I/ve got to agree that I can see many more negative aspects of "forcing" our youth to attend the Southern Plains camp than there are positives. The School Boy duals team example has been used already, but I can say from personal experience that we declined to attend Southern Plains after the School Boy's trip. There was a much needed break after that competition. I simply cannot support in any form mandating these kids to proceed directly to the camp in order to compete. If this were a competition requiring "try-outs" to make the "team" I could understand. But this is OPEN and putting a stipulation in order to attend is rediculous and unnecessary.
And please, dont use the excuse that the coaches wont know the kids. I have a hard time with that one. The first Southern Plains my son attended he participated in the camp as well. When it came to the tournament he practicly had to run all over the gym and beg for a coach to be matside for each match. It seemed that only the wrestlers that were known by the coaches PRIOR to the camp were getting the attention anyway. We also had the situation that we wrestled against a Kansas wrestler that did NOT attend the camp. While my son looked for a coach, one of the CAMP coaches was in the other wreslters corner!I'm sure that has been addressed and wrestlers are better represented now, but it is not a valid point to use.
I am sure that my son will attend the camp, but NOT BECAUSE IT IS MANDATORY, and no one should be put in that position. LET IT BE THE WRESTLERS CHOICE AND OVERTURN THIS MANDATE!!