Just a thought to maybe put on the agenda for the USAW Kansas Corporate Board, not sure how to do it. I know a few states who do kids wrestling main goal is to have the top 16 kids at state regardless of district. The best 16 kids at each weight and age deserve to be at the state tourney. How a couple I know of achieve this is by having no sub-districts, each district will have their district tournament on different weekends. For example this year lets say District 4 had their tourney, on February 28th, District 3 on March 7th, District 2 on March 14th and District 1 on March 21st. Every district tourney is open to anyone in the state. The top 4 at each will qualify for state, but once you have qualified you can not compete at another district tourney. You could try to qualify at all 4 district tournaments if you want as long as you have not already been top 4 in another district tournament. To me this would solve several issues and be better for the state as a whole.




1. We will get as close as possible to get the top 16 kids in the state into brackets at the state tourney and there will be less byes at the state tourney.




2. It really will not matter how districts are aligned. We can go back to the old way and there should be no complaints.




3. It will bring more revenue into every districts, district tournament.




4. Any family wishing to go to NCAA's will be able to make that choice and still try to qualify for state on a different weekend.




5. No complaining that your weight and age at your district is tougher than others and that you would of qualified in another district. Travel and prove it!!



Thoughts????

The open qualifier concept is something that a couple of us have been discussing. It should be discussed and developed in greater detail before it is brought before the board...but I think it merits full consideration.

I like it

Only flaw I could think of is the last scheduled district tournament would be at a disadvantage for its wrestlers because I'm sure it would be the largest with all the non placers from the others showing up. To offset that maybe something along the lines of giving the seeding advantage to the wrestlers of the district for each tournament. Obviously they would have the opportunity to travel to the others but for whatever reason may not be able to. I'm still a fan of it either way.

I think having a subs is good every kid gets a chance it's u gotta win to stay in having to travel to diff. Districts to prove ur self dumb.but I see where your coming from

Sounds like another for District 1 to stick to everyone else in the state!!! To heck with what everyone else in this state thinks lets do exactly what district 1 wants. Here is an idea! Lets not let District 1 direct what everyone else in the state wants. This system was designed to give equal chances to everyone. If we want to eliminate opens then lets eliminate some weight classes. But hey District 1 think they are kings.

I'm not in District 1 but I think this idea at least deserves to be looked into. Question about your comment that the current system being designed to be fair to everyone. What does where you live have anything to do with being fair about establishing a State Championship that represents the best athletes at that given weight and age?

I understand why people may think this would work, but look at wrestling all over the state, and nation. Highschool has regionals and potential state placers get left out of state every year, look at the NCAA'S, potential national qualifiers get left out every year, etc, etc etc.... So I am not sure why we want to change the way wrestling is. If you don't want to get left out of your district be in the top 4. It may not seem fair, but honestly life is not fair.

First concern I have: What do the 4 wrestlers who qualify in the first week do for the next month? Sit and wait for the next 3 weeks?

I have other concerns but lets see what the answer for this one is first.

Bad idea it would get very expensive for the poor families driving all over the state tying to get kids qualified. The numbers in each district are going to be much closer this year which makes it as fair as possible. Agree with Geyer life is not fair.

Just leave things the way they are. Who cares about the NCAA's. If you want to go do that. Go do it. I bet 95% of wrestling families in Kansas won't even attend them.

Mark Baldwin

I figure we will be ok out in D4. We can always hold our districts in Goodland and everyone will freak out at the thought of driving 6 hours or more to wrestle and won't come. So as always we will send D4's top 4 kids.

I think that it is a bad idea. I would also hate to have my kids qualify in the 1st district tourny then have to sit and wait for 4 weeks for state.Not only that but by the time you get to the 4th qualifier the completion will be getting watered down anyways so what is the point. It's kinda like district 2 cutting out subs to help the families save money but now they are having a district 2 championship tournament instead. So why not just have the sub district tournament.

The plan for those other 3 weeks would be to still go to local open tournaments to keep your self sharp. The local opens need to still be there in these weeks for those who want to compete and have already qualified as well as those who are not going to travel and qualify and those who may not be ready to try and qualify at all. I thought of this idea after talking to several friends whose kids compete in other states, they think it works well and really like it. I am not in District 1 so that had nothing to do with the idea.

You do not have to go to every district to try and qualify, that is the point. You can go to 1 or you can go to 4 that is up to the parents and coaches. So it will only get expensive if you choose for it too.

The other 3 districts should still have local opens on those weekends so you should be able to stay sharp and keep competing. Watered down? Wouldn't happen, you would have kids who didn't want to travel the 1st 3 weeks and at minimum the 4 kids who are good enough to be in the top 16 at state, I don't call that watered down. That is just my opinion.

NCAA's have wild cards for those that deserve to be there and get left out. That way they get the best in the tourney. Just an FYI.

Jeremy,
#1 I am not from district 1 so I do not see the relevance of your post to my idea. If you do not like it that is fine but trust me there is 0 agenda here. I just thought it was worth discussing and a great idea to get the best 16 kids in the state in their age and weight at the state tournament. One of the reasons I came up with this is because I am tired of all the District bickering like what your post is. This would put everyone on the same playing field and be a state thing not a district thing. The rules and the opportunities will be the same for everyone every where so there should be no more bickering between districts.

I understand what you are saying John but here is one major problem i see. Numbers have been trending down sharply over the last couple of years for wrestling in kansas. What is the one main reason for this? Cost!!! I here it way too often. Now by opening the districts ups to any and everyone wouldn't the cost go up? Would this not drive people away? Something to consider. yes i am sure i will hear the argument that true wrestlers would go anywhere no matter the cost. Well, from sitting back and listening to parents, cost is the main thing pushing them out of this sport.

The thing is they do not have to go to any other districts to try and qualify. They could just stay in their same district and try like they do now. Thus not costing anything extra, but it gives everyone the choice to go wherever they want. I don't believe cost is the biggest issue driving people away, but that is my opinion. I run a club and anyone that has money issues, the club makes sure they can compete no matter where they choose to go. If a kid wants to compete we make it happen no matter what.