slap2414,
Is our State Body set up that just any person can attend, voice their opinion and vote on announced issues? I was under the impression that only our club's representative and policy Board members could do that? So my question here would be does any parent who has a child paying our dues have the right to attend Board meetings, voice their concerns and vote on issues?
I know the trade association that I work for has just started a new policy that calls for a vote of the entire membership on major policy issues. Perhaps that is something our USA Wrestling Kansas organization could consider doing.
I also thought that one of the major purposes of the forum was for our Board leadership to get some constructive feedback from people. I believe organizations willing to listen have the best opportunity for growth. It has been obvious to me that Ned Price our State Competition Director is doing that and has been actually encouraging us to offer more. He has been complimentary of the ideas for change that people have been taking the time to express on this forum. He has not been defensive and said he wants outside the box thinking and ideas. Now you may not agree with another persons calls for change but when we resort to calling these ideas crying or whining just because they are different than what we believe the only thing that is accomplished is to stifle potentially good ideas.
I think we all need to be open minded for change like Ned Price appears to be. Two years ago I was against 6&U participation at the State tournament and felt that 16&U was not need there either. I have changed my mind on both from reading the thoughts of others on this forum. I now believe we need to try to make it work for both groups. I think we need to extend the tournament to three days or have the high school wrestlers wrestle at a different time to do it but I think somehow we could make it happen. In doing this I think we need to try for bigger mats for all the age groups at State and especially for the 12&U age group.
I am now supporting trying to add the 6&U group at the State tournament even though I have the same reservations about it being too early for many of the 6&U wrestlers. These reservations extend beyond the State tournament for me. I think it is too early for many of these young children to be wrestling at any of the open tournaments. Is the pressure of State really that much more than Salina, Wichita-Park City, Liberty Nationals, the 6&U Ottawa tournament? As a State we have given parents the right to sign their 6&U kids up for most of the open tournaments during the season for several years now. Maybe it is time to give them that same choice in our State tournament series.