I appreciate Denny’s confidence and kind words along with the rest of the posters. I do plan on running for an office but I don’t know which one. I know I want to be involved with our sport now and at least for the next 10 years but I haven’t determine at what level. To do this job and do it right you have to have commitment and support from your entire family and wrestling community. Someone will be elected and I hope these are the ideas that are floating around on their agenda:

Increasing the number of participants
a. More novice opportunities
i. Novice State

b. Sanctioned, stand alone 6U tournament
c. More teams for team events
d. More spring and summer wrestling
e. Keeping the sport affordable
i. No Friday only weigh-ins.
ii. Remote weigh-ins or matside weigh-ins
iii. Fair driving distances
iv. Rotating the location of state and other tournaments
v. Electronic voting instead of mandatory meetings

Improve tournament bidding process
a. More detailed demands to be met by host venue & city
i. Explore available funds and cost share
ii. Control over concession menus and allowable items to be brought in
iii. Central hotel management to avoid “opportunistic” exploitation of our families

b. Annual or biannual rotation.
c. More local sponsorship dollars

Changes to the qualifying series
a. Options
i. Move state tournament date to earlier weekend.
ii. Redistricting to eliminate a week of qualifying.
iii. Resize tournament to allow more venues to be available.
vi. Make 16U a standalone sanctioned state tournament.


Strict Code of Conduct
a. Severe penalties for transgressions against the sport. Theft, vandalism, child abuse, etc.



We have to identify the challenges that make the greatest positive impact to the sport and when we have a majority in agreement we have to work together as a team to overcome these challenges whether we agreed with the majority or not in the first place. We cannot let our differences erode the foundation of our sport but that means are rules, regulations, policies, and plans have to make sense to the majority of our membership. Our leadership has to be involved year round. They have to be in touch with the wrestling families. They cannot abuse their position or power by making decisions based on personal issues instead of the greater good of their constituents. We are a USA Wrestling organization which means that we support the development of international wrestling styles. Growth has to come from all areas including coaches, female wrestlers and greater numbers of competent officials. No one person has all of the answers to the questions and issues that we will face in the future but whoever our leadership is must agree that we have to stimulate our sport every year with change. If we do not change we cannot improve! So when you are meeting this year and looking for leaders make sure that they are going to A. Be involved year round! B. open minded and able to compromise. C. think outside the box! D. LOVE wrestling passionately!

I don’t know if I am ready for this job but I do know whoever takes it must have the full support of their family. There are meetings to attend, discussions to be conducted on the phone or in person, tournaments to observe, officials and volunteers to be recruited, venues to be evaluated, events to be coordinated, and many other responsibilities. Our athletes put their hearts and souls into the sport so our leaders can be expected to put nothing less!

These are my thoughts about our future. Whoever is ready and willing to give all they have or our sport will die instead of thrive.

One closing note. If I do run for any office on the board this will be my campaign slogan: “State Tournament Coaches passes for all certified coaches!!”