1. All 9th graders in KS are NOW HS wrestlers. 2. HS wrestlers are coached by a professional coaching staff. 3. HS wrestlers practice 4 to 6 times per week starting the second week in November. 4. HS wrestlers compete against HS wrestlers which range in age from 14 to 19 years of age from the first week in December through the last week in February. 5. HS wrestlers have the opportunity to compete for a KSHSAA state championship in either 321a, 4a, 5a or 6a. 6. HS wrestlers do NOT compete against MS wrestlers. 7. No 8th grader in Kansas has all of these opportunities. 8. No other state offers a USA sanctioned Folkstyle state tournament allowing HS wrestlers to compete against wrestlers in Kids wrestling (many due to the fact that kids season is ended before HS has finished.) 9. The USA Wrestling date of birth cutoff is ALWAYS January 1 for ALL USA National events. There is NEVER a case where a Cadet is allowed to wrestle down in the Schoolboy division in ANY style.
You tell me where any of these FACTS add up to it being okay for a high school freshman to compete against 7th and 8th graders for a KIDS state title?[/b] So here we go....
2. Define professional coaching staff. If you are defining by having paid coaches then there are a lot of clubs that have professional coaching staffs. In fact, depending on how you define professional, some could argue that a lot of club teams have more professional coaching staffs than a lot of high school programs based on time committed to sef development, involvement in the sport of wrestling, experience, resume's etc. In fact, schools are much more limited on the level of "professional" coach they can hire due to the fact they usually have to ensure it is a teacher (I know, not necessarily true for private schools, just us folk in public schools).
3. 7th and 8th grade wrestlers are not restricted by all of the KSHSAA rules that you rant about on the high school forum. They can practice 7 times a week if they choose. They can go to camps, they can get private training. In fact they have a lot more opportunity when they are wrestling for their club than kids do when they are under the KSHSAA rules in hs or ms wrestling.
Some high school wrestlers do compete agains middle school wrestlers when they are in Cadet age group.
9. Irrelevant useless point. Nobody has used that example.
Again, get on the national talk forums and appeal to USAW to change the Cadet age and requirements to something similar to what you are proposing for us in KS and I will quit arguing with you.
Will's quote: I don't feel that ANY HS wrestlers should be allowed to wrestle 14U.
So are you saying you will not let Sammy wrestle Cadets at Fargo when he is a Freshman? He may have to wrestle an 8th grader that is in the Cadet age divsion that hasn't benefited from all the stuff you listed above. Personally, I will let Brock wrestle Cadets as a freshman and understand he will wrestle some 8th graders. In fact I a looking forward to him wrestling Cadets this year as an 8th grader and can't wait for him to get a chance to compete against some high schoolers.
What I really don't understand is where you are coming from on this. Of all people you are usually the one pushing kids and pushing the rules to make things less restrictive and encourage more opportunities to go and seek the best competition. I feel like we are living in a different world right now with your perspective on this.
Also, you can provide specific rebuttals to my other post and I invited them however, at least publically acknowledge that conceptually the breaking up of kids state and getting it over sooner was something you have been trying to influence for years. We talked about what I laid out over 3-4 years ago.
Bottomline: Will is still a good friend and I would do anything for him (accept support this proposal). He does a lot for wrestling and I greatly appreciate these healthy debates we have.
