Mr. Nowak,
It is difficult to believe that you think that just because a small number of people here in Kansas are dissatisfied with the current system we have, that some major changes are going to happen. So let me say this.
Regarding the elimination of extreme upper and lower weight classes from applicable age groups is a good idea in my opinion and I would not be oppossed to that. There is no reason to have weight groups when they aren't consistantly filled up. However regarding AGE groups that you will not see changed anytime soon. I have been in this sport for going on 15 years now, and the age groups now are the same age groups back then with the exception of 6&U which I am not sure about. You and a few of your cohorts seek to change a system that works perfectly fine as it is now without good reason. You talked about how you think their is some wide gap between ages which at this point is no more than 3 years excluding the 6&U wrestling up.
You also seek to eliminate an age group (16&U) for other reasons unknown, I mean heck have you ever stopped to consider the feelings of the kids in this age group? These are kids that grew up through the other age categories, and you want to just cut them off, because quote "They have high school state" Well did you ever stop to consider that manybe some of these kids in the 16&U category aren't all state qualifiers. But you propose a seperate tournament just for them. Why stop there? Why don't we just have a seperate tournament for each of the age groups, and then there will be plenty of mat space for everybody, and you Mr. Nowak and every other selfish person who thinks the same way only have to be there to see the certain age groups you came to watch.
You want to end the season earlier for everybody because you think kids get burnt out and so on and so forth. Well I can tell you most of the kids still wrestling into March WANT to still be wrestling, and those that don't aren't under any obligation to do so, just as you as a spectator/coach/anything aren't required to be there. My attitude towards you, and others who think like you do, is if you don't like it get away from the sport. And I say that with the utmost of respect towards you. This sport owes you or I nothing, we owe it. I'm out on the wrestling mat 2-3 days a week for 5 months because I love the sport. But I see things like this where people are trying to change things to satisfy their own agendas and it upsets me greatly. I've been through the Kansas Kids wrestling system, and I loved every minute of it, I wrestled through the weight classes until I was no longer young enough to compete, and even after being a multi time state placer in high school I STILL looked forward to being able to compete in the 16&U category in Kids wrestling, and I gladly paid the $30 to wrestle 3 more weekends.
Perhaps now you understand my objection to you and Mr. Broadbents relentless compaign, to sum up everything that I've said, its an old addage that goes "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" And I think many people would agree WE (Kansas Wrestling) are not broke. We can use a little tune up in terms of excess weight classes, but that is it.
Quite note on the split format thing. Perhaps you've already forgot about just how well your beautiful split format worked at the District I tourney? I've been to 3 splits this year and NONE of them ran any more smoothly than traditional, and the only ones who even noticed were the parents because they got to go home a whole 2 hours early.
Respectfully,
Nigel
