WaltHarris

It really comes down to an issue of fairness.  Wrestlers gave up baseball, track meets, jobs, proms to meet the criteria the ISWA established.  Parents and guardians gave up personal time and money to meet the criteria the ISWA established.  
 
Several coaches in the north created fs tournaments with little notice to help ALL kids in the north have a shot at meeting the ISWA established criteria.  ISWA did not respond to a number of emails in February and March asking for clarification on the criteria.  So all members had to go on was the very clear sentence on the ISWA web site: "All participants MUST compete in a minimum of 2 local freestyle tournaments in order to compete at the state event."  The ISWA web site doesn't say "we would like for wrestlers to have two".  It doesn't say "if you have a prom or broken finger, you can get a waiver."  The ISWA web site clearly says "MUST." 
 
It is only fair to those who met the criteria the ISWA established that everyone is held to the same standard. 

It really comes down to an issue of fairness.  Wrestlers gave up baseball, track meets, jobs, proms to meet the criteria the ISWA established.  Parents and guardians gave up personal time and money to meet the criteria the ISWA established.  
 
Several coaches in the north created fs tournaments with little notice to help ALL kids in the north have a shot at meeting the ISWA established criteria.  ISWA did not respond to a number of emails in February and March asking for clarification on the criteria.  So all members had to go on was the very clear sentence on the ISWA web site: "All participants MUST compete in a minimum of 2 local freestyle tournaments in order to compete at the state event."  The ISWA web site doesn't say "we would like for wrestlers to have two".  It doesn't say "if you have a prom or broken finger, you can get a waiver."  The ISWA web site clearly says "MUST." 
 
It is only fair to those who met the criteria the ISWA established that everyone is held to the same standard. 

I have never complained about the 2 tournament rule.  We went to 2 of them, 1 local and one 3 hours away that cost me around $400 for the weekend.  Now I'm told I could've saved my money and just petitioned to get in?  Either you have a rule or you don't.  This wishy-washy BS is ridiculous!

My kids that saw they weren't getting two tournaments in quit training freestyle. The ones that did now see they wasted time and money as they could have spent 5 minutes writing a flimsy excuse. 
 
The ISWA is dropping the ball by now allowing kids to skirt their rules.

qualify top 3 at a tournament at a weight and you qualify for state at that weight, like it used to be.
 
I took my kid to several freestyle meets, I'm not complaining, he got decent mat time and got to meet famous people like Fabio Jr. 
 
We are not doing our state any justice by allowing kids to just show up and wrestle and then go to nationals and get pummeled. They have to get Freestyle mat time in.
 
 
And Tskin drives an Aveo so when we carpool, it's serious (ly tight) business!

This is as funny as Warsaw's local drub rehab being approved to have a location on High Street........These things cannot be made up folks!!!!!!!!!!

BECAUSE THEY HAVE LESS THAN 135 PEOPLE REGISTERED!!!!!!! They have to do something.   I predicted there would be less than 500. 

All my kids that looked at the calendar and said "can't make two freestyle events" stopped training freestyle. There was no point to it. I'm sure that was the case for many others.
 
When you make a rule, follow it. You are now telling all 800+ people that went to two events that "well you didn't have to, but thanks."

We'll put you in for 5 of them, thanks for your help.

When people say "Lets ask _________  (insert venue)"  does that mean "have someone else ask___________" ?
 
Just wondering.
 
Trent McCormick is a worker.  When he sayed he called everyone, he literally called everyone.  he didn't want to take it that far north, but when nobody takes hosting it, or just can't host it, he made the event happen. 
 
Another one I have liked is "Lets host it at the convention center or pepsi collesium" - that takes some revenue.  I for one was not going to put it on my credit card and just hope to get the money back.  Maybe there is a coach out there willing to take the risk with their credit card?  Maybe one of you out there saying "Let's" is willing to do that?
 
"Lets" get a financial backer for this" - again, there is the "lets"  when one says this do they have the financial backer for that?  if they have it, please bring it forward.  If they have the sponsor, please bring it forward.  "We" (the IHSWCA) would love to have it! 
 
When someone says "Let's" I hope that means your going to jump on board and help trent find the venue, and the backing.  he works his butt off to do this for kids around the state, and I am happy he does it.  it would not happen, or have ever happened without Trent McCormick.  While I was president I got a nearly daily email on what schools or venues he called, what questions he asked them, and what the pros and cons were.  Much of the time it was him taking off school to drive to another city to see the venue.  So, when he says this is what we can afford, and this is what will fit comfortably.  He researched it. Thank you trent!!!!
 
"Let's" help him out, if you have ideas - please pursue them and then help him out.  Quit saying "let's" and say "I", it is a much better way to volunteer your time, rather than volunteer someone else's time.
 
Soap box over.  And no Tyson, I didn't just have a mental breakdown.  Just feel I can voice now and leave the back lash to you

What Y2 Said
 
Brownsburg COULD host it but it would limit growth and I am sure that the 1a teams who have to wrestle in our Wrestling room would not enjoy themselves. Not to mention Seating and Facility concerns. We would make a killing but is that really better for the sport/event? I agree the Pepsi Colluseum is the best centrally located venue. Our next goal should be ways to raise funds be it sponsorship, fundraisers, etc.  I know I would be willing to do a Men of IndianaMat Calander with Y2, Triple B, TSkin, OntheRise, and other board celebrities. 

I think there's some misunderstanding about Ft Wayne's distance and accessibility.  Just as Seymour, for example, is much closer to the center of the state than Evansville, FW is much closer than say downtown Chicago, even though they both fall under the "north" label.
 
Car driving times according to Google Maps for these 3 destinations coming from the 36 schools of the State Duals for next year:
 
Indiana Convention Center (Indy):
Average travel time 1:32; Median 1:20; Max 3:20
Fort Wayne Coliseum:
Average travel time 1:57; Median 1:50 (3 teams over 4:45; 33 teams under 3:15; 28 teams under 2:20)
Ford Center (Evansville):
Average travel time 3:39; Median 3:29 (16 teams over 3:50)
 
In short, the average driving time added for being in Fort Wayne as opposed to Indianapolis is 25 minutes for next season's field of 36 teams.  It is not a "far corner" compared to some true "far corners" in our state.

I am very grateful it is in Ft. Wayne.  As Y2 said, it gives us room to grow.
 
I also like warsaw's idea of perhaps rotating the team state location.  Maybe two years in the north, two years in the central and two years in the south.  Then start the rotation over again.  He's right that a rotation could help build up more momentum and fan base around the team state.
 
Thank you Mr. McCormick for all your work in getting this done for the kids.

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.  

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.  

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.  

Pretty much what I thought too.  It's the revenues ISWA folkstyle state generates.  I think it just comes back to the larger issue.  USAW forced ISWA to have folkstyle state.  In my estimation, that event gutted freestyle in Indiana (and other states).  Now USAW realizes they have severely impaired their freestyle pipeline because the next generation has done almost nothing but wrestle folkstyle.   USAW is now asking ISWA and many other states to improve participation in freestyle, but it's like putting the toothpaste back in the tube.

Personally, I would eliminate ISWA folkstyle state for high schoolers.  I think and hope that would assist with freestyle participation.  But this is really all just a guessing game.

This is why ISWA cares about staying in the Folkstyle High School business.
 
2015 ISWA Folkstyle state
Cadet  466 entries
Junior  409 entries
 
2014 ISWA Folkstyle state
Cadet 524 entries
Junior 376 entries
 
2014 ISWA Freestyle State
Total  787 entries

I think this begs a larger question.  Why do we need an ISWA folkstyle state for high school wrestlers?  Especially two weeks after IHSAA state.
 
Imop, there is a major benefit to having ISWA folkstyle state for pee-wee through cadet (meaning cadets not in hs).  But I don't see the benefit for hs wrestlers.  
 
I know there are some reasons for ISWA folkstyle state for hs kids like the triple crown, revenue and qualifying for folkstyle nationals.  But imop those aren't beneficial enough to keep us from starting freestyle immediately the week after IHSAA state.

I think this begs a larger question.  Why do we need an ISWA folkstyle state for high school wrestlers?  Especially two weeks after IHSAA state.
 
Imop, there is a major benefit to having ISWA folkstyle state for pee-wee through cadet (meaning cadets not in hs).  But I don't see the benefit for hs wrestlers.  
 
I know there are some reasons for ISWA folkstyle state for hs kids like the triple crown, revenue and qualifying for folkstyle nationals.  But imop those aren't beneficial enough to keep us from starting freestyle immediately the week after IHSAA state.

I think this begs a larger question.  Why do we need an ISWA folkstyle state for high school wrestlers?  Especially two weeks after IHSAA state.
 
Imop, there is a major benefit to having ISWA folkstyle state for pee-wee through cadet (meaning cadets not in hs).  But I don't see the benefit for hs wrestlers.  
 
I know there are some reasons for ISWA folkstyle state for hs kids like the triple crown, revenue and qualifying for folkstyle nationals.  But imop those aren't beneficial enough to keep us from starting freestyle immediately the week after IHSAA state.

This could alieviated if they moved state back a couple weeks or bumped Folkstyle State up a week or two

Thank you for sharing!
 
I am so pleased to see the IHSWCA asked about #5!!!  Good lord, why aren’t we presenting #5 to the IHSAA?   A majority of the membership is in favor of #5.  And frankly, the people unsupportive of #5 will end up being supportive once they witness firsthand the benefits expanding state will reap.
 
To reiterate, if we were to get #5 and expand state, that would encompass the wrestling community essentially also getting some aspects of #4 (if we do it right and get a 5/6 wrestleback), #1 (because SS would have less rounds, the first would need to be scored), and make the team title more compelling because more wrestlers would score, and be a compromise on class wrestling because of the expanded opportunity for small schools to have a qualifier at state.

These proposals would all be great.  However, they ultimately fail because many are recycled past requests that were already denied by the IHSAA.  Not sure why we continue to recycle ideas that IHSAA has said “no” to multiple times. 

We need to propose a new idea.  And that new idea could encompass solutions to the recycled requests.
 
There seems to be a general consensus that expanding individual state to 24 wrestlers per weight class would greatly improve opportunity.  It is a new(er) idea.  It’s also an idea the IHSAA hasn’t turned down previously because it hasn’t been proposed.
 
Primary benefits would be:
·         Increase revenues for the IHSAA by one-third. $$$$$$
·         More opportunity for the kids.
·         Team title more valid because more wrestlers from that team will earn points.
·         Being one of the few states without class wrestling, expansion provides new opportunities for small school wrestlers as a compromise solution.
·         Eliminates the annual Jankowski/Rosbottom SS ticket round of death match that the entire wrestling community sees as completely unfair and unreasonable.
 
Secondary benefits:
·         Would require a wrestle back to 5th/6th at SS.
·         Would make it more reasonable to suggest that team scoring start in the early rounds.
·         Would give us a chance to eventually increase to 32 wrestlers at state and be more in line with other peer Midwestern state wrestling championships. And even more $$$$$$ for the IHSAA.
·         The data shows 5th place at state underclassmen do better the next year at state then the 4th place underclassmen.  The SS data would most certainly show the same outcome and create a more level playing field.
 
Not sure why we are recycling old ideas when we could take a new to the IHSAA that would still achieve many of the same benefits and more. 

Hey, it's been slow around here!

Already on his (or her im no dr.) back...not a good sign