While the discussion of summer participation is a hot one, are there lots of kids not participating because Southern Plains is in New Mexico and nationals are in Green Bay? Just curious what is keeping participation down?

with all of the other expenses associated with wrestling it is too far. Not only do you have to go to carlsbad and a week later travel to wisconsin, but the powers that be have now made the southern plains camp mandatory to go to these tournaments. That adds another drive to Hays plus the coouple of hundred dollars to attend the camp.

from listening to several parents, many are ready to have their kids or the kids themselves are ready to move on to another sport by the time folkstyle season is over. (soccer, baseball, etc.) If you think about it, the wrestling season(s) are rather long with folkstyle starting (for some who also do the Oklahoma pre-season) in October going thru March and then FS/GR starting up immediately following lasting until July/August (depending on the level of commitment).

In High school, the FS/GR season in Kansas starts too late after the HS season, and by that time other Scholastic sports are starting up (baseball, track) This topic has already been discussed in another thread,and i believe there needs to be more discussion on this topic.

Also, there has been many a discussion nationwide about the specialization of sports with year round sports being the hot topic.

Cost is always a deterrant in any sport, and lets face it, wrestling can become very expensive.

I do have a question though. Why is it that the 3 styles of wrestling are separated out like they are with Folkstyle being a seperate season from Freestyle and Greco-Roman? Why can't we have FS/GR during the same time as the Folkstyle season. Is it just too confusing with the different rules? Is there some unwritten (or written) rule that prohibits having folkstyle and FS/GR tournaments during the same time or at the same venue? I know that other states concentrate on FS/GR and adapt to folkstyle when/if they come to certain larger folkstyle tournaments. (I heard that a certain team from another state, can't remember which state, came to a Kansas folkstyle tournament even though they were a FS/GR team and dominated by adapting the trap-arm gut to use a double arm-bar instead of locking the hands.)

These are just some things to think about, as I was just thinking out loud here.

I'm confused...I thought Southern Plains was going on now in Hutch?

Southern Plains Junior Regional Championships are going on in Hutch right now. Southern Plains Kids/Cadet Regional Championships are in New Mexico on June 15-17

hmmm...you would think for the younger buckaroos they would try to find a few places closer, but anyway you slice it someone has to travel to get there.