This will be the first season since 1987 that I have not been actively involved with folkstyle wrestling. I guess it's a pretty good little run and one that will start again next season. I've remained a fan and am once again looking to get back into the flow of things next year after the recharging of my batteries.

I have kept involved in wrestling on this board and have kept up with all that has happened - the good, the bad, and the ugly. We always reflect on the season and how it went and things that we can change to make ourselves better. We accentuate the positive and work to change the negative.

Probably the best thing that has happened to me is the year off. It hurt a little, but thankfully my wife said, "you're coaching next year. For the sake of our marriage, please go back to wrestling." Of course it was in jest, but she knows that I'm missing it.

Taking the year off, I've learned some valuable lessons that I'll be able to take with me down the road.

1. You're referred to as coach no matter what. My first name is non-existent. It's either coach or Gibby. It makes you feel good.

2. The pains of Saturday's loss disappear on Monday. At the state tourney most went home disappointed because they didn't get a plaque. On Monday it's back to being a kid and tetherball on the playground is of top importance. Our kids for the most part don't dwell on losses for too long or let it affect them. I think it affects the parents the most as they stand around the water cooler/coffee pot at work during break - recapping how their kid was "screwed out of a takedown." Thank heavens our kids don't get as frustrated as we do.

3. Some of the best friendships are made on Saturday. That's not just speaking about kids, but adults as well. I really look forward to Saturdays because I can catch up with friends from across the state and how their life's journey is fairing.

I saw all of this and so much more at the tourney this year.

1. I saw a friend champion a cause that was critical to the stability of a family. I'm sure someone else would have done the same, but what Mr. Furches did for Tyler and his family this season was spectacular.

2. I saw high school wrestlers devote themselves to the cause with the Tag Team tournament. If these young men are as broke as I was in high school, then they probably can't rub two nickles together. What they did have to give was their time and their support. As I said before, you want a role model for your kid - there they were.

3. As I suspected, there was going to be a ton of people that were genuinely interested in the Tag Team concept. I was front and center on the mat and watched the event with delight. What was more remarkable was the fact that after the match, I stood up and looked at all the kids on the mat, crowding to be up close. That was cool.

So as we end another kid's season, I ask you - what did you walk away with? Some will walk away from the season - mad because their child got "screwed by the ref," "hair pulled," "bitten," or stuck with a "crappy coach." Their child didn't attain his rightful place on the podium because of someone else's error.

As for me, I walked away with a lot more than animosity and bitterness from the weekend. I walked away knowing there are a lot of caring people out there. We are surrounded by people that take time out of their lives to make someone else's better. Life will sometimes throw you lemons, we're pretty fortunate to know that there people out there in the wrestling community that will help us make lemonade.

Congratulations Kansas on a truly remarkable season and good luck next year.

I'm sure that your message will hit home for many-wrestlers, friends, parents, siblings, coaches, etc. It could not have been said any better.

I have wish and wish that i could go back and practice and try harder in this season, i am only a freshman in high school and i had a 0-17 season on varisty, it hurts bad that you know that you could go back and change what and how things happened.

For me tonight is bittersweet knowing this was our last Kids State Tournament as our son is too old to participate any longer. It was also bittersweet knowing we still have him around, knowing there is another very deserving family who has lost their son.

I look back and we had an awesome weekend. We had some missed calls and even some lucky breaks. Our team took more qualifiers than ever (15)and placed 11, with 6 being in the finals. This was big for us. My son Jarrett had to wrestle Jessie Strawn [again ], and this was his last time at Kids but we had a great match and even though he is second, again. He is still a great wrestler and a great kid, and will be a great coach next year for the little guys. My other son Jordan, placed for the first time ever. More than all that we had a wonderful time seeing everyone and watching all the great matches and even got to share some love with all the wrestling family during "Tyler's Time". I also want to thank Mike Furches from Derby and Cindy Page from our club for all their efforts. They were outstanding. Cindy has so many t-shirts from clubs, the Tyler quilt just keeps growing...just like our wrestling family. Hope everyone made it home safely with or without a plaque. I hope you are all champions at heart.

Ms. Jenni
NW Jr Grizzlies

Ms Jenni also walked away with a bag of sand. Congratulations

Ms. Jenni do you know how many titles jessie strawn has?

As for Jarrett~Keep it up and give back to kids what you have got from it. The little kids always like it when the older kids come in and help them out.

I believe that Jesse Strawn now has 8 kids state titles and 10 state places total.

Mr. Elliott--I promise never to underestimate J. Ringold again. I think he will make a name for himself on his own.

Thank you Coach Gibby, What you've said pays more respect to everyone involved than we could have wished for, I know I am not one of the original founders and going out on a limb here, We all say thank you for the support and respect.

Alex Ryan

I looked back and see that I, as well as my son, grew.

I am confident that Garret now truly understands the mindset of self-respect and good sportsmanship. Yep, he's still learning. But now he has a great foundation to build on.

Wrestling became an environment where he (as a young man) could exercise and practice at "what he should do". Though he wasn't always successful, it is now obvious that "what he should do" has become the goal. He took ownership of his behavior and work ethic this year and managed it very well.

He's learned to accept the coaches, competitors, and fans for what they are...just one part of the sport...these things will never be under his control...but some things like his behavior should always be under his control.

Moreover, while playing coach/dad, I probably learned more from my son Garret than he learnd from me. More than anything, he's given me inspiration, when I needed it the most. And this year is it. We've quietly had a very tough year in our family, and it's likely to continue for several more months.

I watched him do the toughest of things, like: accept dad's dissappointment, take criticism, apologize for his poor behavior, congratulate the victor, graciously accept the loss, face his shortfalls and commit to improvement, chase excellence, and on and on.

I am so proud of him, and even more so, I'm grateful TO him. Thank you Garret!!

As i look back on this season, my son was a high school freshman this year, i see high and low emotional moments mostly for myself as a evolving parent of a high school wrestler.

my son set his goals as getting on varsity, having a .500 season and a chance to control his own destiny in qualifying for state. He easily met those. He could have wrestled JV, had a outstanding record and taken the year to get acclimated. I truly admire his risking success.

For the first time in my son's wrestling career, i had to be the parent not the coach/parent. it was tough, very tough. As a former high school coach, i remember clearly how tough it was dealing with involved parents at times, and i always vowed that with my son i would be the perfect, supportive cheering parent. I don't know if i can say i met my goals.

Perhaps i should model after my son, do my best, take my lumps, adjust, learn and go on better for the experience.

Wrestling families are different, We know the sport, through and through, go the NCAA tourney sometime, you will meet the most informed fans in the college sports world. It is amazing.

I thank you USAWKS for being that thread that has run through my sons and my life. The constant pursuit of excellence and the effort that it takes.

I think I walked away with a hernia from picking up Akin in the exhibition.

Thanks to all of the board members of USAWKS. Couldn't have done it without all of you!

It has been a great season for us all.

Yes, there were bits of hardships, but to look at the overall season, GREAT!

The State Tournament was great! See you all there again next year!

Coach Gibby that was well said i hope people read that and take its message cause what u said is so tru.

Yeah, and Erik walked away with less brain cells as you dropped him on his head. That was hilarious.

What were you thinking Sweazy?

Ive Learned to belive in myself. Things happened this year that i would have never guessed would be going on, ever, not in my wildest dreams. As the rest of my life begins to unfold i see what truly can be done, in a comunity such as this this one. Kansas wrestling is an incredible network of friends coaches and oponents. You know you are going to see the "other side" of your family at the next tournament. They may live 200 miles always but you still considered them a dear friend. So many friendships and bonds would never have been made if it wern't for this sport. I have leared so much in three years and I am proud to stand by all of you.

Eric just couldn't ride me lol...I didn't try to slam him, someone has to have it on tape with my look of shock.

I wanted to make a few comments on this last weekend. First, thanks to all involved over the last few months regarding helping out with everything related to Tyler. That is really the first thing to take notice of, it has not all been me. I simply made a post in response to Mike Juby�s original post and from there everything took on a life of it�s own. Over the years, I have learned that things like that don�t always happen. I am one who firmly believes that God had a hand in everything and that is one of the only explanations that I can give as to how this thing got to the magnitude it did with Tyler.

Those involved, I don�t think any of us can imagine what the Graebners and Team Lightening went through unless we have gone through it ourselves. Truth is, that this year, there are many who have gone through unimaginable tragedy. That is possibly one reason that the cause for Tyler took on a life of its own. If anything, there has been a reminder that something needs to be in place to provide some level of help in the future for those going through difficult circumstances. That is one reason that many of us involved with Tyler and his family over the last few months are committed to keep Tyler�s memory alive and to see to it that the establishment of The Tyler Graebner Foundation takes place.

I hope that within the next couple of weeks, the family of Tyler and others involved will be getting together to discuss the options and organization of the Tyler Graebner Foundation. That group of people will individuals within the wrestling community and family members of Tyler. There are several purposes of the foundation but the thing we want to do most is see to it that we help those in the wrestling community facing catastrophic circumstances and low-income children. There are some things that we will be able to do with the foundation to provide a small level of financial assistance to families in need, as well as some things to help wrestlers. Truth is, that no amount of money is enough to cover the overwhelming costs of catastrophic health care; however, there are ways to pool resources together to help a family out. It might include helping get a loved one home for a funeral, it could include a stay at a nice hotel for a change during treatment, or possibly assisting a person in having some fun time. We want to make sure that there is not a duplication of services. If one organization exists then we want to do what we can to work with those organizations, if it don�t exist then we want to find ways that we can help in some small way. There are many ways that people can contribute to things like this, they can contribute airline miles, hotel points, and the list goes on and on and certainly will include cash. We are currently in need of an attorney in establishing a 501 C3 non-profit status.

There are also ways to help children. Every child in Kansas should be able to wrestle if they desire. Income or lack of income should not be a hindrance. Truth is though, that often times, things like shoes, headgear, entry fees, and so forth add up and hinder some kids from participating. There are ways we can all help here. The donation of items from lost and found or items a wrestler no longer uses can help provide things like shoes, headgear, and even singlets for wrestlers. Tournament fees and other expenses related to wrestling such as a USA Card can also be assisted with through an application process. There is much to be done in the form of education but we believe that in some ways, with limited resources, we can have a dramatic impact that will not only promote wrestling among all youth, but carry on the tradition and spirit of Tyler.

Those are some of the things some of us will be looking at in the next weeks. There are already some people looking at helping with a summer camp, tag team tournaments, more clinics, and even world class wrestling matches among several world class wrestlers. The life and spirit of Tyler will carry on, because many of us in this community have learned a lesson, a lesson that we shouldn�t just talk about being a family, we should act like it.

There are so many people to thank. First is the family. They are simple and wonderful people who are as shocked by this outpouring of love as any one. I don�t think we can even imagine the sacrifice it took to share in their lives with all of us. There are so many others though. Kobi Williams, Eric Akin, the wrestling clubs of Paola, Derby, and Buhler who all hosted clinics. All of the world-class wrestlers and champions who have donated so many items, the Kansas USA Wrestling board and their willingness to pay such a fitting tribute to Tyler at the State tournament, and the list goes on and on. Truth is, there have been so many who have helped it is impossible to know them all. From people sending in money to help with tournament expenses to individuals who post anonymously and have kept Tyler�s spirit alive.

Then there is the group of High School Wrestlers who have kept Tylers spirit alive with the concept of Tag team, then Shane Koranda who graciously took part in helping with challenge matches. Then Cindy Page who has done so much with the shirts, buttons, and now the quilts for the family. Understand that each of these people made sacrifices that many of us don�t understand or comprehend. Not only time and energy, for example, the high school guys and Shane drove to Topeka and all of the other locations, all at their own expense. There have been sacrifice in other ways, that only a few can imagine. I know for myself that there are definite sacrifices required when showing another love. I need to also mention my good friend, and one we need to all keep in our prayers, Aaron Sweazy. The Swayz, is something else, he has been a constant reminder that when I get down on myself or start to throw my own little pity party, that there is a reason to keep on living life to the fullest.

Lastly and most importantly, the person exhibiting that the most was Tyler. For those that didn�t get to know him, he was a great kid. He wasn�t real talkative, wasn�t the most outgoing or outspoken kid in the world. Truth is he was a lot like most other 8-year-old kids. He was primarily, a kid, a small child who loved life and interestingly enough, loved wrestling. When he wrestled, he gave it his all, just like he did when he wrestled with life. He had fun and did his best, he was well mannered and knew how to say thank you. He wasn�t afraid to ask for what he wanted either, if it was a frozen custard or a hamburger, he would tell you. Those are all things that we can learn from. Tyler Graebner taught me and I know many others many important things including, don�t be afraid to tell those around us that we love them, and don�t be afraid to find ways to love those we come into contact with. Those are two lessons that have hopefully made me a better dad and a better friend. He also taught many like my son, to love wrestling, and to be honored to put on your shoes and compete. Always do your best and have fun. Tyler is extra special to me for that reason. To see and know the things my own son wanted to do for Tyler and his family touched me, because at that point not only did Tyler touch me he touched one I love so much, my son. My own son, in his way of paying tribute to Tyler made me cry again in thanks for Tyler. Tyler was just a kid who inspired many, many to be better. Thanks Tyler, family and wrestling community for allowing me to be a part of that this year. It has been a year that has certainly changed my life for the better. What an honor to be along for the ride and what an honor to have met Tyler. Forgive me if I share one little story from Tyler.

When we first met I was amazed at talking to Tyler. I had just taken over the computer that the Kansas family had donated, that way the family could see the web site, and everything else going on related to Tyler. It was on Christmas Eve, and one of the best Christmases ever for me because of Tyler. We were sitting around talking, he loved food, especially barbeque and he loved water sports. He was talking about going tubing and all of the fun things you can do on a lake with a boat. My wife and I still have a home on Lake Oolagah, north of Tulsa and we spoke about how we wanted to make the house available to friends and family eventually and then go down for weekends or vacations and have fun on the lake. Tyler was actually excited about that conversation, and we had a good long talk about doing things on the lake. He looked up and said, to me when I made my comment about sharing the house with friends and family, �Well, we�re like friends now, we�re like families aren�t we?� �Yes Tyler we are.� I responded. Tyler was right we are like friends, we are like family, even though we compete weekend and week out, for some of us most year round, we are still like friends, we are still like family. Tyler knew that, and told me that, may we all now, remember that.

Mike

I just received some info tonight at a board meeting on how you can get free help in establishing a 501 C3. Call me tomorrow and we can talk about it.

Ms. Jenni

SWEET! Now while you are at it see if you can get my disability finally so the medical bills will be somewhat taken care of.