Those clubs who attended the State Body meeting and left before the business was concluded may find that they have lost one of their coaches passes.

It really is a shame we had over 120 clubs in attendance at the beginning and only had 69 clubs around to do the business of the State!

Randy while I have never chosen to leave a state meeting before the business is concluded I wonder if we shouldn't look at shortening the agenda. I realize we would have to amend the constitution but I question if we need reports on much of that stuff prior to the business. It seems to me at least some of the stuff, where a vote is not required, could be dealt with in written form, in the packets. Like I said our club stays to the end but I can certainly see how people would be worn out before we get to the business part of the agenda.

Coaches Passes for What???? I was one the guilty. I'd never been before and had no idea how long it would run. Am I to understand I was just punished for leaving early?

At the State Tournament, those clubs attending, receive 2 coaching passes for their first five entries. Then they receive, 1 pass for every additional five.

In the past, the rule was, to receive two for the first five, one must attend the State Body meeting.

Some attend the State Body meeting just to sign in and leave. Today it was decided, that a roll was taken at the end of the meeting. If a club left early, they lost one of their two passes.

sf2: I understand your position! I too, grow a bit tired especially following a long weekend. I am confident the Executive Board would like a shorter meeting too. You have made a great suggestion.

I seldom post to these forums but I feel I must this time. I guess I need to understand why I leave my house at 6:00 AM, drive for 3 1/2 hours, attend a meeting for 3 1/2 hours, participcate and actively engage in that meeting, leave at 1:00 so I can drive back the 3 1/2 hours so I can get back in time for my sons baptism and now you are telling me I lost a coaches pass.

What kind of organization are we running here?

I refuse to believe that in the end, this is the right outcome for this meeting. In the past the attendance was tallied off the sign in sheet. (did that set a precidence) I am not saying that we all should not stick around but I don't think making a rash decision today is the right choice. If that is changing, everyone needs to know that in advance.

I would like for someone to explain to me how we go about getting our 2nd pass back. Tell me we can change this and spend our time working on real issues other than bantering this around for weeks.

I also agree we need to come up with a shorter meeting. Provide the committee reports in writing ahead of time and we can approve them as provided, JUST LIKE THE MINUTES OF THE LAST MEETING were done this time.

Tom Heald
Spring Hill Wrestling Club

In addition, had I known that leaving 30 minutes early was going to be a problem, I may have been able to find someone else to attend for our club. In the past, there have been times we were out of there by 1:00. Our club attends every year and stays for the entire meeting. (except for this one of course) Now we making up rules up on the fly? I don't get it.

Tom Heald

I am in the same boat as you Mr. Heald. Both of my children had their football and cheerleading sports banquet. I left at 12:45 so I could drive the 2 1/2 hours home get them ready and drive another 1/2 hour to the banquet. I stayed as long as I possibly could. Ever since I took over the club I have been at every district and state body meeting. I hope that the State Board could understand that even though it is a Sunday that people still have children that play other sports and could have events on those days. I apologize if I caused a problem with the business meeting by having to uphold my family obligations, but for me family comes first.

Now "Are you making a positive difference?"

I voted against putting the rule into effect for this season. People should be informed and now many have been unknowingly punished. I don't feel it is "ok" to implement new rules in the middle of the game. It was originally proposed that it not go into effect until 2009 but someone mentioned that the body could vote in the rule now. Just doesnt' seem right to me... Maybe the voting issues should be at the start of the agenda.

What happens to those teams that missed the meeting entirely? Do they lose both passes?

Nobody that voted for this could have thought this through. You drive 3 hours, stay 3 hours and get the same penalty as those who never showed up? Ridiculous.

I hope I am making a positive difference! I am the messenger, I did not make the motion and I cannot vote!!

Personally I think the whole "Too many coaches passes" issue is getting blown out of proportion. We should be thankful we have so many coaches who are willing to volunteer their time! I have never thought the congestion on the floor of the Expo Center was unmanageable. On the first day of competion, before any wrestlers have been eliminated, it gets a little crowded but to me it isn't a problem. The hockey wall keeps coaches away from the mats and the officials can manage their mat to have only two coaches. (By the way, at state you absolutely have to have two coaches in the corner! You need one to coach and one to watch the score clock for time and scoring errors.) Coaches pay for their cards, put in their time and deserve to be on the floor to make sure everything is going smoothly for their wrestlers. The kids need their coaches down there too. Swapping passes is a management nightmare for teams who might have as many as ten wrestlers either on the mat or on deck. Can't we put this issue to rest by being a little more liberal and supportive instead of militant and controling? If the board wants to eliminate some bodies from the floor maybe they should check to see that last time some of them who wander around down there coached a wrestler...

concurred, very good post!

well Randy I was one who left early and when we got there I had dirven for three hours and had not been to bed till 3 sat. morrning because I am on a fire department that being the asst. chief I get paid fifty dollars a month and 10.00 a run and I had made three runs sat night and I am going to drive for three hours to a meeting that when I got there and it started we were told the committie was not going to read the min. of the meeting or read the report of the fininaces.
After that I said that should have been a vote of all clubs not just a very special few.
Dist.1 had a man steel a lot of money and as of today no one has been put in jail and so its time to get all clubs involed when theres a meeting about anything important.
You said there were only 69 clubs at the end well sorry that we left but when you been up most of the night and then you drive for three hours for a wrestling meeting to help kids to learn how to wrestle and then people like you raise kain is it realy worth it, I have been a coach for 18 years and when Hiawatha wrestling club though in the towel this year I felt like someone had to try and start a club for the kids in Hiawatha mabe I am wrong but I don't think so.
One of my very good freinds from Horton had a death in his family and still he drove three hours to get paper work and yes he left and you would to. Now your wording in the post you added today uses the word may, does that mean you are going to decide which clubs lose the pass as in whos who.
For years I have taken off work to help lay matts at the state wresting meet in Topeka for the good of the Kids and Randy its time that you think of the kids not trying to make a point to the coaches of leaving early.
And anybody can write a letter here but if you or anybody else wants to know how hard it is to run a club and then have this happen call me or email at icefishing22000@yahoo.com and we can talk. My name is Tom Stone phone number is 785-741-3234

I don't think this is right. I can see changing the rule for next year or better yet doing away with the whole pass thing. Just give all coaches a pass that wants one. We sacrifice all of our time all season long to be turned away at state. Our state leadership always wants people to volunteer their time for this and that and then turn into nazis whaen its time to hand out coaching passes. I have went to this meeting for the past 8-9 years and yes I left at 1pm as I had prior commitments on sunday evening and had a 31/2 hour drive home. Why not put all of the reports either on line or in the packets, As much as some of these people like listening to themselves talk, it would really speed things up if they didn't and most wouldn't mind not listening. Do all of the state business at the start of the meeting and send everyone home. It could be a two hour meeting, and I bet almost every club would be their to vote if this happened. This is a bad idea it's going to cause all kinds of problems come state time.

Our state leadership of this organization puts in hundreds - if not thousands of volunteer hours each year to keep this thing rolling down the track - I will applaud them and everything thta they have done for the kids in this state. Right or wrong on this issue everybody had an agenda of the items to be discussed and voted on.

Now what happens when you have 5 wrestlers and one pass? More than likely sometime during State you will have more than one wrestler wrestling at a time. Are you going to disqualify one wrestler because he dosen't have a coach? Just because some people attempt to make the meeting, spending lots of gas money to make it on time, pay their club fees but have family or even work issues, they should get punished or better yet you are going to punish wrestlers that work extreamly hard all season to make it to state. Shame on all of the board members and shame on all the clubs who voted for it.

I am trying also but I have to make a difference in my childrens lives along with the Wrestling Clubs

I think its time for Randy to ask the state body if THEY are making a Positive difference in the lives of KIds all kids

Yes, I agree with smokeycabin, I believe our state/district leadership does an excellent job, youth wrestling in Kansas is doing well. But, so do the hundreds of volunteer coaches and club officers throughout this great state. Without them there would be nothing for our state leaders to lead. Lets remember the little people. Lets remember this is a service organization. Every coach deserves a pass. This was a bad idea and I bet when the people who supported it think about it more clearly, they will change their minds.