2005 All-Kansas Girls HS Wrestling Team
Attention:
All High School Aged Girl Wrestlers
Coaches of Girl Wrestlers
& Supporters of Girl Wrestlers

The Kansas Krusaders, the official women’s wrestling program for USA Wrestling – Kansas, has agreed to develop and publish a ranking system to recognize and promote the top high school aged girl wrestlers in Kansas.

The rankings will list the top wrestlers in each weight category based on a wide range of criteria including head-to-head competition, results versus common opponents, records & wrestling accomplishments, and records against both/either boys or girls. It does not matter if you wrestle on high school teams, in USA Wrestling competitions, or USGWA competitions, folk style or freestyle – our review committee will consider all the factors in order to highlight what they feel are the most deserving high school girl wrestlers for the state of Kansas. You must be currently enrolled in a Kansas high school as a freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior to be eligible for nomination.

The deadline to submit nominations is February 18, 2005!

In addition to being featured on the Kansas Krusaders’ web site, the rankings will be released to members of the wrestling media and to newspapers across Kansas. Additionally, these rankings will be forwarded to USA Wrestling, USGWA, and coaches at colleges and universities that feature women wrestling programs. It is our hope that deserving wrestlers receive recognition for their efforts and that we might help wrestlers earn college scholarships and/or opportunities to compete at National and International competitions as members of our National wrestling teams.

Please visit the Kansas crusaders web site at: http://eteamz.com/ksgirlswrestling to download the nomination form. You can link to the Krusaders from the USAW-Kansas site by clicking the "GIRLS DIVISION" button on themenu column. Completed nomination forms must be returned to the Krusaders no later than February 18, 2005. All information must be verifiable. Kansas Krusaders, 10803 W. Rolling Hills, Wichita, KS 67212

Jeff Mercer

FYI - the wrestlers you nominate don't have to be varsity wrestlers for you to nominate them. We understand that many tough girl wrestlers are JV wrestlers. That's OK. Let's not penalize a deserving wrestler because she is JV behind a top ranked wrestler or because she wrestles for a coach who doesn't feel girls deserve varsity status. Again, we understand that some things are out of the control of the wrestler and we don't want to ignore any deserving wrestlers.

Also, don't worry about having the exact weight class figured out. Estimates will do. We'll verify this information. It is more important that you have the correct name and school of the wrestler. (It's hard to nominate the girl wrestler who competed in the JV tournament in Hays).

The deadline for nominations is February 18 !

Jeff Mercer

Mr. Mercer:

With all due respect, do you have any proof to support such an outrageous statement.

Mr. Salyer:

I have heard girl wrestlers share such comments - and worse. It is unfortunate but it happens. In a perfect world there would be a seperate girls division so co-ed matches wouldn't be an issue open for debate and Title IX wouldn't be needed, but life is what it is. Not everyone is as open minded as you might think. Just read a few days of this talk forum and you'll find a few examples of "ourageous" comments and opinions. I wince sometimes at what I read but I also swell with pride when I read other posts because it is clear that we've got many good people amongst us. I guess thats what they mean when they say we sometimes have to take the good with the bad. I'm not trying to bash anyone or let any secret out when I say that girls face a few additional challenges on the way to the victory stand. My post is to encourage everyone to recognize deserving athletes regardless of where they are wrestling.

Jeff Mercer

While I am certainly not familiar with all high school wrestling programs in the state, I do believe that wrestling coaches, regardless of their personal bias, will put the best wrestler's on the mat. I also believe the athletic director's and high school principal's, fully aware of Title IX simply will not allow such behavior.

They have wrestling challenge matches for this very purpose!

Jeff-

Thanks for your positive comments. You assistance with promoting women's wrestling is greatly appreciated. Keep up the good work.

Richard-

Cut him some slack. I don't think he was trying to accuse anyone of wrong doing. One would be crazy though, to think that there is no coach in the state that refuse to put a girl on varsity. I am not trying to start something. So, let's not get started.

Ms. Jenni

Amen Jenni.
Richard my daughter has already had oppsing coaches make their boys forfit instead of wrestling her, and she is still just in Little league wrestling. I know for a fact there are coaches out there that do not beleve in letting girls compete with boy's.
Jeff, thank you for the work you are doing.

Afraid I'm going to have to agree with Mr. Salyer. Until someone proves to me a coach is keeping a wrestler out of the line-up I will continue to believe it doesn't happen. Favoritism or bias is a discussion for that other winter sport, not wrestling.

"In a perfect world there would be a seperate girls division so co-ed matches wouldn't be an issue open for debate and Title IX wouldn't be needed, but life is what it is."

Please, we don't need a fan of wrestling pimping Title IX.

"Richard my daughter has already had oppsing coaches make their boys forfit instead of wrestling her, and she is still just in Little league wrestling. I know for a fact there are coaches out there that do not beleve in letting girls compete with boy's."

Did it ever occur to you there may be religious objections involved?

sportsfan02, the first coach that did this was from Ok. city and loudly proclamied that no boy on his team would ever wrestle a girl.

If I lived in Newkirk, Oklahoma I would go to okwrestle.com and voice my concerns.

We are talking about High School wrestling coaches who do not have the same latitude as little league coaches in determining which athletes may participate.

Ms. Jenni:

If you were not trying to start something you would not have replied!

We are in agreement there may be high school coaches who believe girls should not be participating on the boys team.

While I do not believe I am "crazy", I will state I absolutely do not believe there is any public high school coach in Kansas who would jeopardize their coaching job by breaking school district policy as well as federal law while filling the varsity team.

The last I knew, a coach does not "put" any wrestler on the varsity. If there are more athletes competing for a varsity weight class, a coach has challenge matches to determine who, male or female, earns the varsity position. If a female athlete goes out for the wrestling team and is the only participant at that particular weight classification, I feel confident every coach at a public high school will accept the athlete to avoid the inevitable forfeit without the participant.

I could elaborate further, however I do not wish to "start something", but only offer my thoughts.

Richard,
I may live in Oklahoma but my daughter wrestles for Coach Ed and Jenni on the Kansas Krusaders.
Also I bring my son to Kansas tournaments that are close to home. So we are a part of the wrestling family in both states much like Mr.Furches (mike&nathan) who I have much respect for.
Besides is this not a public forum?

Dear Mr. Avallone:

The incident you complained of happened in Oklahoma, hence my suggestion your complaint is voiced on the wrong forum.

I was not aware out of state athletes were eligible to participate with the Kansas Krusaders. Apparently the rules are differant for this team than for the USAW Kansas Kids clubs.

From the Kansas Krusaders home page:

"The Kansas Krusaders have been established in response to the ever growing number of girls and young women in Kansas who are taking up the sport of wrestling.

Under the leadership of long-time wrestling enthusiasts Ed and Jenni Edison, and with the support of USA Wrestling - Kansas , the Kansas Krusaders have a simple mission: to encourage young women to pursue their dreams of becoming competitive wrestlers.

This is accomplished by:
* supporting the creation of more female versus female wrestling competitions as well as protecting the rights of female wrestlers to compete against male wrestlers
* supporting and hosting wrestling camps and clinics
* creating a state-wide wrestling team for women wrestlers
* organizing and supporting practices throughout the state for women wrestlers
* traveling as a team to regional and national competitions
* promoting successful women wrestlers

All Kansas girls and women wrestlers between the ages of 5 and 18 with valid USA Wrestling memberships are automatically eligible to join the Kansas Krusaders ."

Mr. Salyer,
I think you are venturing into territory that you have no idea of what you are talking about. The presumption that discrimination does not happen in wrestling is like saying birds don't fly. I have talked to and witnessed this to be true from the the kids level all the way through high school. I am not going to debate this with you because it is futile. But I will say this, stick to something that you know what you are talking about. And as far as the Kansas Krusaders you don't have to tell me what is legal,appropraite or right in womens wrestling. The last time I checked I think I was appointed womens director by USA Wrestling and not you. If you think that you would be a better ambassador to female Wrestling than Jenni or me, then have at it. You will soon get your eyes opened, and humbled to the things that should, in no way, be happening in this day and age. As far as denying that coaches deprive girls of their chance at varsity, it's always a perfect world until you pull up your pant legs and get into the silt of man's behavior. I know that you will try to tear me apart on my post,but you know I have big shoulders and can handle it. Some of us have to deal with this 24 hrs a day. So, just heap some more on my back. I thank you for your commentary it only proves my point. And please don't say I'm throwing out the race card. You obviously don't know me.

Thank you
Coach Ed, Northwest Jr Grizzlies
Head Coach Kansas Krusaders
Kansas Womens Director

Dear Ed:

I believe the Edison's have contributed a great deal toward USAW Kansas wrestling and I do respect your (joint) contributions.

I also appreciate Mr. Mercer's contribution.

However, I do believe it is the goal of all high school wrestling coaches to field as competitive a varsity team as possible, with either male or female wrestlers.

You claim there to be a gender bias and yet offer no substantiated proof. There have been no legal challenges brought by these young women, therefore I am left to conclude the obvious: there are male coaches who do not believe there should be an intrusion on the male dominated sport of wrestling by females, however these coaches are forced to accept these participants due to Title IX.

I will not attempt to "tear" or attack you, and I would never raise the "race card" as we are talking about gender and not race.

I am disappointed you would even mention that subject.

Lastly, kindly answer my question regarding out of state athletes participating on the Kansas Krusaders team?

Richard,

I am not familiar with the specific case of an Oklahoma wrestler participating on the Kansas Krusaders team, but I might be able to give a more general answer to your question.

With clear exceptions, we generally try to work with our neighboring states in allowing athletes to take part in Kansas wrestling activities, and those states are also good about reciprocating. I’ve always found that the people in our sport are very supportive of each other, sharing thoughts and ideas and working together.

It does not sound like the inclusion of an Oklahoma wrestler with the Kansas Krusaders is costing the Krusaders anything, and the addition of an occasional workout partner is probably a benefit for the Kansas girls, so I believe that allowing Mr. Avallone’s children to participate on the Krusaders team is a win-win situation.

Dear Mike:

I am happy the Kansas Krusaders are able to offer an opportunity to a youth which otherwise may not have existed.

Thank you for the explanation!

Thank you Mr. Juby
I have always braged about how frendly the people in the Kansas wrestling family have been to me and my children, from Coach Ed and Jenni, The Gentzlers, the Furches and the Wichita east club that first got us to wrestle in Kansas when Oklahoma's season was over and their are many more wonderful people we have made friends with in Kansas. You have no idea how proud Karissa is of the Krusader's and how much she likes Ed and Jenni. I just wish that I could get her to more Krusaders practices.
I did not know that posting on the same subject as Mr. Salyer would cause him to try to start trouble for a 10yr old girl that loves to wrestle. Both of my children are valid USA card holders, in the previous 2yrs I bought their cards thru a Kansas club.
Have a nice day

Thanks guys, now lets get on with supporting wrestling.

Ms. Jenni

Quote from the Kansas Krusaders:
This is accomplished by:
* supporting the creation of more female versus female wrestling competitions as well as protecting the rights of female wrestlers to compete against male wrestlers

Ok, where have the Kansas Krusaders been? Why is it that this year the only allowed website promoting girls wrestling in the state does not list the tournaments that have girls bracketing?
There are 5 tournaments this year that are annual tournaments and have not been listed on the website. 8 girls showed up for the Ark City tournament,(all from my club in NE Kansas), no girls in the girls division in Derby, 25 girls in Atchison, and we had to cancel out of Rose Hill because there were no girls available to wrestle. The lack of communication is hurting girls wrestling in Kansas. The girls go to the Kansas website and see the girls division and the only upcoming tournaments listed direct the girls to wade back through the regular season calendar. We want to see girls wrestling get bigger and better, so we travel to across state tournaments and can only hope that by example other girls start to do the same. And when girls learn that there is girls wrestling, more girls will join in.

Does anyone know if there will be a USA sanctioned Kansas State Girls Championship? If so let me know and I will start passing the word along.