Worked in and around Hooker, OK the last few years. So I understand the Geography issue as well and it is also a part of the reason we did not move to that area. Good to see that there are some teams trying to get a movement going though. Not too many high schools carry a wrestling program in the Panhandle, I know I looked long and hard at this.

However, if driving is the main issue that this is based on, then it is a very weak one. The Folks in Colby, Goodland, Oakley, Liberal, Garden City, Dodge City, Hays, Norton etc. do a fair share of that as well. KS is a good sized state so driving is an issue for everyone here as well. Three weeks of driving, time and money for the state series in OK is really a drop in the bucket for some of the parents of wrestlers in KS for our state tourney series. All things equal in this case in my opinion. You can still get your mat time by attending the local KS tournaments with a much shorter season I might add.

This is sorta after the fact. Here we are after subs and many in the KS wrestling community had no idea that this was going to happen and or that it had been approved. This should have been made common knowledge well in advance. So right now it appears to many people to be shady even though it may not be.

As it was mentioned above the allowances will eventually lead to more special circumstances with other states clubs or state governing entities. Maybe that is not such a bad thing with the economy the way it is. Survival of the sport is also a driving factor here as well. I have read and heard that many of the KS High School Wrestling programs are now under the chopping block due to the economy and budget issues with the state. Several smaller High Schools Districts are looking at closing and being consolidated in with bigger districts. So it could be that we will have to evolve to survive. If high school programs start to die then so will the kids clubs unless we make some changes.

Here is the rub though. The OK State Series rules for instance, specifically states that you have to be a resident of OK to participate. I am sure other states have similar rules. The reason for this is the double dipping and recruitment. What better way to boost your clubs power rating at state than to recruit from another state who's State Tourney Series has been over for almost a month. Believe me there are a bunch of Oklahoma wrestlers who would love to get in another month of wrestling here in KS.

Regardless of where your loyalties may lie, if there are no compacts or agreements made with the other states to allow for mutual crossing over of their state tourney series. Then it really is an unfair advantage for some clubs to be able to recruit in this manner.

While I am not really upset that this occuring as this is prob the direction for this sport in general. I do however, think it is totally unfair that it does not apply to everyone. I for one would rather have my son to be able to wrestle the OK series than in the KS series because it is closer for us and the rules are different. But we do not have that option unless we move 20 miles south.