?Small School State?

[derzauberer]

Would more state champions make wrestling grow? Every other state besides us and KY have only a DI and DII state champs. If we want more respect as a state in the wrestling world do we need more state champs?

[tradewind]

The answer varies depending on you past history and where you currently sit. After growing up in Indiana and having over 340 wrestling programs and 1 state champion and only 16 qualifiers I once believed that it was the only way to have a championship mean something. Then seeing that all other sports in Tennessee have a spilt and muliple champions I wondered why people feel so strongly about one class for wrestling. I don't hear that cry in golf, tennis, bowling, track and field, cross county, or any team sports. Do I think the sport will grow with a small school state? Yes and no. There will be an increase in small school participation, but overall that will not make a large push in increasing the sport. I would expect a 5-10% increase in participation for small schools. That would equate to about 2-5 new wrestlers per small school currently 47. So about 200 new wreslters. Then you have to argue quality of new wrestlers. Will it turn Tennesssee into a nation power.? No. Indiana and Tennessee have nearly identical Populations, but Indiana has well over twice as many programs. Maybe small schools will add wrestling if they feel they can compete both on the dual and individual level. That is very unlikely as there is currently a shortage of coaches even in wreslting cities, let alone rural communties that would need a coach for a new program. I am for a small school individual state tourney more on a basis of fair market share than growing the sport. Do a little research on the A-AA teams minus Notre Dame (since they haven't earned any D1 medals) and see if A-AA brings home 37% of the D1 medals. They make up 37% of the schools. There are many factors in why A-AA doesn't bring home the number of medals equal to the % of participants. None of these are the fault of the wrestlers of these schools. They do the best they can with the facilities, support, coaching, parents, practice partners, and general lack of support that they can do. Yet they are considered equals. The only non-class sport in the state. Can a small school wrestler win state? Yes it happens about once a year. % wise you would expect 4-5 Champions a year yet they earn one. It just makes sense to me that if it is accepted that individual sports are split by class, then it should be accepted and embraced by all small schools that they have their own state tournament against those schools that face their same obstacles.

[silverpie]

Would more state champions make wrestling grow? Every other state besides us and KY have only a DI and DII state champs. If we want more respect as a state in the wrestling world do we need more state champs?

 

Actually, the state with more teams than any other has a single state meet (namely California).

[wrestler555]

I think its a good idea because the small school state champs cant even get crowned region champs in region 4 bc of Soddy and Ooltewah.

[retired rebel 64]

There are enough seperations as there is. And this could be an endless debate, but everyone will still bring it up. Leave the seperation of school sizes for the team state championships. That would be fine since the schools would be competing with other programs that are relativly the same size. However, there should be one state champion per weight class. That way everyone is happy about being able to compete as a team and then it is up to each individual wrestler to make it on their own. The problem is not within the state tournament, it is how people are qualified for it. No offense to anyone here, I am sure that there are strong wrestlers that will come out of region 7, but I would be willing to bet that there are several wrestlers from region 6 that placed fourth that could beat state qualifiers from that region. (I am not knocking on region 7 but it is the closest example and I am sure that this is true in many other areas). The re-evaluation needs to be at the qualifying level if anything gets changed.

[mtnman]

I don't think having a small school state championship will increase the number of schools who have the sport. Whitwell is not going to add wrestling because they find out there is an a/aa tournament.

 

In some ways, I would like to see a small school tournament but in other ways I like it the way it is. (although I would love to see big school/small school regardless of DII or DI but that will never happen)

 

Most small school bust there butts to get a few kids to qualify and they are excited when they do. Every once and awhile you have a kid place and that helps build your program.

[harry thornton]

Would more state champions make wrestling grow? Every other state besides us and KY have only a DI and DII state champs. If we want more respect as a state in the wrestling world do we need more state champs?

AS RMC can attest, Georgia has 5 different classifications... A, AA, AAA, AAAA, AAAAA. 5 state champs under one roof (this year)

[shsprttyboy9]

I think its a good idea because the small school state champs cant even get crowned region champs in region 4 bc of Soddy and Ooltewah.

 

this gives the small school a chance at going to state....it hard for school that are good for thier size and school popualtion to hang with bradley central who is great and has like 1200-1500 students...i think its a great idea

[cbg]

California has 1 true state champion.

 

PA has 2 divisions but probably triple the number of schools wrestling in Tennessee

 

New York has 1 true state champion. In New York you have to win your section (like our region but they have 16 sections) to advance to the state tournament. You truly must be an animal to even get to the tournament. Wrestlers represent their section, not their school at the state tournament.

Edited February 14, 2006 by cbg

[Drem2Achev]

N.Y. has two classes. Tn. needs to be split down the middle. Large and small for the individual tournament. This will help the sport grow it has every where else. I dont understand how this will hurt wrestling in anyway. It can only help. Everyone likes the status queo, that is the reason we are dying a slow death in college. Its only a few schools that compete for the prize. Thats the same in high school wrestling in Tn. and dont mess with the powers that be.

[SPORTSFAN69]

whitwell has a wrestling team as of last fall. They are decent but being there first year out they may not do to well. But i guarantee they at least win 1 of there matches .

[SPORTSFAN69]

whitwell has a wrestling team as of last fall. They are decent but being there first year out they may not do to well. But i guarantee they at least win 1 of there matches .