Thanks for your reply.

I did talk to your son at a Lansing soccer game. Could tell he was a wrestler from 15 yards away. Had that wrestler look and body: buff, maybe a little caulifllower, plus he was wearing a wrestling club T shirt. Think he said he is an 8th grader at Lansing MS and will wrestle for Coach Averil as soon as MS football is over. Really a nice young man, carries on a very good conversation--and READY TO RUMBLE. Will have to go see Lansing MS wrestle.

Did not intend to denigrate Leavenworth HS, its athletes or coaches. As I have said, my older son attended and played football at Leavenworth--my wife was a teacher and guidance counselor at Leavenworth.

I also know about the KSHSAA rule on quote quote HS squad members on off season teams. In the early and mid 90s I sponsored, managed and coached competitive youth soccer teams that played in a youth league out of Topeka, then at Heritage Park in Johnson County. We played in the Kansas State Games and traveled to tournaments in Topeka, Emporia, KC, and St. Joe. A successful team--sent 9 club players to play college soccer: five to William Jewel at liberty, and four to community colleges. My players were mostly from Lansing with a couple from Leavenworth and a couple from Immac. All local soccer players in those days all started in rec soccer at Ft Leavenworth, and those that stayed local advanced to the Fort based TRAVELERS competitive teams. There was no soccer and no fields in either Leavenworth or Lansing. As me and a couple of guys in Lansing formed rec soccer teams in both Leavenworth and Lansing, the Fort TRAVELERS folded. I picked up most of the better players and formed my U14 and U16 Johnson County team. There was one or two competitive local teams with older players (U16s then U18s). Note: these teams were not affiliated with an umbrella club, they were all independent, formed by the individual coaches.

After the 1995 ??? KSHSAA "SQUAD" rule it was difficult if impossible to form local competitive teams. For some reasson kids from the three local high schools, especially Immac kids with Lansing kids, did not want to play together. Without players from all three HS, and all at the same HS squad level (no mixing of varsity and JV players from one HS) , it was futile to try to play competitive club soccer. A very great disappoint. That KSHSAA SQUAD ruling affected all high school level competive teams in all sports in all Kansas small cities and towns--minimal effects in the bigger population centers with multiple area high schools and established youth rec and club sports: i.e. Johnsonm County, Topeka, and Wichita.

Hats off to those few locals who have stayed with an/or initiated youth and club teams: Coach Slater, the Leavenworth Soccer Association, the FORCE, your youth wrestling club, and any and all others who spend a lot of time, effort, and as you know: MONEY to keep the programs going.

I do and will continue to believe that much better things would be in the future for Leav HS athletes and teams in 5A and if they dropped out of the Sunflower. A great thing for all local HS sports would be for Leavenworth and Lansing to join in a new 5A conference with some other area 5A schools (Mill Valley, Turner, St. James, maybe Bonner who is on the cusp between 4A and 5A, plus others left un-named. Will 5A Leavenworth do better in 5A wrestling---can't say. 5A is tough and got tougher this year with Leav, SM South, and St. James.

Keep up the good work coach. We all depend on the wreslers you and your coaches prepare for our high schools!!!!