Might be small minded, but I think winning Team Championships in Kids divisions outside of traveling All-Star teams is kinda whack. I would argue that it is lopsided for those larger teams. Small teams in little towns never have a fair chance against big towns and big clubs. Then there are a few clubs across the state who recruit kids from other clubs to try and achieve this goal. So really what is fair or honorable about any of that. Were talking about the have's and the have nots basically.

Outside of HS and kids traveling teams, your kids teams are really about individual accomplishments. Not saying being a part of kids team is a bad thing at all, lots of good reasons for being on a good team. Just the whole idea of winning something that is based more on your geography and population and not on performance is not my idea of a lofty goal. Why do you think we have 4 different HS classifications for wrestling. Geography/population...

Also with FS/GR you basically have a small gene pool of crazy people who think wrestling season should be 9 months long and will drive across the country to find that one dude in their weight class who feels the same way. It's good stuff, but not many people do it. So kinda back to the have and the have nots on that. I like the All-Star travelling team thing as it helps make it affordable, but locally it is kinda expensive for most people. Due to the low numbers you get accustomed to the idea of having to wrestle like your in HS as the competition can be pretty scarce. Also since we end Folkstyle so late, everyone else in the country is about done with the season once we get fired up. It's not fair mind you, it just is what it is.

I am more interested in how KS kids perform outside the rectangle of KS rather than inside. I hate the thought of kids getting caught up and coached into the idea that if they win state in KS then your at the pinnacle of your sport. If find it odd that out of the thousands of kids who sign up and wrestle in this state that only a 100 or maybe less actually leave the borders to go on their own to do bigger things. Money can't be the only reason, must be coaches telling parents it's not a good thing is my only experience with that. Even more appalling to me is that some clubs do not allow their wrestlers to go anywhere else accept where the club is going that week. Crazy power trip weird if you ask me. If we had done that my kid would have gotten 8 matches a year and likely against the same two other kids, where is the benefit in that??

I look at it this way. We are Kansans and I support that way above any club. I am more concerned about our kids getting recognized by other states rather than by other local clubs. I want college recruiters to look long and hard at KS kids as being hard working, dedicated and outstanding athletes. I feel we get overlooked because we internalize the importance of being winners at home rather than without.