PreparetoWin

I would change from singlet's to fight shorts and tight short sleeve shirt.

We tried to fill Micic's friday night match, IHSAA told us no. 

Not a formal statement, just letting people know some of the how's and why's of how we came up with the proposal.
 
Often times people say "why doesn't the IHSWCA..........  : a) present something different, 2) why do they keep presenting the same thing  3) why didn't they present that idea, I liked it,  4) etc....
 
The IHSWCA Officers represent what the membership asks them to present.  I felt strongly on some items, and less strongly on others - and I even had some other things I wanted to present that I completely dropped because the membership wasn't for it.  The officers present what the membership wants.  We "represent the people."  The IHSAA wants to know what our membership wants - the don't want to know what people outside of the membership want, and they only take suggestions from the membership for the rule and bi-law changes. 
 
So to answer some questions - "why do we keep presenting the same thing that has been turned down before?"  when Tyson and I met with IHSAA officials and the Athletic Directors association individually before we presented we learned a lot.  One component of the presentation is history.  they want to see what the past practices are, the past rules are, and especially how long the membership has wanted something.  So - for our membership we had to ask about wrestle backs - we knew it wouldn't pass.  but for those that want it in the future, and for the future officers to have momentum in presenting we had to ask it again, this way there is a history of the coaches wanting it.  It was interesting to here some AD's view on why they don't want wrestle backs.  Some things I never thought about much - I had always grown up thinking wrestle backs are better - not saying they swayed me - but hearing some of their why's and how's was interesting to see their perspectives. 
 
Another example of a rule we knew wouldn't pass but our membership wanted was the 300 mile rule.  But this was not going to pass as it would have to change for all sports, so this is bigger than one sport asking - it would have to come from all sports.  So if a future president and association want this - it would have to be an undertaking of getting all associations together to ask for it.  They won't change it for just one.
 
Why did we pick the items we did?  We went with what the coaches sent us for survey questions.  A few of the questions sent to us were against the NFHS rules, so there was no way they would pass, as the IHSAA cant even pass them.  After that we looked at the % of coaches that want what was surveyed/  This is something the IHSAA really wants to know - which is why it is so important if you are heart felt about something to be a member.  Maybe our coaches want something, but the coaches that buy their membership feel different.  Until we have 100% of the coaches represented, we might always have a number that the survey misrepresents.  So in the instance of the of the match limits only 41% were in favor, so there was no reason to push it - our coaches didn't want it.  On #5 - even though the IHSAA might have liked it - our coaches were only 55% in favor which is basically 50/50 so they didn't entertain it much.  We also learned a lot about why they weren't going to be in favor anyway - not that I agree with everything - but their explanations were some things people never mention - we talk about how much revenue they would gain by opening up to a 32 man bracket.  But they are concerned about the re-imbursements of travel.  For those who don't know the IHSAA gives back money for traveling to semi-state and state.  With a  32 man bracket there is concern on their part that they will be putting out even more money in re-imbursements for travel.  While I am not saying I agree, I am saying that this was their answer.  Now - what does that tell us - if we would want to push something like this -we now have an answer - we now know their concerns and can come back in 2 years with information to ease concerns.  This is why they want a history of presentation, and some repeat presentations. 
 
for those that like or don't like the proposals - remember - as officers we present what the association wants.  When Tyson and the new VP go to present in 2 years make sure you get the your ideas for the survey.  for those that think a proposal is worthless - don't kill the messenger - the officers present what the association asks them too.
 
None of these answers were to start an argument - just something to help people see why we presented what we did, and how the process takes place.  It was an interesting deal for me, and I am glad Tyson went along.  I think it will really help he and the association present even better in the future. 
 
Hope some of this helps those that are interested.  I really enjoyed going through this process with the IHSWCA and the IHSAA, and if nothing else I think Tyson and I eased a lot of tension between the two organizations.  Which was much needed and will help us in the future.  I love that so many coaches are interested in this!
 
I have one more responsibility as prez.........spring clinic.  Hope to see you all there!  We have Jeff Jordan taking us through "how to drill" and "how he plans his program", as well as Matt Powless speaking on sports psychology.
 
if you need anything, or have any questions - dstruck@gcs.k12.in.us

A 60-Man Triple Ring Battle Royal...here is some archive footage of the 95 Award
 

I wonder how many other state qualifiers at 120 had all these "advantages".  Our state qualifier had a similar experience as you this season and the advice busco gave me was to "look at my practice schedule".   
 
How anyone can look at your experience and say you were on anything close to an equal playing field is baffling.  

Okay, good ideas. But what happens when your the only person on your team that does extra and when the season comes back around and you have..
1) No decent drill partners or maybe just one
2) You have to spend a hour a practice watching your coach demonstrate a half nelson
3) You spend another 1/2 hour of the practice helping kids because you want a successful team
4) After you're done with this you stay after to drill w/ coaches and your brother because you want to get a good workout yourself
 
This year I spent a TON of time helping my team, up till about the conference tournament then I started focusing on myself
Helping my team including planning practices( the drills and conditioning we would do that day), Hanging papers on around the room such as "Head Position" as a reminder. Scouting other teams and individuals, helping kids one - on - one, helping kids cut weight (taking them to the gym to run, helping with diet), and the hardest part, trying to get them to want to win.
 
On top of that I was also trying to win a state championship myself. Was it my job to do all of that? No, but I took it upon to myself to do it. 

Having now read through this topic, I come away with a couple things that need to be resolved before anything can be decided about this topic.
 
First, the large disagreement is whether or not individuals have equal opportunities to succeed at a 1A school as compared to a 3A school. I can tell you anecdotally (not gonna throw numbers out there at you, sorry) that I believe this to be true. Not only are 1A wrestlers committing more of their free time to other sports instead of specializing, the schools themselves lack the ability to attract high quality coaches that can build the program, leading to more wrestlers, growing of the sport,etc:
 
Think of it this way: If there are 5 English teachers at a school like Monrovia and 15 at a school like Mooresville where I currently work, there is a higher probability of there being an opening for an English Teaching Coach. Most of us agree that having a coach in the building makes recruiting and retaining wrestlers infinitely easier so having a job in the building for your coach helps your program. Small schools can't always offer this, let alone anywhere near the coaching stipend because their budgets are smaller. Even if you get an awesome fella who knows his stuff out there, who's going to help him? Even at a school of 358 kids, one coach can't do it himself and often there is only one stipend and it's not very big, certainly not big enough to split it up. So you rely on volunteers. Someone has to set up a youth league or club. Someone needs to run MS. You need enough coaches at the HS to help the kids of different levels become better wrestlers.
 
Because of this conundrum, even if a small school has the unique opportunity to produce a state qualifier or placer, AND that particular individual wants to go into education they cannot always offer a job to them to be on staff because of their limited number of openings. This pushes many graduates into schools that already have many advantages because they have more options to attract a wider array of coaches.
 
Quality coaches make for better wrestlers because they can develop these kids. If a school struggles just to find a quality coaching staff, how can they expect to have great individuals on their team?
 
Before I get the "these individuals just need to work harder in the off-season" argument. The IHSAA by-laws require a wrestler to only practice with his own teammates or coaches during the season. What if there's only one wrestler at that school who is putting in a ton of offseason work? He doesn't have quality practice partners to push him during the season and make himself better. His coaches may or may not be great wrestlers, but if there aren't enough of them, what does the coach do? Sacrifice his team's development so he can drill with his one stud to make him better? Or let his stud help out with the less experienced guys to build for the future? It's really a lose-lose.
 
I think if class wrestling was implemented, it could increase the interest at some of the smaller schools in being a state-qualifier, even if it is "watered-down". after they see their buddy come home with a state placement metal. Some of the fringe kids that didn't do it before are now in the room  and some are finding success. And as the team finds success, the numbers grow because people like to win. Because people like to win, these programs are getting more money invested in them by the schools and the community. More money from clubs and Athletic departments, leads to more cash in the budget for coaches to attract more assistants, to get new mats, to get singlets that weren't worn by their grandparent's generation and do things that will attract more kids to the sport.
 
I understand not everyone has experienced small school life, but I hope that you can see that the current system is not fair to these student-athletes. Why would a school with a tiny budget allot much to a wrestling program that has been a perennial loser and has 4 kids that don't get even get out of sectionals? It's a vicious cycle

So are you saying that a small school that is located 30 minutes to a school that is 3A and at least an hour from any city that would be considered large to go to club is not at a disadvantage? How is that so difficult to understand?? There are limitations that large schools will never understand.  I guess they arent working as hard as those 3A schools.  The denial of advantages is laughable and not recognizing the disadvantages is absurd. 

I would like to put my two cents in....I was an assistant at a 3A school and now I am an assistant at a 2A school. When I was at the larger school I did not understand the problems smaller schools have.  Let me say I am still on the fence about the individual side of our tournament. Is it impossible to have a state placer in a smaller school, nope.  Is it inconceivable, to even beat bigger schools as a team once in awhile, nope.  But it sure is a lot more difficult to acquire the same amount of success.  If our kids want to go to an "open mat" or RTC at a large school they have to travel 30 min to find the closest one.  The next closest is 45 min- 60 min travel.  You know how far away it is for a these kids to go to a Club that might have a room full of state qualifier caliber kids?? If you cant grasp that there is a disadvantage for a small school in a small town for individuals, then you kidding yourself.  How can a a kid who has better practice partners, better facilities, more coaches, more money, more access to other clubs and schools not have an advantage? 

No one said achieve success at a small school is impossible...but why is it fair that a small school kid has to work twice as hard, travel twice as far, have 1/2 the resources but expected to output the same results?? When really it doesnt need to be like that. 

No one said achieve success at a small school is impossible...but why is it fair that a small school kid has to work twice as hard, travel twice as far, have 1/2 the resources but expected to output the same results?? When really it doesnt need to be like that. 

No one said achieve success at a small school is impossible...but why is it fair that a small school kid has to work twice as hard, travel twice as far, have 1/2 the resources but expected to output the same results?? When really it doesnt need to be like that. 

I would like to put my two cents in....I was an assistant at a 3A school and now I am an assistant at a 2A school. When I was at the larger school I did not understand the problems smaller schools have.  Let me say I am still on the fence about the individual side of our tournament. Is it impossible to have a state placer in a smaller school, nope.  Is it inconceivable, to even beat bigger schools as a team once in awhile, nope.  But it sure is a lot more difficult to acquire the same amount of success.  If our kids want to go to an "open mat" or RTC at a large school they have to travel 30 min to find the closest one.  The next closest is 45 min- 60 min travel.  You know how far away it is for a these kids to go to a Club that might have a room full of state qualifier caliber kids?? If you cant grasp that there is a disadvantage for a small school in a small town for individuals, then you kidding yourself.  How can a a kid who has better practice partners, better facilities, more coaches, more money, more access to other clubs and schools not have an advantage? 

Very disappointed they didn't show the introductions!

Was I the only one starting to sweat at 7:30 when college basketball was still on? Whew....

www.ihsaatv.org should get you to the Internet broadcast.

Agree 100%. He was one of the most exciting Hwt to have ever laced them up in IN. His ability to throw much heavier opponents was awe inspiring. Hummel ran into a beast in Schneider from Mt Vernon, (who had him by 60+ lbs). He would have won Hwt in a lot of years, despite giving up all that weight

Damon Hummel 91-92 92-93- Rochester 2X Runner-Up at HWT who was WAY undersized but would lateral even the best in the state...if they had 215/220 then, he'd been the master of this weight class forsure...

Oh forgot that one......that was a rough night lol

"Brought to you by Olds Firestop" - Mrs Tskin

Madison holds 2 full mats and then some. I think it's 100x50, But if your deducting coaches size then it we'd lose some serious footage.

On the family farm to this day to be exact. 

The teams in Avon and Mooresville sectionals would certainly appreciate that having to travel to Evansville.

I believe there was a 2 time state champ at heavy weight in 1994-1995 that did not surrender any offensive points.  Andy Schneider or something close to that.  Sorry for the butcher of the name just in case.  

Not sure why but when i read this I chuckled.