wrestled there jv kids only, which I believe is not a true fact. Like I have stated a hundred times before, it doesnt matter what you want class wrestling or wrestle backs, it comes down to if the IHSAA wants to do it for ALL individual sports not just wrestling. They will ask you about time, facilities, officials etc. - they will always find a reason it won't work until they want it to work. I was in many meetings with Bobby Cox and he would agree with us then just as quickly bring up the questins of wherre we could hold it, how much travel, do we have enough officials to cover such an event? I hope we get what we want, but the question is - Do we all agree on what we want? They have used divide in our membership against us. I hope our new leadership can find a way to get everyone on the same page. Team State is gone and I'm not sure how we will ever get it back - classed or single

If its true, congrats coach

When asked "Why join the IHSWCA?" For no other reason than I'm a Indiana High School Wrestling coach It's not about whats in it for me or my program, but what is best for Indiana wrestling Join and make your voice known - I know I have and some times it worked out and others it didn't You may not like everything, but the Association is for the coaches It can only fight for what the majority of membership wants and that is all it has ever done The IHSWCA can not control what the IHSAA Executive Board does All we can do is propose what our membership wants and let the chips fall where they may The IHSAA makes the final decision The IHSWCA has proposed class wrestling and wrestle backs in the past - we have lost 16-0 every time Thats the facts You may not like it and want to blame the IHSWCA, but thats the facts - we are at the mercy of the IHSAA I hope the new young leadership can get what the majority of our membership wants but I think it will still depend on what the IHSAA thinks is best for all Individual sports, not just wrestling Thats what a lot of people miss, its not just wrestling, but all Individual sports when they make a decision Hope for he best, prepare for the worst and fight like hell to win - thats my motto

md92 - I went back and looked at every team regional scorebook (I have all my scorebooks from the last 31 years) and we never wrestled a jv team in the team regionals. Your statement suggest we wrestled a full jv team at team regionals and that never happened. In 2001 we did wrestle 8 varsity and 6 jv. Like a lot of teams you have the flu, injuries and even the funk. If you would like to come and see my records and show me when we wrestled a full jv team come on over to Newburgh. AJ - Castle had one of the largest crowds at team state both years we made it there. The Semi-Final Perry Meridian dual was the loudest with both schools fans getting into it the first year. The second year Castle fans filled both sides on the bottom section and again had the loudest most exciting semi-final meet with Yorktown. Y2 - we did propose class, but it was made very clear (just like wrestlebacks) it would not happen until the IHSAA was ready to class all Individual sports. I have no problem with classing team state. The problem is its up the IHSAA and they are not ready to class individual sports yet. I will be interested to see if the IHSAA will make any changes to the Individual tournament now that team dual is gone. Who knows maybe they will now look at wrestlebacks at regional and semi-state. I'll support it by joining the association like always and my membership dues will help finance the event. I hope the event works out and in the future we have team dual state again. Sad thing is I don't think it will return before my career ends.

Jeff Try both IU and Purdue for tickets. I'll be there like always and be cheering for Matt and the rest of our Indiana boys. The lower tickets are pretty much gone by now, but there are a lot of good seats in that venue. See you in St Louis

I'm going to hit this again because I can't believe more people are not viewing this. It tells me a lot of why we lost it - no body cares - except if it might favor my teams chances. I don't get how so many people are into this new IHSWCA Team Tournament next year that is invite only. How can anybody accept that we lost a IHSAA sactioned team tournament that every team in Indiana had a chance to participate in? Now we can have our own tournament, by invite only, and say a state champion is decided. And we like that? Because its proposed as class now? All the criteria is based on what a team did this year. Who knows what weight a kid will be next year, who knows what team will come out of the shadows and be really good and not make it based on last year multiplier effect. If you think the old system was flawed, so is this system. Who really cares if you win the IHSWCA team dual tournament and not the IHSAA sactioned tournament? The only tournament that matters is the IHSAA STATE Tournament and the Blue Ring! So like Ive said before this is no more than another Super Dual tournament championship and that is that. This is just my opinion. We should have fought harder to keep OUR Team Dual Tournament sanctioned by the IHSAA. It is something that we lost and I don't think will ever get back until the IHSAA decides to change it. I don't think they will because the other individual sports have a team champion, so why give us a team champion in both individual and team. They don't care about class in individual sports, until they want to. If we think that down he road we can propose a team tournament to the IHSAA based on this tournament you are crazy. They first argument will be, yes you have had a class team tournament, but not all schools are included. The IHSAA will ask how can we do this with all our members included? Thats the problem - if we could have kept it, we might have been able to eventually got a class team dual tournament added to the one that we had. Now its gone so we have nothing to build on. In a perfect world I guess class team state would be part of it, but its not. I think class is the biggest reason team state was not fought for by our coaches. A lot of coaches felt they never had a chance, so who cares. The only problem is now we have nothing to build on. If we still had Team State we might have something to build on. I have no problem with Team State as it was, and I have no problem with fighting for a class team state. Its gone now so we have nothing to fight for, like it was or class. I will support the IHSWCA TEAM STATE , but I think it is going to go no further than just another glorified super dual. We should have not let it go so easily. We played right into the IHSAA's plan. That's just my opinion

congrats coach tonte and the falcons, you earned it

Just don't tie up with him and don't let him get that headlever to a tilt. One of the best I ever watched at the state finals. I'd have to say with 4 state titles and undefeated, he had some good technique.

I hate to see Team State end also. We were only lucky enough to get there twice, but it was an unbelievable experience. The IHSWCA worked hard to get it and we didn't fight hard enough to keep it in the end. To be honest, how many times did a team really put all their JV out there at the Regional Meet? I know it happened a few times, but not every year and not at every site. When it did happen the IHSAA wanted everyone (IHSAA Board Members) to think it happened every year and just about every site, which wasn't true. If it happened only 1 time it gave Blake fire power to use against the Team Tournament, which he opposed from the start. The Team Tournament was passed under Gardner's time as Commissioner. In 1994, when the Team Tournament was proposed, the IHSAA said the Individual tournament would stay the same and lead us to believe that to mean keep score and crown a champ (Gardner was Commissioner). Ress became Commissioner and was against Team State from the time he was wrestling's Assistant Commissioner representative. In 1996 we were told that there would be no score at Individual State and only the Team State Champion recognized by the IHSAA. It was a shock to the wrestling coaches. The IHSWCA asked if we could keep score and crown a champion for the Individual Tournament. They said yes but not to announce scores or present a trophy at the IHSAA sponsored event, which the IHSWCA did not do. The Team Champion, Runner-up Team and third place team were announced the next day at the IHSWCA Hall of Fame Banquet. The IHSAA never said they had a problem with it until last year, and last year there was no team score or trophies awarded to the Hall of Fame Banquet. This year was the same. Scores were never announced at the Individual Tournament. The ironic thing is Blake and Bobby always asked what the score was through out the tournament.

If everyone wrestled like this, wrestling would be the most popular sport in the world.