Sportsfan,

I agree with you on your perspective of individual vice team sport. I personally think we do a great disservice to the sport by focusing on so many tournaments vice duals.....that is a topic for another day. I bring it up just so you know where I am coming from.

I'm not sure I get your response to the example from "Back in the Day". The example he gives is basically a socialistic, economic approach using automobiles. In your response you go from one extreme to another. I have not seen anybody on here make a case or even suggest doing away with all the rules and regulations. I think we all agree that there are needs for rules, regulations, etc.

The issue is not an "all the rules or none of the rules" debate. The issue is a matter of degree.....how much regulation, which regulations, and enforced at which level.

I also don't think that you will get a lot of disagreement on the idea of trying to provide an environment in which all schools have an equal opportunity to succeed. (Notice the change of words. We can never achieve an equal environment because there are entirely too many different factors when one tries to define environment, however, we can strive to provide an equal opportunity. (By the way, I'm not sure I would use the NCAA as a good example, have you seen the BCS lately??? Their rules and regs have helped out there)

There are two challenges here. One is determining what equal opportunity really means. What is the minimum standard acceptable so everyone has a common baseline opportunity? That leads to the second challenge which is determining what are the minimal regulations, rules, etc. that are required by a state or national governing body. In my opinion the more we let state and national governing bodies regulate specific details then the more freedom we lose. If we establish a common baseline of opportunity with minimal restrictive rules and regulations then everyone can succeed. Those that chose to excel above the minimum standard still have the opportunity and are not restricted whereas those that can only afford the minimum standard still have a chance.

Doing this will allow the team aspect and the individual aspect of the sport to flourish. My fondest memory of high school wrestling was my sophomore year when we placed 2nd at state as a team. That happened to be the same year I won my only state championship as an individual. I'm sharing this just to illustrate how strongly I agree with you on the team aspect of the sport.

BLUF: This is a good debate and one our forefathers have been struggling with since the inception of our country.....Federal regulations virsus States rights versus individual freedoms. I tend to fall on the side of more individual (high school team) freedoms.

Shawn