It looks from the tenative schedules that SchoolBoy duals are June 11-15 next year and Southern Plains is 12-14. That means that any kid that shows the commitment to compete in SB duals cannot go to southern plains or then FS/GR nationals. We need to lobby to somebody at USA wrestling to get anyone wrestling at SB duals to be qualified for USA Nationals. That still means that Southern plains would suffer. I am not sure if it's an option to move one or the other, but this is a problem.

24/7

i agree mike this is a big problem.. puts the kids in tuff situation.. looks like usa wrestling could allow kids that compete in school boy duals to be automatically qualified for nationals.. hopefully something can be done to rectify this problem
john mason

The schedule is definitely an issue at the Summit meeting in Colorado Springs.

Both the Southern Plains, Schoolboy Duals, and the Olympic Trials being on the same weekend as well as the Kid Folkstyle Nationals being on the same weekend as the Kansas and Missouri State Championships.

I believe there will be some changes in the calendar. Also perhaps, I see a bit more consideration that the States, Regions, and National offices have for each other.

Is this summit being held just to pacify the Texans?


This would be funny if it wasn't so sad. Who is making these type of decisions out in Colorado?


We need to start demanding more consideration be given to this state in particular based on our years of loyalty, participation and quality of wrestling. Whoever represents us at this summit better make them understand they better quit worrying about Texas and worry about Kansas instead.

The Summit is an annual event. It is held to discuss concerns of wrestling. If I can assure you, Texas has been very quiet thus far.

I'm not sure how we can make USA Wrestling understand but they are fully aware of our concerns.

The National office is being pulled in many different directions and I have not heard anyone speak that there is preferential treatment toward any one state. There are concerns from several different boards and the State chairs have definitely been heard.

USAW has announced that they fully support the folkstyle element. While they are the National Governing Body for Freestyle and Greco, they vow to show a concerted effort toward the majority of their membership ... which is Folkstyle kids!!

In the next couple of weeks USAW will be presenting programs that should show their level of respect.

I will share some figures with you. In 2007 (ytd) there are 135,598 athletes that compete in USA Wrestling. Kansas has 8100 of those or 6%. Amongst coaches, the Nation has 20,830 of which Kansas has roughly 8% or 1,718.

Kansas ranks #4 in the number of wrestlers (trailing CA, IL, IN). Kansas ranks #4 in their number of coaches (trailing CA, IL, MO). We rank 3rd in the number of clubs and 3rd in the number of sanctioned tournaments (trailing CA and IL).

Clearly Kansas is one of the forces in USA Wrestling. When the state of Kansas speaks, the Nation listens. The state of Kansas is fortunate to have Mike Juby and Chuck Elvin speaking for us!

Oh, this is getting even better. Please keep us updated on the progress. I was aready pissed that SB duals and Southern Plains were on the same weekend. Now I learn that Folkstyle state and Folkstyle nationals are on the same weekend? That is completely idiotic. Is USA wrestling forgetting who started USA nationals? The biggest two tournaments of the year for my son are USA Nationals and SB duals. And they are both jacked up from a scheduling prospective. I know some don't hold the passion for SB duals that I do, but state and folkstyle nationals on the same weekend should get everyone fired up.

I know our representatives from KS are doing all they can. Thanks Mike, Chuck and Randy. I sincerely hope they can get something changed. This current scheduling is a joke!

Mike Pursel

I posted the following in the "Breaking News" section of this site, but thought it would be appropriate to also copy it here:

Thanks Mike!!! Keep up the good fight!!!

Mike Pursel

It's 11 pm and I just got home, back from the Summit. I stayed until the bitter end and didn't leave Springs till about 1:15 pm.

As Mr. Juby has reported, it seems likely, that some of the scheduling woes are on the way to repair.

A little more about working the calendar in the Olympic years! USA Wrestling is mandated to hold 4 Olympic Team Qualifiers. Traditionally, they have piggy-backed with some of the Regional events. (I sure wish SP could hold a Senior Division) USAW staff has shared and I can see ... that it is difficult to hold those on subsequent weekends!

The staff of USAW this morning was of a cooperative spirit! I really hope that Folkstyle Nationals can work out this problem with UNI.

I guess I'm unclear as to why the Olympic trials should have any effect on scheduling of kids tournaments? Why could you not have both on the same weekend in different locations?

When the trials and the trials qualifiers are scheduled, they try to avoid having events in the same region so that kids, coaches and fans can attend them. Also, there are not an unlimited number of officials willing to travel to these regional/national events (and many of them want to attend the trials and the qualifiers as fans of the sport), so any conflicts in a particular area of the country increase the problem of having sufficient quality officials available.

This even affects the folkstyle events as they push some of the Junior regional events earlier on the schedule in order to avoid these and other conflicts.

One of the concerns I've always had is that, while we are great about developing participants, we are terrible about creating fans!

I realize that this is somewhat the nature of our sport but how many of our kids (or for that matter, my fellow coaches) can name even one, member of the World Team!! This is partially due to lack of media coverage but also due to the fact everyone competes on the same day and few ever go to an event to watch!!

A couple of times during the season I schedule an event to watch instead of practice! That might mean a fairly late evening; driving 75 - 100 miles to watch a JuCo dual on a Thursday night but I feel attending an event can be a learning opportunity.

It might be news to a few of you but there is a wrestling world outside the events our kids participate in!! On a limited basis, we need to support these events. Even on the local level, we get clubs squabbling over dates for tournaments. Within Kansas, on any given Saturday, clubs have 2 or 3 tournaments to chose from ... maybe 6 or 7.

In my opinion, when we only think about those things that directly concern us, we are being short-sighted and selfish. I might understand, if some of our efforts were being spent on another sport. We need to support wrestling!

I am like most of you. We are "homers" by nature. I would never root for another wrestler to beat my kid. I support (or did when he was still competing) my wrestler. When my kids wasn't competing, I rooted for my club, my district, and then my State!

But the World goes beyond our State. If a wrestler from my region is competing against someone from any other region; I am a "homer" I root for "my" wrestler.

I almost always root for the AFC in the Super Bowl and the team representing the Midwest in the Little League World Series! Occasionally, I might find an individual I feel I have a special relationship with ... I root for him!

Really ... it is all about pride to me! That pride extends to "my wrestler." That pride extends to "our club wrestlers" competing in the Hooterville Open. That pride extends to "our State wrestlers" that compete in Fargo. That pride extends to "our U.S. wrestlers" that compete in the Olympics.

I am a fan ... I am not afraid to support "my" wrestlers!

Randy you’re getting all philosophical again… stay off the corn silk bubby!