It's a great idea to put together. The percentage split is interesting. I think a lot of the selection procedures could be adopted from other scholarship selection committees. The big question is who is the "ideal" recipient of these scholarships? Are we talking about disadvantaged wrestlers, great wrestlers, above average wrestlers who don't have scholarship offers, active college wrestlers, great wrestlers with poor parents, etc....All of the above issues can be easily resolved. The scholarship organization committee will just have to make decisions on each criterion. This forum would be a great place for feedback on selection criteria. I suspect that many of the kids (who want to) don't wrestle in college because they can't afford it. A quick questionnaire at the State tourney would provide some data on why Kansas wrestlers aren’t going on to wrestle in college.

Questionnairre Example:
Are you planning on wrestling in college?
Why or why not?
What would keep you from wrestling in college?

If a lot of the questionnaires are answered “too far from home”…this would be beneficial data to the effort of adding more four year wrestling programs in Kansas.

Also…just talking about wrestling in college may plant a seed in a kids head. The power of suggestion is a powerful thing.

I don’t know who all has been throwing around this idea, but please keep me in the loop. I am very interested in helping at any stage and any level.

Ike Wennihan
ikew@southwindconservation.com