I certainly understand the sentiment involved with having the All-Class trip at the same time as our kids series. I do wish they didn't overlap!

The main motivation behind our All-Class teams, is to reward an incredible accomplishment that transcends classes and to showcase the best that Kansas has by matching them up on the national stage in a folkstyle dual event AND a bracketed national tournament in one weekend! When we took 17 state champions to Colorado last year and won the dual event, then put 6 wrestlers in the finals of some tough brackets, I could hardly get the grin off my face.

I have talked with every wrestler on the team and the majority would have not wrestled in the kids series. There are several of our top ranked guys that declined the trip to wrestle in kids or to attend the DI's in St. Louis. I am all on board for those experiences too!

I am just ALL IN for our dual team events. Schoolboy, Middle School, Cadet and Junior duals are in my opinion the best life-changing events for our Kansas kids. These events establish lifetime friendships and state pride. It gives our wrestlers a confidence that they have competed on a national scale. When we waltz in to that kind of environment and excel, our whole team has a true sense that WE ARE KANSAS!