This weekend we will host the 11th Middle School State tournament. The mission for this event is to set the line ups for the Heartland Middle School National Duals. This mission continues but I am a bit disturbed by the data so I am reaching out to you for help. While we have been nearly 100% successful in filling all of our lineups the number of participants in this event has diminished by over 30% from its peak:

2020 Hutch 204
2019 Hutch 206
2018 Abilene 209
2017 Lindsborg 224
2016 Lindsborg 291
2015 Lindsborg 274
2014 Lindsborg 305
2013 Lindsborg 304
2012 Lindsborg 292
2011 Lindsborg 240
2010 Lindsborg 211

I would like to have some feedback and I will seek this via email as well as from this forum. What do we need to do to get some growth in participants?

Good luck to ALL of those participating this weekend.

I think a big part may be because the tournament is over a month away and the making weight now and having to maintain for another month has some to do with it. It would be better if this tournament was only a couple weeks out from the actual event. I get that makes it harder for filling teams though because of people taking time to say yes or no. IMO just hard to keep kids wrestling this long with spring break and baseball

Thanks for the information but the whole weight thing is frankly ridiculous. "Holding their weight"??? It is MIDDLE SCHOOL!! The number one way to burn your kid out is to cut weight. "Making weight" should be as simple as stepping on the scale! I do understand alternative sports but why are kids not wrestling during wrestling season, that is the question here. Districts was the day before and state is the next week.

Holding this tournament the day after districts is the biggest negative for me. Why can't it be the week after kids state?

Trying to avoid spring break and the NCAA D1's.

Any chance of holding it in conjunction with or on the same day as Elementary dual qualifiers?

I visited with you in person at the tournament yesterday. I don't want to argue what is wrong, and what is right.(weight classes, weight cutting, etc) Bottom line...The date of the event needs changed. It is unfortunate that we didn't get all the middle school kids there. There were a lot of studs that didn't go...that I know would have probably been on first team. This would have made the Kansas teams stronger in the national competition. Thanks to those that helped run the event. BTW...I did ask around. I only ran into one middle school family that was going to Division 1 nationals.
Craig Amrein

I understand your point sir, but don’t take anything away from the wrestlers that did show up. There were many “studs” at the lighter weights (which are the ones I follow most of the time). Some were loaded with outstanding wrestlers. As far as the issue of increasing the numbers my suggestion would be to create Jr. High weights at the State Tournament and eliminate 14 & Under. A 6th grade 12& Under wrestler would have a choice. This would create a Jr. Division and HS Division with sanctioned weights. Encourage HS placers to wrestle in Grand State environment.

Thank to all the organizers of these events and your passion for Kansas Wrestling.

Respectfully, Rodney Dozier

Rodney
I didn't intend to take away any earned credit the winners or placers from middle school state. There were definitely some studs there yesterday. I look forward to watching them all compete at the duals.
Craig Amrein

Congrats to those who attended and did well.

Obviously, the more entries the better the teams will be. The purpose of this post was to figure out why the numbers are declining.

The date needs changed. This tough of a tournament doesn't need to be in-between districts and state. The district leaders and middle school state championship leaders need to communicate and work together if they want this to be a priority for the body as a whole. Right now, the priority is the kids state series and will continue to be until many things change. That starts with changing the date of the tournament.

We chose not to attend because of the following timeline of events. Got done paying for state entries around 7pm. That is 12hrs in a gym. Then take a 3.5 hour trip to Hutch. Get settled around midnight and waking up around 6am to warm up at 7am. Then wrestle 5-6 tough matches. No way a 14 year old will be at his/her best after that time line. Then in 5 days they do state!!!!! That's a lot for a 14 year old boy. Changing the date fixes this.

The trip they are qualifying for is great and worth the effort for many, just not for many district 1 kids this year. I may be wrong, but District 1 only had 2 Champion and that was at 95 and 220lbs. (Congrats Brody and PJ) 2 out of 17 doesn't seem like they got the best from the state. Especially after seeing district entry numbers being D-1 937, D-2 805, D-3 729, D-4 660.

If the goal is to bring the best Kansas teams to the Heartland Duals then keep the wrestler list open to the public, onsite weigh ins, and change the date.

District 1 had a champion at 95 pounds.

My apologies!! I looked at the district 1 team list and not at the individual wrestler. Your club seems to have a lot of names. Don't think it changes the meaning of my post. Congrats Brody and PJ.