cbg,
Originally you said that most wrestlers from TN don't want to be challenged by wrestling against the best that the country has to offer. I disagreed.
I think that kids from TN are like kids from anywhere else, they want to be challenged. They also want to be competitive.
One thing I learned from traveling to many out of state events and camps is that the success of a wrestler from any given area is almost always connected to the collective success of ALL of the wrestlers in that area.
For example, I see most TN state champions going to to national FS/GR tournaments and getting manhandled by kids from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Illinois and Ohio. Why is that? Is it because that kid didn't go to enough national tournaments and face the best competition?
No...it is because TN is not as committed to FS and Greco as those other states and those kids don't have the practice partners to push them up to the next level.
Practice rooms are where champions are made.
You mentioned recruiting. I agree that there are lots of college coaches at Fargo. I'm sorry but I do not think that they are there to recruit kids from TN however. First, there are what, three college programs in the state? Most coaches are looking for kids who are either super studs or solid kids who are closer to their home school.
Now, there are exceptions. guys like Jordan Leen, Matt Keller and now, guys like Boykin, Flynn, Reiniche. Those kids of wrestlers have divine gifts to compliment their work ethic and toughness.
I would like to see TN increase the offering here at home for good competition. At the TN State FS/GR tournament, there were about 8 kids per bracket in the junior division. EIGHT. That's not going to cut it.
That's all I'm saying. If we were going to see 20 or 25 kids a year to Fargo, I would like to see most of them having the ability to at least medal at SE regions. Particularly the juniors.