Colorado, Oklahoma, Iowa, Nebraska, and Missouri, all close neighbors to Kansas host a single site state wrestling tournament making it possible for all of the members of their respective wrestling communities to gather in one place each year. This makes it easier for college coaches to attend to scout potential scholarship candidates. Oklahoma has a very strong jr. high program but permits its wrestlers to continue wrestling in independent, open events during the season. Kansans are equal to the Oklahomans in talent as youths but the Okies pass us by when they get to middle school and high school because their coaches work more with their kids, they are allowed to wrestle outside of school sanctioned events, and they pit the best against the best. Their association permits more matches as well.
I know of one wrester who had to skip the first week of Kansas practice so he could wrestle in the CK Kickoff, an event that ALL age elgible Kansans should attend. His HS coach was chastised by others for "allowing" such to happen instead of embracing the tactic so those kids would get some competition they would NEVER see in a Kansas hosted event, especially at the JV or Freshman level.
Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin, Missouri, Texas and many other state's governing bodies have rules that permit wrestlers to get 50 or more matches. The KSHSAA rules could permit that many if there were events to attend inside of the 500 mile travel restriction and your school wrestled no individual dual events but to date the most matches wrestled in a career by a Kansas wrestler has been less than 175. Angel Escebedo had nearly 250 in his HS career! Are you going to tell me that more mat time won't make our wrestler's better? Are you going to tell me that traveling to the Beast of the East or the Ironman won't make our wrestlers better?
I attend tournaments all over the country every weekend. I see what is on the mat and I KNOW that we are falling behind and I know that we COULD be better if allowed to do so. The ONLY significant change to HS wrestling by KSHSAA since I was in HS is to water down state at the 5A and 6A level and place six kids. You tell me how that makes us better? In the guide for the Metro Classic they list the all time win record for each school who has had wrestlers compete against those from Missouri. The Shawnee Mission schools have just two wins against 13 losses. Are you going to tell me they don't need to start doing something different to improve and catch up to Missouri?
