That's an easy fix to title 9. Let the women wrestle too. Its the cheapest way to comply. You don't have to start a whole new sport for women. Just do them both at the same time, you'll probably get more support as well. I believe there are already 16 other colleges with women wrestling, and it's an Olympic Sport. If K State is already in compliance with Title 9 then add both men and woman wrestling at the same time to comply still.

OIC, well I hardly think I have all the answers but I can think of about a half dozen reasons alone. I don't claim any of these are accurate but just what I guess to be the reasons. First and foremost, KSHSAA probably thinks it best for both the student and the school, if a student is involved in as many school related activities as possible. The smaller schools depend on the 3-sport athletes to fill rosters in all sports. If they lose students to specialization then all sports will suffer, even our beloved sport. It is important to remember, that if the,(any), rule is changed for wrestling it will most likely be changed for all sports, (see the summer contact rule). I dare say, that the summer contact rule change for all sports, has had a negative effect on some wrestling programs where football is king.

Sporto I know you dont speak for HSHSAA but here is a place where you cant see the forrest for the trees...


"First and foremost, KSHSAA probably thinks it best for both the student and the school, if a student is involved in as many school related activities as possible....."

Where does the KSHSAA get the authority to think for parents?

I would think it would be the choise of a parent/ student to decide what opportunitiy to explore no matter what size of school.

Probably the same power trip pipe dream where Obama decided to tell us how to manage our health care........

You hit the nail on the head, KSHSAA, and a lot of school districts, feel like we are not smart enough to raise our own kids. They read in a book how to do it, and they are using that book to tell us how to raise 'em. I will say that there are plenty of parents that should have undergone the spay or neutering route though...........

When those parents decided to allow their student to attend a KSHSAA member school.


They can, they just have do it at a non-KSHSAA member school. Your problem seems to be with your school and it's being a member of KSHSAA, not KSHSAA itself.

How sweet of you to say. if you dont like they way they make the rules go somewhere else to play. KSHSAA is a servant and not Lord. It is another example of bloated government forgeting its role.

Don't you think there is some advantage to having a common set of competition and eligibility standards across the State? We ALL surrender some of our autonomy to be members of groups. . . Good grief, otherwise, we have anarchy.

Anyway. . .back to the summer coaching issue, which for HS wrestling in Kansas is a NON-ISSUE. . .

KSHSAA Article 6: "Beginning with the Saturday before Memorial Day, concluding Saturday of SWC #2 (ed. note: Standard Calendar Week #2 = Second Week of July), football, volleyball and basketball coaches/coaches' aides are permitted to coach athletes from their school squad."

KSHSAA Article 7: Coaches/coaches' aides OTHER THAN football, volleyball and basketball are NOT subject to the restrictions outlined in Article 6.

This means there are NO summer restrictions, time or otherwise, on HS wrestling coaches working with their athletes.

Except that KSHSAA is not a government agency. They are instead a private not-for-profit association which schools may or may not choose to join.

Greg I believe you are wrong on the summer coaching issue being a non-issue. Summer wrestling (freestly/greco) begins in early April, I believe Blue Chip had a tournament the same weekend of Brute the year before last. As such, practice would start for some in March. From what I understand High School coaches are precluded from coaching their kids until school is out?? Also, I think more Kansas kids would compete in Federation/Brute/USA Nationals if their High School coaches were allowed to coach, and maybe even, keep the practice room open. I understand the idea is to force kids who go out for sports to not specialize, Sportsfan2 has already said this is KSHSAA's goal, to get kids to try as many activities as possible. However, in most large schools specialization is a must for the average kid to even have a chance to compete. This rule is obviously in place to try and restrict a kid's opportunities.

Finally, thanks to opportunities created and faciliated by Willy C. and USA Kansas my son has gone to middle school/cadets/school boy duals and Kansas does compete well, but the teams are always a little thin. The rules need to be relaxed to really give Kansas a chance to win these contests. If we just had a Union we could file a grievance and get this changed.

It matters when other states allow their coaches to have year round contact with their wrestlers. While Sport0 may be entirely right I believe most coaches are fine with the current rules because it makes it easier for them. If the option were given to all coaches, only a few would take advantage of donating their time which would create a wider gap between the haves and have nots. Other states don't have dead weeks (we have two), don't restrict their wrestlers from attending clinics and open events during the season, don't restrict travel, etc. Doug is right, who the heck came up with the idea that KSHSAA knows what is better for our kids than we do? Sport0, public schools are tax dependent, KSHSAA is dependent on the schools therefore tax dependent and at the end of the day a governmental agency.

I said that was my guess as to what KSHSAA's reasoning was, I don't claim to know for sure. They may have a whole list of reasons of which I am not aware.

Then the HVAC company or another for profit business who's primary customer is a public school, are they also a government agency? What about the KWCA or other organizations? I know the line gets a little blury but if I were going into court, I would like KSHSAA's position to defend.

Give me a break sportsfan02. Are you really trying to say KSHSAA is not a government funded agency. They answer to our legislature and their board is full of government employees. And oh yes isn't Bowden retiring..... I wonder if that is some simple 401K that he taking with him to Nebraska. More like KPERS Im sure. Its like saying Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac has nothing to do with Washington DC..........

In a word, yes.

Don't we all answer to our legislature in one manner or another? Tell a farmer he doesn't answer to the AG department or the EPA!

Yes, he is also a retired teacher/coach and from the legislature. Not sure what retirement KSHSAA offers but even if it is KPERS I would strongly deny it is a state agency.

In my mind it's not saying anything like that, because they have nothing to do with this subject.

I am not against organizations and rules to follow. But when the rules do not make sense and there is no redress to adjust or change them, it can be frustrating.


It is just one of many examples of organizations becoming insulated from the constituents they are to serve.

But there are ways to redress or adjust those rules. Just because we as non-members don't have a say does not make the process wrong. I am not a member of any fraternal organizations so I don't try to get the Moose or Elks clubs to change their rules for me. If you want change, then talk to your coach and AD first and see if they agree with your point of view. If they don't then just maybe you're idea is not valid in the first place.

I don't have the answers/solutions to this topic but I did want to comment on the perceived "College Style". I started thinking about this earlier in the year and bounced an idea off of a friend yesterday too. I think the "College Style" of a few years ago (the one you describe) has morphed. Many/Most of the dominant wrestlers are now very solid in all three positions. Iowa wrestlers are a notable exception. Please coach your kids to wrestle all three positions!

Yes - they are similiar in this regard. KSHSAA, FANNIE MAE, and FREDDIE MAC are corporations set up by the government to do something that the government does not want to be perceived political. HOWEVER AS WE ALL KNOW THESE CORPORATIONS HAVE HIGH FALURE RATES. Its a bureaucratic effect...... Very little accountability over long periods of time, as bureaucracy does, has a tendancy to give lots of power to people nestled in proper positions. LOOK AT KANSAS EDUCATION IN GENERAL - ITS LOADED WITH IT!!!!

So Will and Sports,
Let's hear your campaign speeches!
If you were to Replace Bowden what changes would you seek out and why?
What would be the most important rule change to better KS wrestling as a whole.

I would think someone would say the 500 mile rule being lifted but with $ being so tight these days would it really benefit EVERYONE the most or just those that can afford it?

I support any rules changes suggested by the KWCA.
As to Bowden's replacement and to all of the Bowden Bashers out there. I can only relate to my past experience. Every time in my life when I had a boss whom I thought was bad in one way or another, each and every time that boss was replaced, it was with someone who was even worse. So my motto is, "be careful what you wish for".