Oklahoma's series charges $1 per kid, and it is pooled together for the end of year awards. They have 10-15 tourneys on their schedule that take part. Most of the time the best kid in the age and weight doesn't win the end of year award. It is the kid that goes to the most tourneys, there by accumulating the most points. Winning that Oklahoma series points title is nothing to get too excited about. I don't think a Kansas series would be any different.

I was about to puke this weekend when the words "All American" were used about 500 times at Brute. Brute is a fun tourney, cool venue, way too expensive, but most brackets are average AT BEST. There was only one other kid in my son's Brute bracket that could have placed at my son's KS Kids State bracket, so our State tourney was MUCH tougher than his Brute bracket.

I am all for keeping a kid interested by encouraging him when he does well. BUt at the same time, I am TOTALLY against all of the false smoke we blow up kids' rears with the All American talk that they hear at tourneys like Brute that are no tougher (in some brackets) than your local tourneys. And even if it is tougher than your local tourneys, and has some out of state kids, that shouldn't give it the "right" to call itself a tourney that grants AA status.

Giving out these big awards for this series is silly talk as well. What we need to concentrate on is WHO they are wrestling, not WHAT they are winning. I believe you learn more from a loss to a tough kid, than you do beating an average kid. The problem is most parents are not very anxious, or willing, to watch their kid get his butt whippped. A good mix of local tourneys where they can excel, and several tough tourneys like Tulsa to keep 'em humble is what I think is best. I made several of those 0-2 drives to Tulsa early on in my son's "career"!! Then you move up to winning a match or two, then the agony of just missing the podium, to getting on the podium, etc. There is no instant gratification in this sport. It takes time.

The above is my thoughts on making Kansas wrestling better as a whole. Some people choose to not get as "serious" as others. Nothing wrong with that. I just haven't ever learned how to show a kid how to have a good time when he is getting whipped every match. You can only talk up the "small wins within a loss" so much.