Adrian--I have been waiting for a pulpit and an excuse to get on it 
This is year (2) for me in the youth world and I have got an MBA in a few areas but still learning--there are so many moving parts and so many dynamics that make the whole landscape almost impossible to navigate.
The problem really starts at the top--I mean the most succesful high school programs have the most succesful feeder programs. I look at our SCWAY k-8 State Results and the top 20 programs almost mirror the top 15-20 HS programs in the state. Typically all of those programs only go to major events -- rarely will you see those programs at local tournaments in any type of numbers. Why? simple they have the manpower,money, and will to travel so they do. If they lack money--they bust there humps to fundraise for it.
So now you have another 140-150 youth programs if you want to call it that which do there own thing--support there buddies tournament of course and host there own--and do there three months and there done--most dont even attend a state event. What is the problem?
The best athletes in there club eventually migrate to the better clubs, end result going to that better high school program because parents are smart enough to realize that there kids are falling behind. The tournament host has his fundraiser and supports a few local ones and this cycle continues as the top 10% travel and the bottom 90% is pretty in-active at best. How do you know this to be true ernie?
Look at the CR, SCWAY state, Vegas, CA-USAW state, Reno---same elite clubs same 10% make up over 80% of each tournaments base. So what are we going to do?
Likely nothing--the major events will grow just like CR--elite kids will benefit more than they ever have and elite clubs will get stronger--non elite clubs will complain that the rich get richer but in many cases the rich are doing all the work--
Is there any way to really stop this?
Probably not - EVERYONE is just worried about their own event, their own kid, and their own club. That is the downfall of a sport I guess that breeds individualism. Is there any solution? not sure--hard to get any type of leadership at the youth levels as of now--the top clubs probably have the best people to be put in that role but there to busy trying to beat eachother so they get more kids coming into there systemor they are already in the role now.
Cagwa is a great example in my mind of the lack of available leadership. The club coaches cant figure out if they all got together and did there own schedule with Lawson (same as it is) they could buy $15 cards--keep $8-9 instead of $2 and they could still have the 500 kids--they would make more money--and we could send a team a week up north from socal. Will it ever happen? Probably not--expect the rich to get richer and the divide to grow as far as parity.
FYI- That divide between the parity of the top tier and second tier makes you worse not better--the more parity the better the depth of the overall participation base which is CA Wrestling as a whole .
Off my soap box now.
So in short the answer to your question is yes we would love to send more kids to events in state but the same 20-30 clubs that travel are already doing so--and the rest are either not in our system or haven't expressed any interest--typically the first
My friend from Hickman says keep grinding--My wife says just move to Clovis get a real job making the money you used to and be like every other wrestling dad--and worry about your own kids. haha
Last edited by UniHighCoach; 01-04-2012 at 04:35 PM.
There are two types of people: those that talk the talk and those that walk the walk. People who walk the walk sometimes talk the talk but most times they don't talk at all, 'cause they walkin'. Now, people who talk the talk, when it comes time for them to walk the walk, you know what they do? They talk people like me into walkin' for them.
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Originally Posted by UniHighCoach
