Smokey,

I don't like the way the AAU does their age birthday cutoff (January 1) due to the fact that you have a high percentage of kids (those born between 9-1 and 12-31) whom every other year get cutoff from competing with kids in their own class and end up competing against kids two grades ahead of them. I know people disagree with this but I really like our 9/1 birthday cutoff better.

I know that is not the point of your post. I would point out that although Sub Bantam divisions do not compete in the AAU Cross Country they do run as Bantams just as we have our 6&U wrestle in 8 & U at State and there are a lot of very young kids who compete at this national cross country meet. The differences in cross country are that first you do not have the same space and time limitations as wrestling. You can run a lot of runners at the same time in the big outside parks that these meets are held in. A second difference is that there is not physical combat between the athletes in cross country, so there is no chance of a younger athlete getting overpowered physically by an older athlete.

I share the reservations about it being too early to take the 6&U to State but I feel this way about taking them to Salina, Park City-Wichita, Liberty Nationals and the other big in-season tournaments. I liked the way it was when my son started in 1st grade as a 6&U and he only wrestled four novice tournaments. I don't know if they wrestled 6&U at any open tournaments then. I am coming to change my position though now that this 6&U division is so widespread at so many major in-season tournaments. I think it is becoming more difficult to make the argument now that it is too much pressure at Topeka State but not at Salina, Wichita-Park City, Liberty Nationals and the rest.