I just want to plant the seed...

Below is a breakdown of participants in the Sub District tournaments for each District.

DISTRICT 1
Pittsburg 578
Holton 513
TOTAL 1091

DISTRICT 2
Anover 513
Wellington 428
TOTAL 941

DISTRICT 3
Junc City 407
Lindsborg 434
TOTAL 841

DISTRICT 4
Garden 454
Wakeeney 405
TOTAL 859

As you can see there is a significant disparity (from 150 to 250 wrestlers) between District 1 and the remaining districts. We need to figure a way to redistrict without growing the geographic area of District 4.

You may also notice a significant disparity is sub districts. Now that we have track wrestling we should have some swing clubs to even these out.

I disagree with having swing clubs. Any club with swingers for moms would have a definite advantage in signingup the new kids to wrestle.............

So Will what is your idea to get this done? Dist 4 is huge size wise and there is a ton of traveling for many of the clubs. IMO that might be the reason behind the smaller number of wrestlers. Would it be better to completly re district all of the clubs? I know for our club a drive to Subs would be 4 hours and Districts would be 4 hours also. And we are in Dist 2 South. I would really like to even all of the numbers out but we need to come up with some ideas soon.

What if we get super nasty and let the cream rise to the top...

Even out the district numbers and do away with subs...
We have seen instances where 2 kids at one sub and 6 in another and only only 6 at districts...
You want full brackets?
You want the best from each district?

Do away with subs!
Now I know that makes for a huge bracket in some cases but they do it for 6 and unders and at national tournaments. It might even have to be a 2 day event.
This gives every district an equal chance to get the best kids to state.
Thats my flash in the pan idea... Im open to others!

Any redistricting plan will have to be sold to the members of D1 first, because they are the ones who have always fought any loss of their clubs or area to neighboring districts.

I agree with BLT on that one with one minor addition.. Why not hold state at the Geographic Center of Kansas; Barton, 15 miles northeast of Great Bend. I know Barton would not be able to hold everyone but Great Bend might be able to hold all of us. Just a thought...

I like the idea of eliminating subs but would there be a problem of finding 4 different venues in the state on district weekend that would be available to house 800-1050 wrestlers plus there parents? Just a thought!

I believe you could find a facility in every district capable of doing so, particularly if you go to a two day district event. You would find the local monies available to help offset the costs of renting an arena if it were a two day event.
In turn, this would free up an additional weekend for clubs to host an invitational prior to qualifiers. That is a prime time for most clubs to find their local gyms available to host their own invitational!

Not in favor of eliminating subs.

While true the outlying "extreme" weight divisions may not have "full brackets" the median weight divisions are generally fully loaded with high calibur wrestlers allowing the cream of the crop to rise and move onto State.

Supportive of re-districting as it has beem +15 years or so since this was last "re-districted"

Having only districts ...the districts would have to be Much more evenly distributed. I, myself have always enjoyed the great competition we have in district 1! KC, Topeka, NEK, & SEK!
We LOVE to wrestle!

Just my .02.

This was a possible solution I threw out last year. I thought about it, and I still think it holds some credibility.

"I am sure that this has been thrown out there before, but one solution might be to scrap all the Sub-Districts, have four true District tournaments, take the best eight from each and wrestle two Sub-States (D1 vs D3, D2 vs D4, or whatever combination), then take the top eight from each Sub-State to wrestle the sixteen man bracket at State."

So, instead of 8 to 4 to 1, you go 4 to 2 to 1. You still get three tournaments out of it for revenue (move Districts and Sub-States around each year).

Dang, I just remembered the argument against this idea. There has to be four District venues that can hold the capacity of this many wrestlers, and it might have to be a two day tournament. After that, it shouldn't be a big issue. The only thing is, there might be revenue that won't go to some of the Sub-District locations because they couldn't hold a District tourney that size. Then you also have only two locations a year that get to have Sub-State instead of four that have Districts. I still think that it is a possible solution, but the loss of revenue for some might be an issue.

I advocate dropping the subs and doing two day districts w/ 16U wrestling on Friday and have said as much in previous posts 6 months ago. The process we use now makes the season that much longer and is a finacial burden on parents who have to drive 3 weeks in a row long distance. True only a few locations in each district would be able to take on this assignment, but in the long run you'd have better brackets and better wrestling.

I am sure Dist 2 would like the opportunity to give this a go and then maybe the other districts might adopt this process as well if it works out. All I am saying is it wouldn't hurt to try and see where it leads.

I guess I don't understand the reasoning behind this debate are we saying that because of head count alone its unfair and for who. To be honest the 250 kid difference between d1 and d2 I'm surprised it was that close but I don't really see the problem. The current head counts seem to follow the geographical trends, across Kansas as we get out west population thins and farm land thickins and D3 and D4 had some quality kids that didn't make it to state theres no shortage of talant. Redistricting won't change anything the tougher kids go thats life.

And just once could we please just hold state in "how about Goodland" you don't get much further from topeka than that that way I don't have to here the belly aching about how it should be closier from somebody. Listen we love wrestling period and if you have state in the parking lot of a gas station at the furthest most point from my house in KC we will be there and so will everyone else.

And please don't shorten the season!!!! Don't even say it!!! Some of us only have work, wrestling and wife. Don't make me have more time to spend with my wife! You've met her gets on my dam nerves.....

Well I have to put my two cents in. Changing districts makes no difference to me. The best wrestlers will get to state, but I am all for shortening the Folkstyle season. Give us more Freestyle and Greco. Finish all the 14 and under Folkstyle before High School State, then let the high school group have their own tourny. Then lets get Freestyle and Greco more popular in Kansas. If you followed Senior Worlds this year heaven know the U.S. needs more good wrestlers taking up the Olyimpic styles at a younger age.

Jon....you are the MAN!!!!

This really doesn't apply to those who are going to be state placers. You are forgetting the grass roots of our sports to give everyone a fair opportunity to qualify and advance. The population line for Kansas is just west of Topeka. Basicall this means that 50% of the Kansas population is in District 1. If we move 250 wrestlers to District 2 and District 3 we will pick them back up in a year or two. Think about how many kids want to qualify for districts but don't in District 1 because of the competition while kids in the other districts qualify without even having to set foot on the mat.

Two things will happen when we level the numbers.

1) There will be overall growth in participation at the sub level.

2) There will be more competitive brackets and a more level playing field across the districts.

Without change there can be no improvement!

LOL. Yeah, who goes to Kid's State for the wrestling anyway, probably the same guys that go to Hooters for the Hot Wings.

The novice tourneys is where it is at buddy..........

Will,If Dist. 1 is so tough, why does Dist. 2 win the medal count at State? I guess it's the price we pay for living in the country?

Wichita is Living in the country???