You act as though people in these communities give a crap about wrestling. They don't, and why would they? The only way a kid has a chance at placing at state is to devote his entire life to the sport. Many people can't afford to bring in world class coaches. Kansas wrestling may have gotten better on a national stage in the last 15 years, but if you ask me, it's killing the sport. In the 80's a person could join a team in Jr. high and still have success. Not today (very few). We have been so concerned about getting better that we have run off anyone who isn't. The result: nobody cares about wrestling anymore (except the few elite). The popularity is gone.

I would rather have 50 kids who have a chance at success over a few nationally elite. The outside world sees it as an individual sport because that's exactly what it has become.

If you want to see the kind of popularity wrestling had in the 80's we need to figure out a way for newer kids to be able to compete again.