After reading the posts made on this subject, there is alot of feeling put into this subject. Also many good ideas, but I think people are looking to blame and not to fix. Title IX is not the culprit for colleges cutting programs, or for high schools cutting programs. Many young women would not have had the opprotunities that they have without it. Also living in Western Kansas many of these smaller community kids could not or would not experience athletics w/o middle school/junior high sports. My nephew is a great example of this, he didn't wrestle until 7th grade. Today, as a senior, he is in the 4A regional finals in Ulysses. Without MS/JH athletics this would not be the case.

We, as not only a wrestling community, but as a whole community need to encourage our school administrators and govt. officials to properly investigate all of the possibilities before just cutting an athletic or cultural arts programs. Things like combining programs with other schools in the area, finding alternative sources of income for those programs, "trimming the administrative fat" so to speak, meaning finding more efficient ways to run the school, etc. These type of ideas can save both the programs on the chopping block, and quite possibility the entire school. There are several good ideas on this post, however we are not the people that need to here this. We need to let our community leader, school administrators, and the general public know what is going on and how to fix the problems. Remember in many towns the school is the heart, w/o it those towns may not survive!!!

Also, we need to encourage well rounded youth, achedemically, athleticly, and also artistically. We need to encourage our youth to be positive roll models, to be responsible young adults, and to know right from wrong. Without extra-curricular activities, all of them, this cannot and will not happen

Thanks for reading, Jared

bump

Good comments on a tough subject.

Still think sports programs prior to 9th grade are a community responsibility and not the school district. In my mind, if our schools are in bad shape, it is due largely to the last 60 years of non-education responsibilities we have put on the schools. I am a democrat and thus a liberal, but so many social programs are school based simply because there is supposedly no other community organization to manage them. This is particularily so in the bigger inner city areas and schools. But, I bet most of the small towns in Western Kansas have parks--at least ball fields (useable for kiddy football, kiddy soccer,etc), gyms that are not used after HS practices, and if I believe everything I read on this page, a kids wrestling club around every corner. Side comment, my son played T-ball, coach pitch, rec soccer and then several years of traveling club soccer in spring and fall(went on to play some CC soccer). All community or club based. Did start wrestling in HS as a 9th grader. The traveling club soccer did require some money and lots of time--games were all played 40 or more miles away. That was covered by Mom and I, not the school or taxpayer. Know lots of kids who played Legion Ball, Ban Johnson BB, Little League BB, Park and rec or local club BB, FB, G & B soccer, SB, LaCrosse, and others. Lots of kids, Bs & Gs did lots of traveling for soccer, BB, VB, SB, etc--all at mom and dads expense. People and communities have to make some choices: education-complete list of HS sports-middle school sports. I vote for 1 and 2 in all econ cases--good or bad.

Hopefully we can come to a good solution for everyone--doubtful-but still hopeful

This is a topic that is extremely tough for me. I know schools are in a tough situation and the fact that it has gotten to this is a shame. I do believe the state holds the school to too many things they have to accomplish without the proper funding and they think it is alright to do so. If they feel the schools can do it and need to do then they need to come in and show the schools how they want it done- they are funding a majority or the money to the schools from what I understand.

I hate to see sports cut but it might be time to cut all the fat from top to bottom and get things back under controla nd then once again move forward. Wrestling is a great sport and for those that are lucky enough to keep it I think they should work hard to keep it going in apositive matter. For thos that are not able to keep- it might be time for the community to rally behind the kids federation program and work hard to get it where it needs to be. The expense of the Kids fed is a main concern for me and getting kids to particapate but if you can cut that but getting money from the community it might be a very good thing for the youth in your area.

I truly believe that community based sport programs are best for our youths and for our communities. When I first stared playing organized sports about age 11 or 12--5th grade (BB 55 years ago). Teams were all kids organized and managed. Teams were limited to player from their school and their grade level. Every school had at least one team per grade level if not 2. lots of participants-lots of fun. Played in T shirts and hats provided by the Kiwanis Club--Kiwanis also provided a duffel bag of catcher's gear, balls and bats. Park board paid a college student to ump the games and then prepare the field for the night's fast pitch adult softball games (men's SB really big back then). All one car families--dad took the car to work. Moms stayed at home taking care of Jr, house work etc. Us kids, no car pools to the games--walk to the park, ride your bicycle, ride the city bus. Kids looked in the Sunday to read the game schedules. Today, in all kiddy sports, it is all about fancy uniforms, parent or paid team managers and coaches, and don't expect kids to walk---that will make them sweat. Today, if we let our 12 year old out of the yard we atre in danger of being accuused of child endangerment. Adults and overly organized teams have taken the fun, and kids responsibility, out of sports. I can not remember the last time I saw 2 or 3 kids in a yard playing catch. To me MS sports only perpetuate this parental/big organization sports structure.

Start a USA kids/hs program. If your High School is threatening to cut programs. I think the start up cost to form a kids/hs club are $50 to $100 and fill out some paper work. There may be more volunteer hours and but if it is for the kids & love of the sport and what values it teaches then that is what may need to be done. At least the kids would have a supervised outlet a few nights of the week. If it seems simple - it is. Some parents outside of school faculty will have to devote some nights, weekends, and energy. Start with the parents of kids currently on the HS team and work backwords with those kids and their younger siblings - there is the start of your club. They do not have to go to every tournament - find the ones that are close to your town and car pool. Maybe 3 to 5 tournaments per year. This maybe something USA Wrestling Kansas needs to explore and offer a high school only division - Not 16 & under. Grades 9-12 or 10-12. Some 9th graders may qualify for the 14 & under division if they meet the age requirements. I am just trying to think a little a head of the problem. Which maybe coming sooner rather than later - with budget cuts the school districts are proposing.

Good post.

I coached park and rec soccer for years. As my son got older I formed, manged, financed and coached a competitive club soccer team. After 12 years away from coaching I now coach a U10 coed Park and rec team. Get off the couch, take some responsibility, do something.

If some of the states highest paid public officials, Ad's, coaches, presidents, superintendants, etc., - followed the lead of Roger Goodell. How much money could be trimmed/saved from various forms of governemnt entities - could services and programs for some of the kids be saved?


NFL commissioner takes 20 percent pay cut
5 hours ago

NEW YORK (AP) — NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has taken a 20 percent pay cut and the league staff has been trimmed by 15 percent because of a reeling economy.

The league said Wednesday it has dropped 169 jobs as a result of buyouts, layoffs and other staff reductions. Goodell voluntarily took a cut from the $11 million salary and bonuses he was to receive this past year. He and other league executives are freezing their salaries for 2009.

The NFL announced Dec. 9 it would reduce its staff of 1,100 by 10 to 15 percent. Seventy-six people took buyouts while 45 jobs were eliminated and 48 openings went unfilled.

The move affects NFL headquarters in New York, NFL Films in Mount Laurel, N.J., and the NFL Network in Los Angeles.

Give me a $11 million salary I would volunteer for a 20% pay cut as well. What's that take him to a measley....$8.8 mil. I could scrape by on that.

If all the public jobs over $100,000 - $150,000 annually salary
in Kansas took a pay 15 to 20% pay cut how much money would that save.

Below is just an example of some high profile public jobs. The data is a few years old - but I think you get the picture.

KTN Taxpayer Quiz
TAKE THE TAXPAYER QUIZ ON SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR'S SALARIES
This quiz is needed as the government school establishment wants to highlight the new Kansas Education Commissioner, Bob Corkins, $140,000 a year salary. All of the data from this quiz came from the Kansas Department of Education.
1) Who gets paid least?
A) Bob Corkins, Kansas Commissioner of Education
B) Trigg Thomas, Blue Valley School District Superintendent
C) Winston Brooks, Wichita Public School District Superintendent
D) Welton Sawyer, Topeka Public School District Superintendent

2) Who got paid more?
A) Marjorie Kaplan, Shawnee Mission School District Superintendent in 2005
B) Bill Clinton, President of the United States (last year in office in 2000)
C) Winston Brooks, Wichita School District Superintendent in 2005

3) Which government official gets paid more in 2005 than Commissioner of Education Bob Corkins?
A) Speaker of the Kansas House of Representatives, Doug Mays
B) Governor of Kansas, Kathleen Sebelius
C) Kansas Attorney General, Phill Kline
D) Shawnee Mission Assistant Superintendent, Eugene Johnson

4) Which school superintendent received a 43 percent pay hike in 2005?
A) Shawnee Mission Public School Superintendent, Marjorie Kaplan
B) Wichita Public School Superintendent, Winston Brooks
C) Topeka Public School Superintendent, Welton Sawyer

5) Which of these school superintendent's pay exceeds $140,000 a year in 2005?
A) Shawnee Mission Public School Superintendent, Marjorie Kaplan
B) Wichita Public School Superintendent, Winston Brooks
C) Olathe Public School Superintendent, Ronnie Wimmer
D) Blue Valley Public School Superintendent, Thomas Trigg
E) Derby Public School Superintendent, Michael Pomarico
F) Kansas City Public School Superintendent, Raymon Daniel
G) All of the above
H) None of the above

KANSAS TAXPAYERS NETWORK

KTN Taxpayer Quiz
TAKE THE TAXPAYER QUIZ ON SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR'S SALARIES
This quiz is needed as the government school establishment wants to highlight the new Kansas Education Commissioner, Bob Corkins, $140,000 a year salary. All of the data from this quiz came from the Kansas Department of Education.
1) Who Gets Paid Least?
A) Bob Corkins, Kansas Commissioner of Education
B) Trigg Thomas, Blue Valley School District Superintendent
C) Winston Brooks, Wichita Public School District Superintendent
D) Welton Sawyer, Topeka Public School District Superintendent

2) Who got paid more?
A) Marjorie Kaplan, Shawnee Mission School District Superintendent in 2005
Kaplan is paid over $22,000 more in 2005 than President Clinton made in salary during his last year as president.
B) Bill Clinton, President of the United States (last year in office in 2000)
C) Winston Brooks, Wichita School District Superintendent in 2005

3) Which government official gets paid more in 2005 than Commissioner of Education Bob Corkins?
A) Speaker of the Kansas House of Representatives, Doug Mays
B) Governor of Kansas, Kathleen Sebelius
C) Kansas Attorney General, Phill Kline
D) Shawnee Mission Assistant Superintendent, Eugene Johnson
Johnson's pay is $141,572 in 2005 and exceeds all of the statewide officials listed above.

4) Which school superintendent received a 43 percent pay hike in 2005?
A) Shawnee Mission Public School Superintendent, Marjorie Kaplan
B) Wichita Public School Superintendent, Winston Brooks
Winston Brooks 2005 salary was raised to $210,466, a 43% hike over the $147,234 he received in 2004.
C) Topeka Public School Superintendent, Welton Sawyer

5) Which of these school superintendent's pay exceeds $140,000 a year in 2005?
A) Shawnee Mission Public School Superintendent, Marjorie Kaplan
B) Wichita Public School Superintendent, Winston Brooks
C) Olathe Public School Superintendent, Ronnie Wimmer
D) Blue Valley Public School Superintendent, Thomas Trigg
E) Derby Public School Superintendent, Michael Pomarico
F) Kansas City Public School Superintendent, Raymon Daniel
G) All of the above
All of the superintendents for individual school districts have salaries that
easily exceed the amounts paid the top elected officials in Kansas.
These salaries are not the highest in the state. The six heads of the Regents
institutions have even higher salaries headed by K.U. Chancellor Bob Hemenway.
H) None of the above

A 1% salary cut from ALL state workers would generate $22.8 million.

New mats, singlets and team buses for everybody!

Chief what do you have on local governments, city, county, schools K-12, community colleges, and universities, parks & rec.
Your number are a good start. My point is - if upper management/officials are willing to make changes affecting thousands of others they need to make a sacrafice themselves or be removed by school boards, board of regents, and other oversite committees.

Some School Districts in South Dakota have gone to a 4 day school week - to save money.

Other government saving ideas.

SALT LAKE CITY - Six months after Utah became the first state government in the nation to adopt a four-day workweek, the money-saving experiment is attracting interest from other states trying to ease their financial problems.
"Why? Three words: Massive. Budget. Deficit," said New York state Rep. Michael Gianaris, a Democrat who estimates his state would save $30 million by switching to a four-day week.
Because of New York's $15 billion budget shortfall, "there are a lot of painful decisions that have been put before us," Gianaris said.
Story continues below ↓
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Utah switched to a four-day week last year primarily to save money on electricity, gasoline and other energy expenses. The change affected 17,000 state employees, who now work 10 hours a day, four days a week.
These days, employees have embraced the long weekends, and the public has grown accustomed to state agencies being closed on Fridays.
An interim report released earlier this month by Gov. Jon Huntsman shows that the initiative will cut greenhouse gas emissions by more than 12,000 metric tons, reduce gasoline consumption among commuting employees by 744,000 gallons annually and pump as much as $3 million into the economy from workers who have to spend less money on gas.
The state is also saving more than $200,000 on janitorial contracts.
Others taking note
Hawaii tried a limited four-day week this fall, and a similar program is under way in Washington state. Lawmakers in West Virginia and Virginia are studying whether a four-day workweek would make sense for them.
"Most states had an alternative work schedule for their employees, but I think Utah's effort really caused them to pull those policies out, dust them off and encourage managers and supervisors to allow their employees to do it," said Leslie Scott, director of the National Association of State Personnel Executives based in Lexington, Ky.
A hiring freeze and budget cuts have made it difficult to tell if Utah's shorter workweek will attract new job applicants. But many existing employees have found the schedule offers more flexibility.
"I don't have kids, so it doesn't complicate my personal life. It actually frees up my weekend, and I like that more," said Danielle Downey, a compliance specialist for the state's insect programs. "This way I've got that extra day to do things at home and then I have two recreation days."
At the same time, complaints about closed offices have dropped, and wait times at the Division of Motor Vehicles are actually decreasing because the agency now has extended hours Monday through Thursday.
But state officials expect to fall short of their goal of saving $3 million on energy because of unpredictable prices, an overestimation of how many buildings they could close and because some employees fail to shut off computers or copy machines.
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Read more news from the U.S.
Newsweek: Why the stimulus won't help state budgets

Initially, Huntsman's staff set a target of closing 1,000 of the state's 6,000 buildings on Fridays. College campuses, courthouses, liquor stores, veterans hospitals and emergency services remain open on Fridays.
However, the state has only been able to close 900 buildings. Of those, about 500 are being leased, which reduces the energy savings.
Interest grows, skepticism continues
The governor's office says its phones are ringing off the hook with states such as New Mexico asking questions about the four-day workweek, but many lawmakers here are still skeptical.
"I always had reservations and we've not been shown yet data that would show the benefits of it," said Republican state Sen. Greg Bell.
Huntsman, who introduced the initiative with little-to-no input from state workers, residents or lawmakers, is urging patience.
The governor plans to evaluate the program's effectiveness in June or July and decide then whether to continue with the four-day schedules.
"We'll kind of do an evaluation of the underlying metrics to see what it has meant to the state in terms of energy savings, which will be different now because energy costs have gone down, but they're certain to go up again," he said.
In Washington state, about 700 employees are working a four-day workweek as part of a six-month pilot program.
"There does seem to be a pretty good satisfaction rate among employees and customers," said Glenn Kuper, spokesman for Washington's Office of Financial Management. He cited energy savings in at least one agency and evidence that employees are using less sick leave because they have an extra day off.
Kuper's observations mirror those of officials in Utah, where overtime and absenteeism have been cut by about 9 percent since the four-day workweek was adopted.

The ideas about cutting expenses are good. We do need to look into all possible ways of reducing costs first. I know from experience within the Catholic school system that closing of schools that have lost enrollment and consolidating several schools into one is not a very popular move with the parish of the school that is closed. Unfortunately though it is at some point a needed step. I am sure that the consolidation of schools and counties will be a possible solution that the state of Kansas will consider to reduce costs. Personally I am not in favor of teacher salary reductions. Smokey's suggested change to a four day work week is an idea worth considering too. Possibly the state workers need to go to a 9 hour 4 day week at 90% of pay.

Eric, on your statement about the new mats, singlets, and buses for everyone, I think we have to be realistic and realize that high school wrestling is not going to be the first beneficiary of any savings generated. At this point the best hope would appear to be that wrestling does not become part of the cost reduction plan (following the example of colleges in recent decades).

What is the pro athtletes avg per year earning across all sports- could they take a 15 percent cut and give it to the schools- that would make sense to me- or maybe the unemployeed- or maybe senior citizens to give them a health pain free life

And not just athletes, but all entertainers. There should be an entertainers tax.
Then there should be some kind of incentive for people to pursue careers in the public sector like a tax credit.

By the way, this just in on ESPN. Manny Ramirez turned down a two year, $45 million dollar contract offer from the Dodgers. No wonder our world is so screwed up. I agree, tax from the rich and give to the poor.

Oh my!!! I must have been spending too much time in the barn! I just found out that BOWLING is a KSHSAA Sanctioned SPORT. Folks, BOWLING is a game, not a sport. When they start cutting I hope that BOWLING is at the top of the list! Are we preparing our youths for a life of smoking cigars and drinking beer! I asked Rick Bowden if he goes to the BOWLING regionals too inspect the wax on the lanes to make sure it is FAIR and he said no but he escaped before I had a chance to find out if he checks everyone's balls...

will, you know the way to success is to "start 'em early".what's the harm in smoking cigars and drinking beer? let them start at an early age so they can be really good at it and have all sorts of success. OR would they start TOO early, then get pushed really hard, and BURN OUT. MAYBE this is an elaborate scheme, lined with reverse psychology, so kids will stay away from beer and cigars. either way, i am sure glad i hurry home from work everyday, and go to wrestling practice.