What does everyone think of the high school division in the qualifying series? Good and Bad.

i think it is a great change.

Like it.

Like it too.

I wish we would wrestle the high school division off on Friday nights at subs and districts.

I'd rather see the 6u kids there...

I saw a lot of good wrestling in the high school division. Probably the best thing for a number of these wrestlers is that they spent an entire high school season going JV because they couldn't break through a stacked Varsity line up. Now they get a another chance to wrestle on the big stage if they make it that far.

Good point Lee.

I thought it was pretty cool that the high schoolers are there. If anything the youngins get to see them wrestle and watch how they warm up. And there is a lot of great wrestling that is going on.The young ones don't always get a weekend off to watch wrestling, so if they wrestled all year and didn't get to watch the high school this was their chance.

Jerry,

Very good observation, and one I should have thought of. I noticed about a quarter of the way through the high school season that my son's warm up looked identical to one of our exceptional wrestlers who is a year ahead of him. Only a year younger and a freshman in high school, it was like watching a youth wrestler idolizing a proven high school wrestler.

I love the Highschool Division its great to watch those kids keep going on after the season. And hopefully some of those newer JV wrestlers stay thru Freestyle and be next year most improved wrestlers.

Now what I didn't like seeing was the Freshmen highschool state placers,champs wrestling in 14 under div. I know theres no rule against it but WHY. They made it to the show made a huge accomplishment and now just jump in 14 under and beat up on some 8th graders? I do not see the point?

I agree. Either don't do it at all, or go HS division, if you are a HS state placer.......

The reason is.... Summer birthdays. My son has been competing for 7 years. With a June birthday. He has always given up some time . I guarantee his freshman year I will let him compete in 14u.

That's the problem. We want to see the best matches across classes and that isn't happening. Kids don't come out or a few of the top kids in different classes do. I agree with Pelland I would rather see the 6u kids at state!

THE AGE DIFFERENCE!!! 6u or 14u. What they have learned? Or what they are learning?

So if your son is a state placer, or state champion, his freshman year, after wrestling kids from FRosh to Senior all thru the HS season, you will still put him in 14u, because he is young for his class? So it is ok to wrestle the upperclassmen from November to the end of Feb, but in March, he can't handle it anymore?

I'll put the bad birthday excuse right up there with the ref screwed me excuse............QUIT giving our kids excuses, and start giving them the tools........

You have to look at matches against older, better kids as opportunities, not as a negative thing........

Every time a tough problem comes up at work, do we want our kids trained to demote themselves to a lower level so they don't have to deal with that problem?

Customer: "you better have those parts to me by Monday or I am moving my account somewhere else!!"

Manager that was tought to dodge problems, instead of face them all his life: "sorry, but I am going back to work in the mailroom, or possibly the janitorial staff, until Tuesday"

one of the kids in our clubs dad asked me 14u or high school? I told them both you went to 5a state and didn't when a match, been wrestling 9 yrs only been to kids state 2x never placed. Wrestle 14u if you place you certainly deserve it. But if he'd place HS state no way he gets to wrestle 14u at kids state. But all in all still like having HS division at state.

I would like to know how many 15 & 16 olds are not coming out for the kids series. My gut feeling is that we lost some of those wrestlers - most likely some of the kids that are 15/16 and wrestled JV/some varisity. Overall - I like the high school division. Somehow - we as coaches need keep that age group interested and involved. If we gain 150 wrestlers 17-20 year olds but lost 150 wrestlers 15 & 16 year olds - is that what we as an organization are trying to do?

i think the top year/bottom year excuse is valid at 6u, after that it has to go away. HOWEVER i would NEVER let a kid hear that, it's ok to make excuses.

headup i think starting in the 8 and up is where the kids start making their move. my son didnt make it to state his first year in 8 under. won it his top side year. we didnt know what to expect this year going in as he was bottom of 10. we knew we had some of the best practice partners around. he wrestled good all year. going into subs he had his usual growth spurt and had to bump up. didnt know many of the wrestlers but we knew the 2 we had to beat. that didnt happen and he ended up third. so yes if you have the right surroundings the bottom side kids can compete starting at the 8 and under. very few 6 unders will beat the 8 unders. yes there are a handful that have.