TNCroCU

Way late on this post, but I do believe that I want to at least weight in so to speak lol. I wrestled NAIA competed against some of the best wrestler over all a crossed the divisions and felt great about my college wrestling experience. I think people make the mistake in believe that wrestling some how gets easier as a sport at the smaller college divisions it doesn't the training is mostly the same. I have that on good authority from a coach who was a D1 all-American. it's more the commitment level of the competitors that is different. There is talented wrestlers that can go D1 at any level in the smaller division. sub in Sammy Shires for one he would have done fine on a DI team. He chose a work life ratio that suited him. It's not about talent it's commitment are you going to make training and studying the sport the center of your world cause that's what it takes: NO MATTER HOW TALATENTED BEFORE HAND YOU ARE. If so then D1 is for you and striving for success at that level is for you like Mr. Palmer said it's what your willing to put in. Now coaches if you have a successful wrestler who fits that bill then by all means D1 is a great option they will see some success no matter how small, but if they are not that committed along with being talented and a killer and you know it then your doing them wrong. You don't have to tell athletes that you don't think they are D1 tell them to keep their options open to take all their visits to consider all the divisions regardless of their goals. college recruiting visits have you most times wrestle against their current wrestlers coaches and athletes will find out real quick it's not easy no matter where you go. That way when they make their decision it's a sound one that's based on well rounded experiences. BobCorker, and oceansize42 I believe what you are thinking is correct but for different reasons. TN wrestler's have the talent... it's a commitment level change. TN wrestlers aren't used to having to put themselves through the level of commitment required and kills them on the D1 level. WrestlingGod, I agree you should push kids to pursue their dreams, but not at the cost of common sense period... we have to much of that going around this country already. Dreams can turn to poison when these wrestler are not educated on what it truly takes. In TN a kid who understands wrestling to a high level can be successful with small amounts of hard work. They think their definition of hard work is enough for D1 that is the mistake not the "talent/understanding". Over-all though we do not celebrate NAIA,D2,D3, or Juco success in this state like other states do. GA/AL celebrates all it's college wrestlers success a crossed the board no matter the division. Why? because it's hard... I have gone to all the divisions National championships let me tell you to be a all-American at any is impressive especially D2 or NAIA. those guys can scrap and not one of those AA's are an easy match. all of them were state placers or champs multiple times in their high school careers. does that at all sound easy to place at? TN does not give those guys enough credit or shout outs period. it's an over sight because of this D1 or it's less than meaningless mentality on this site and in this state. GA/AL is better then us on the highest stage because they send guys to D2,NAIA,D3 ect. they come back understanding the sport better then their pervious coaches, and give back and that cycles to athletes readiness to go D1 with clearer understanding of what it takes to be competitive day 1 freshman year. My post isn't to support one way or the other but to just consider that both sides have merit and that both work when the system in TN. by system I mean coaches are the better educated on preparing athletes for each level they want and should pursue.

scholarship break down by division if anyone is interested in knowing. Juco- can offer up to 16 full rides depending on institution per team D1- max 9.5 for 25-35 man team NAIA- 10 for 35-40 man roster D2- 9 for 35-40 man roster D3- does not do athletic scholarships but does give out academic grants for "academic purposes if you qualify"

college an high school are 2 different beasts completely when it comes to divisions. The divisions in college are pretty different its all work based leveling for the most part. there is D1 your talented wrestlers (state champs, or placers) meets hard work and insane commitment level (no days off). Then there is everyone else D2, D3, NAIA, Juco. These are for wrestlers who are talented (still state champs and state placers for the most part, and some state qualifiers for roster numbers), that work hard but have a lack in ether success nationally (high school), Grades, or commitment level ( don't won't to do no days off). plus there is no watering down any college divisions they are all hard/tough just at varying levels of difficulty... any paid division D2/Juco/NAIA your wresting state placers an champs for national placement period. I don't define that as easy... High school divisions are based off of size and population alone. sure one division may be tougher then another on any given year because talented kids land everywhere in a state. medals may be handed out to those who may not get them other wise, but in the big scheme of things those kids are not getting recruited over truly talented kids. College coaches have eyes to see they know what good wrestling is. They are cherry picking the talent.

I don't mind this train of thought but I see both sides of the coin fair isn't always equal one division would be cool seeing the best go at it for titles. Then again from a business model it won't happen less representation means less tickets sold TSSAA is a business. Only true wrestling fans would by tickets to see teams they don't rep and there are some but not enough fans for TSSAA to put the state back into one division. The divisions we got now are healthier then they have been in the past with the even split in public school. D2 likes to walk to the beat of their own drum they have prep nationals to look at. Putting the state into one division may take that away from them going because it take longer to do post season and the state tournament so I doubt they are pro for reforming that. Breaking the state further down doesn't make much sense ether because of our states populations isn't like say Georgia's. Now the sectionals make the state tournament smaller for each division and I don't have a problem with that ether if they would shorten the state to an two day tournament. TSSAA hasn't done that because that may cut into profit... so with that in mind cut the sectionals out so that we have a reason to actually be there for three days lol. Just my personal thoughts may be wrong on some of it but since everyone is sharing thought I'd weight in haha.

Need more of this in my opinion. Support the success of all our TN alumni competing in (NAIA/D2/D3/Juco) are all important doesn't matter the level being an All-American is tough in college! Most the guys who go into NAIA and D2 are all multi time state placers and state champs from tough wrestling states. (NOT D1), but still these are the guys most likely to come back and be high school coaches that will impact the next generation of wrestlers in TN.

Just wanted to give a shout out to some of the guys who will be wrestling for cumberland next year! Sammy Evans 4x Tennessee State Champ 2x Fargo AA 4x NHSCA AA (Top 3 Every year) Flo Nationals AA Josh Teaster 2x Tennessee State Placer Toribio “Tito” Navarro 3x Tennessee State Champion Grayson Walthall Tennessee State Champion National Prep All-American Antonio Mariscal Tennessee State Placer Blaine Fussell Tennessee State Placer Alex Fields Oklahoma State Runner Up Kaze Maia 2x Florida State Runner JR College All American Jonyvan Johnson Indiana State Placer Cooper Roberts 3x Georgia State Placer 2x runner up Nathan Walton 4x Indiana State Placer and Runner Up in senior season