Regional time is rolling around, and this friday will mark 1 year for Wrestlers 4 Christ. First, I would like to thank you all for the encouragement you have given myself and our group. It is stressful at times, but it is worth it everytime a thanks is given. We have been able to spread the word of Wrestlers 4 Christ through prayer and t-shirt, but it is time to get other wrestlers on board with us. So, I'm are asking for any wrestler that is willing to give a pre-tournament prayer at their regionals to message me and let me know. Hopefully, we can get enough people to have a prayer said at every tournament, and BOTH DAYS. This would be a great step for what we are planning to do with this group. If you are worried about what to say, don't worry. I could help you out via e-mail. My e-mail is vandy_44@hotmail.com. So please let me know if you would be willing to help. The regionals include:


CLASS 6A -- Saturday, February 20, 2010
Manhattan High School – Mike Marsh, Regional Manager
Derby, Junction City, Manhattan, Topeka, Topeka-Washburn Rural, Wichita-East, Wichita-Heights,
Wichita-Southeast

Overland Park-Blue Valley Northwest High School – Steve Harms & Brad Wilson, Regional Managers
Olathe-East, Olathe-North, Olathe-Northwest, Olathe-South, Overland Park-Blue Valley North,
Overland Park-Blue Valley Northwest, Overland Park-Blue Valley West, Stilwell-Blue Valley

Shawnee Mission West High School – Harvey Shepard & Jeff Adams, Regional Managers
Lawrence, Lawrence-Free State, Leavenworth, Shawnee Mission-East, Shawnee Mission-North,
Shawnee Mission-Northwest, Shawnee Mission-South, Shawnee Mission-West

Wichita Northwest High School – J. Means, Regional Manager
Dodge City, Garden City, Goddard, Maize, Wichita-Haysville-Campus, Wichita-North, Wichita-Northwest, Wichita-South


CLASS 5A-- Saturday, February 20, 2010
Kansas City-Turner High School – Garold Baker & Peter Sierant, Regional Managers
Kansas City-Harmon, Kansas City-Schlagle, Kansas City-Turner, Kansas City-Washington,
Kansas City-Wyandotte, Lansing, Overland Park-St. Thomas Aquinas, Shawnee Mission-Bishop Miege

Newton High School – Brian Engelken, Regional Manager
Andover, Great Bend, Hays, Hutchinson, McPherson, Newton, Salina-Central, Salina-South

Tecumseh-Shawnee Heights High School – Warren Watson & Rob Dennison, Regional Managers
Bonner Springs, Emporia, Gardner--Gardner-Edgerton, Shawnee-Mill Valley, Tecumseh-Shawnee Heights, Topeka-Highland Park, Topeka-Seaman, Topeka-West

Wichita-Bishop Carroll High School – Slade La Munyon, Regional Manager
Andover-Central, Arkansas City, Liberal, Pittsburg, Wichita-Bishop Carroll, Wichita-Kapaun Mt. Carmel,
Wichita-West, Winfield


CLASS 4A -- Friday and Saturday, February 19-20, 2010
Chanute High School – Eric Methvin, Regional Manager
Altamont-Labette County, Augusta, Chanute, Coffeyville-Field Kindley, Columbus, El Dorado, Fort Scott,
Garnett-Anderson County, Independence, Iola, LaCygne-Prairie View, Mulvane, Parsons, Rose Hill,
Towanda-Circle

De Soto High School – Dave Morford & Steve Deghand, Regional Managers
Baldwin, Basehor-Basehor-Linwood, Carbondale-Santa Fe Trail, De Soto, Eudora, Kansas City-Bishop Ward, Kansas City-Piper, Kansas City-Sumner Academy, Lenexa-Saint James Academy, Louisburg, Osawatomie, Ottawa, Paola, Spring Hill, Tonganoxie

Holton High School – Mitch Beims, Regional Manager
Abilene, Atchison, Chapman, Clay Center-Clay Center Comm., Concordia, Easton-Pleasant Ridge, Hiawatha, Holton, Hoyt-Royal Valley, Lindsborg-Smoky Valley, Meriden-Jefferson West, Perry--Perry-Lecompton,
Silver Lake, Topeka-Hayden, Wamego

Pratt High School – Curtis Nightingale, Regional Manager
Andale, Buhler, Cheney, Clearwater, Colby, Hesston, Hugoton, Maize-South, Nickerson, Pratt, Russell,
Scott City-Scott Community, Ulysses, Valley Center, Wellington


CLASS 3-2-1A -- Friday and Saturday, February 19-20, 2010
Hoisington High School – Lonnie Irvin & Dan Schmidt, Regional Managers
Anthony—Anthony-Harper-Chaparral, Brookville-El-Saline, Cimarron, Elkhart, Ellsworth, Garden Plain,
Gypsum-SE of Saline, Hoisington, Holcomb, Lakin, Larned, Leoti-Wichita County, Lincoln, Little River,
Lyons, Meade, Montezuma-South Gray, Moundridge, Salina-St. Johns Military, Stafford, Sterling, Sublette

Marion High School – Tod Gordon & Chad Adkins, Regional Managers
Burden-Central, Burlington, Caney-Caney Valley, Cherryvale, Cottonwood Falls-Chase County, Douglass, Erie, Eureka, Fredonia, Halstead, Herington, Hillsboro, Howard-West Elk, Leon-Bluestem, Marion, Neodesha, Peabody-Burns, Rosalia-Flint Hills, Sedgwick, St. Paul, Whitewater-Remington, Wichita-The Independent

Norton-Norton Community High School – Jeff Wallingford & Greg Mann, Regional Managers
Atwood-Rawlins County, Belleville-Republic Co., Beloit, Bird City-Cheylin, Ellis, Goodland,
Hays-Thomas More Prep-Marian, Hill City, Hoxie, Mankato-Rock Hills, Norton-Norton Comm., Oakley,
Oberlin-Decatur Comm., Osborne, Phillipsburg, Plainville, Scandia-Pike Valley, Smith Center, St. Francis, Stockton, Wakeeney-Trego Community

Rossville High School – David Wonnell & Curt Brecheisen, Regional Manager
Atchison-Maur Hill Mount, Bennington, Burlingame, Council Grove, Effingham-Atchison County Comm.,
Eskridge-Mission Valley, Highland-Doniphan West, Horton, Leavenworth-Immaculata, Marysville, Minneapolis, Mound City-Jayhawk-Linn, Onaga, Oskaloosa, Richmond-Central Heights, Rossville, Sabetha,
St. George-Rock Creek, St. Marys, Troy, Wabaunsee, Wellsville

E-mail me if you have any questions. Thanks and lets get these tournaments filled!

We're still looking for quite a few Regionals to be filled. As of now, we have four regionals filled. If you would be willing to lead a prayer, let me know please. Here is what we have so far.

CLASS 6A -- Saturday, February 20, 2010
Manhattan High School –
Overland Park-Blue Valley Northwest High School –
Shawnee Mission West High School –
Wichita Northwest High School –

CLASS 5A-- Saturday, February 20, 2010
Kansas City-Turner High School –
Newton High School –
Tecumseh-Shawnee Heights High School – Andrew Laib
Wichita-Bishop Carroll High School –


CLASS 4A -- Friday and Saturday, February 19-20, 2010
Chanute High School – Zac Sparr
De Soto High School –
Holton High School - Brett LaMar
Pratt High School –


CLASS 3-2-1A -- Friday and Saturday, February 19-20, 2010
Hoisington High School -
Marion High School - Michael Vander Linden
Norton-Norton Community High School -
Rossville High School -

Thanks again.

Colton Gentry will do the Rossville Regional!!!!

Ryne Cokeley of St. James will do the Desoto regional!!!!!!!!!

Ben Randolph of Shawnee Mission East will cover the Class 6A Regional at Shawnee Mission West!

Don't mean to be contrary, but hardly think high school wrestling meet is the proper place for an "organized" prayer. Is this Prayer to be in the main arena with all wrestlers, coaches, and fans in attendance--or in a private room with just the wrestlers, coaches, and fans who want to participate. Am some what supprised that KSHSAA has not jumped into this discussion. I know a couple of state associations that have explicitly prohibited prayer like this proposal.

Contrarian towards everything,

Students retain their constitutional rights of free speech and expression, including the right to pray and share personal beliefs, while on their public school campuses. Under the Tinker standard, school officials may restrict protected student speech only if it "materially and substantially interferes with appropriate discipline." School officials may not prevent students from gathering together for prayer and religious discussion on school grounds, provided that students do so in a non-disruptive manner during non-instructional time. Non-instructional time would be immediately before and after school, at lunchtime, or any other "free" time when students are permitted to talk and mingle with peers on campus.

This is exactly what this will be. Sometime during warm-ups, a voluntary prayer will be offered to God.

Is this country great or what?

It is totally voluntary and student led, therefore it is non-exclusionary. The state is not supporting it in any means and therefore no need to police anything.

You did not answer my questions on where and who to!!

Voluntary is not always voluntary!!

You asked one question not two, without a question mark, so that probably threw us. It is irrelevant whether it's on the mat in front of anyone or in a room. I believe the plan is for wrestlers that wish to join in prayer to God, can do so.

First, I want to thank the guys that are volunteering to lead the prayers this weekend. This is just one more step to our dream of what Wrestlers 4 Christ can become.

That being said. Our main goal of this group is not to force individuals to engage in a religious practice they don't want to. Our main intent is to pray over the safety and well being of our sport we all love. What we do is make an announcement over the PA system that we will be having the prayer. We invite anyone that wants to join us. The prayer is said in the middle of a mat; however, it is said without the microphone so that we are making people listen, as some may wish. Our hope is that we do reach out to some non-believers, but it is not our job to force that onto somebody.

Thanks - Michael

We're getting closer and closer. It's awesome what's happening.

CLASS 6A -- Saturday, February 20, 2010
Manhattan High School –
Overland Park-Blue Valley Northwest High School –
Shawnee Mission West High School – Ben Randolph, Shawnee Mission East
Wichita Northwest High School –

CLASS 5A-- Saturday, February 20, 2010
Kansas City-Turner High School –
Newton High School –
Tecumseh-Shawnee Heights High School – Andrew Laib, Emporia
Wichita-Bishop Carroll High School –


CLASS 4A -- Friday and Saturday, February 19-20, 2010
Chanute High School – Zac Sparr, Rose Hill
De Soto High School – Ryne Cokeley, St. James Academy
Holton High School - Brett LaMar, Silver Lake
Pratt High School –


CLASS 3-2-1A -- Friday and Saturday, February 19-20, 2010
Hoisington High School -
Marion High School - Michael Vander Linden, Burlington
Norton-Norton Community High School -
Rossville High School - Colton Gentry, Rossville

> From: William (Bill) Mason [mailto:wmason5@kc.rr.com]
> Sent: Thursday, February 18, 2010 2:17 PM
> To: Brent Unruh
> Subject: Prayer at Wrestling Regionals (to Rick Bowden Wrestling Administrator)
>
> Numerous posts on The KWCA web site (Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association) concerning the organization and presentation of prayer at this weekend's wrestling regionals.
>
> I don't mean to be a stick in the mud, and I am not anti-religion, but I seriously question the permissibility and the correctness of prayer at a sanctioned high school activity. I have read other state association prohibitions against prayer at their activities.
>
> What is the KSHSAA position?

I would think KSHSAA takes the legal position!

Students retain their constitutional rights of free speech and expression, including the right to pray and share personal beliefs, while on their public school campuses. Under the Tinker standard, school officials may restrict protected student speech only if it "materially and substantially interferes with appropriate discipline." School officials may not prevent students from gathering together for prayer and religious discussion on school grounds, provided that students do so in a non-disruptive manner during non-instructional time. Non-instructional time would be immediately before and after school, at lunchtime, or any other "free" time when students are permitted to talk and mingle with peers on campus.

This is exactly what this will be. Sometime during warm-ups, a voluntary prayer will be offered to God.

Is this country great or what?

THANK YOU!!! I'm glad I'm not the only one.

I actually think this thread should be in the "Other" section of this forum. Anyone else??

So, from your response, I gather that email spelling, grammer, and puncutation errors are sins and I should search out a wrestling regional with a planned prayer to save my bound for hell sorry a--.

Mr. Lemar:

First, who is Brent Unruh?

Second, how did my email get to you????????

Hey! You are welcome. Don't be so hard on yourself.

I seldom go to church,But I do not see any thing roung in some one praying for the kids to have a safe day on the mat.

It is funny how my kid AT AGE 8 will get all difrant crap sent home on every race and religion,but never any thing on christ.

This is the position statement of the KSHSAA:

Member schools should not conduct pre-game religious exercises in post season contests. Because of the diversity of people attending KSHSAA post-season event, the KSHSAA member school should observe a moment of silence for personal thoughts and meditation instead of invoking a prayer.



Rick Bowden