Filling Up These Weight Classes

[Bearhugger]

A few days ago, I received an email from my good friend "TrueSouthFanFromPartsUnknown" and he shared the following:


Here's food for thought, to further complicate matter. several states allow middle school wrestlers to participate in the high school state tournament. Kentucky, Minnesota, New York come to mind immediately.

Any middle school wrestler may petition to participate in any region that has fewer than an 8 man bracket.
Doesn't interfere with middle school season (that ended last week).
Eliminates the notion that a high school wrestler can simply make weight at regionals and qualify for States.
Eliminates the gripe that some have re: JV wrestlers not being good enough to make their own team but qualifying for States.

Iowa is looking at doing something similar.

[mscoach4]

If you involve middle school students the WVDE will have to approve that. I wouldn't hold your breath waiting for that to happen although the WV BOE will have an almost totally new makeup. Jim Justice has already appointed 4 new members with 2 more still to fill. Not to mention the fact that the new govenor is the most schollastic sports minded we have ever had in WV.

[Bearhugger]

If you involve middle school students the WVDE will have to approve that. I wouldn't hold your breath waiting for that to happen although the WV BOE will have an almost totally new makeup. Jim Justice has already appointed 4 new members with 2 more still to fill. Not to mention the fact that the new govenor is the most schollastic sports minded we have ever had in WV.

Cool!!!!!

I am just sharing the knowledge that "TrueSouthFanFromPartsUnknown" shared with me.

[coach_williams]

A few days ago, I received an email from my good friend "TrueSouthFanFromPartsUnknown" and he shared the following:


Here's food for thought, to further complicate matter. several states allow middle school wrestlers to participate in the high school state tournament. Kentucky, Minnesota, New York come to mind immediately.

Any middle school wrestler may petition to participate in any region that has fewer than an 8 man bracket.
Doesn't interfere with middle school season (that ended last week).
Eliminates the notion that a high school wrestler can simply make weight at regionals and qualify for States.
Eliminates the gripe that some have re: JV wrestlers not being good enough to make their own team but qualifying for States.

Iowa is looking at doing something similar.

I can not speak for all states, but Kentucky only allows middle schoolers to compete at the high school level if the middle school's administration approves it. It is a school-by-school decision. Not all middle schoolers get to compete at the high school level. From what I have seen, a large percentage of the middle schools that permit it are either places where the MS does not have a wrestling team and the high school does, or the MS and HS are in the same building.

One thing I would like to know is if middle school wrestlers who compete for high schools can still compete for their middle school team. We have a lot of growing to do in wrestling in our state and I would hate to see middle schools have their best talent jump to the high school just so people can be better entertained by full brackets at the high school states.

[J.W.]

I lived in Kentucky for 3 years. All middle schoolers can compete for their high school teams minus private schools who do not allow. Yes they can compete for both ms team and high school team.

Timing of regionals and states are scheduled to allow both.

[Bearhugger]

A few days ago, I received an email from my good friend "TrueSouthFanFromPartsUnknown" and he shared the following:


Here's food for thought, to further complicate matter. several states allow middle school wrestlers to participate in the high school state tournament. Kentucky, Minnesota, New York come to mind immediately.

Any middle school wrestler may petition to participate in any region that has fewer than an 8 man bracket.
Doesn't interfere with middle school season (that ended last week).
Eliminates the notion that a high school wrestler can simply make weight at regionals and qualify for States.
Eliminates the gripe that some have re: JV wrestlers not being good enough to make their own team but qualifying for States.

Iowa is looking at doing something similar.

I can not speak for all states, but Kentucky only allows middle schoolers to compete at the high school level if the middle school's administration approves it. It is a school-by-school decision. Not all middle schoolers get to compete at the high school level. From what I have seen, a large percentage of the middle schools that permit it are either places where the MS does not have a wrestling team and the high school does, or the MS and HS are in the same building.

One thing I would like to know is if middle school wrestlers who compete for high schools can still compete for their middle school team. We have a lot of growing to do in wrestling in our state and I would hate to see middle schools have their best talent jump to the high school just so people can be better entertained by full brackets at the high school states.

I fully agree with the aspect of "we have a lot of growing to do in wrestling in our state". We have been shrinking and stuck in the mindset of "this is how it has always been, why change now".

[Bearhugger]

I lived in Kentucky for 3 years. All middle schoolers can compete for their high school teams minus private schools who do not allow. Yes they can compete for both ms team and high school team.

Timing of regionals and states are scheduled to allow both.

After watching every season of "Justified", I was convinced that WV was ahead of Kentucky. I was wrong.

[coach_williams]

I lived in Kentucky for 3 years. All middle schoolers can compete for their high school teams minus private schools who do not allow. Yes they can compete for both ms team and high school team.

Timing of regionals and states are scheduled to allow both.

I don't know where you lived at in Kentucky, but Oldham County Schools has a policy that middle school athletes can not compete at the high school level if there is a middle school team for that sport.

[J.W.]

I lived in Kentucky for 3 years. All middle schoolers can compete for their high school teams minus private schools who do not allow. Yes they can compete for both ms team and high school team.

Timing of regionals and states are scheduled to allow both.

I don't know where you lived at in Kentucky, but Oldham County Schools has a policy that middle school athletes can not compete at the high school level if there is a middle school team for that sport.

Well I lived and coached in Hardin County. Wenter to the coaches / rules meeting for 3 years.

This is the rule as written authorizing 7th and 8th graders. If a county has put their own restriction that is a local rule, not the state governing body rule. But hey, you may know more than me!

Kentucky High School Athletic Association
Kentucky High School Athletic Association KHSAA – Student-athletes of Today, Leaders of Tomorrow
04/21/13 – CHANGES TO KHSAA HIGH SCHOOL RULES APPROVED BY KBE
April 22, 2013Athletic Department Blog Updates

Each year, the KHSAA must submit through KDE, any requested changes to 702 KAR 7:065 effecting governance of high school athletics. Pursuant to KRS 156.070 (2), the Kentucky Board of Education is responsible for all levels of interscholastic athletics in all grades, and has delegated such authority to the KHSAA for many years. Annually, requests for changes to regulations for interscholastic athletic competition at the high school level are submitted from a variety of sources through the KHSAA Board of Control. Normally, this involves a proposed set of changes that are voted on in the fall by the membership, then approved by the Board of Control, and subsequently reviewed as part of 702 KAR 7:065 by the Kentucky Board of Education. After these steps, the proposed changes are taken to the legislature through the Administrative Regulation Review Subcommittee, for final approval.

This year was unusual in that in the midst of the regular review of potential changes at the high school level, the Kentucky Board of Education also had to discuss issues and policy considerations reviewed by the legislative Task Force on Middle School Athletics, formed as a result of the passage of 2012 HCR 155 of the Kentucky General Assembly. Most if not all of the recommendations contained in that report revolved around health and safety of the students, and the members of the Task Force were not swayed in their recommendations by past practice, but only with the best interests of the students in mind from a health and safety perspective.

At its April meeting, the Kentucky Board of Education reviewed and approved the second reading of several changes to this regulation which will be effective in July, following final approval through the legislative process. The regulation as approved is listed at http://portal.ksba.org/public/Meeting/A ... tID=163594. The changes have now been given two independent readings by the Kentucky Board of Education and have the support of the Local Superintendents Advisory Council. The following summarizes the changes made at the high school level:

Playing “up” to the high school level

For many years, legislation (KRS 156.070(2)(c)) has barred any local Board of Education (including the Kentucky Board of Education and its designee to manage interscholastic athletics, the Kentucky High School Athletic Association) from barring participation at the high school level by 7th and 8th grade students, unless those restrictions involved soccer and football. Students not yet enrolled in grade seven (7) were not directly regulated as far as the allowances for participation, except at the local level. Students in grades seven (7) and eight (8) will continue to be allowed to compete provided they are not in conflict with any other KHSAA bylaw.

During the middle school Task Force, compelling testimony was given that from a sports medicine and health perspective, the co-mingling of students below grade six (6) and high school students in an athletic environment, including locker rooms, travel, etc., is not in the younger student’s best interest. Research showed a compelling probability of bullying situations, differences in maturity and physical development, and a pattern of successful positive practices in other states where segregation of the two age groups was best for the students involved. While it was recognized that there is the occasional elite athlete capable of physically competing with high school students, this factor was not compelling when factored against the reasons to stop such play. In addition, it was noted that play at the high school level is expected to be school and education based, not necessarily community based, and the positives gained from a restriction outweighed the negatives.

Beginning with the 2014-2015 school year, students below grade seven (7) will not be permitted to play at any level (freshman, junior varsity or varsity) of high school athletics.
Students who have participated at the high school level (during any period defined by Bylaw 25) prior to the conclusion of the 2013-2014 school year will be “grandfathered” in to the regulation, and allowed to continue to compete at the high school level provided such participation is not in conflict with any other bylaw.
This phase-in will be completed by the start of the 2016-2017 school year, at which point no student below grade seven (7) will have a participation opportunity at the high school level.
During 2014-2015 and 2015-2016, only those students who have participated on the high school level (freshman, junior varsity or varsity) prior to the conclusion of the 2013-2014 school year will be permitted to continue such participation.

[fireman]

In my opinion.... families are leaving our state in record numbers. They take the kids.... then other families leave.. they take the kids.... it's not gonna get any better unless the jobs come back. Every region is down in numbers for all sports. Why would you promote middle school to wrestle at high school level ? A FEW are ready for the change ... but most would get whipped upon and probably quit the sport all together. It's like everything else. It's a cycle. Numbers are down now.. 2 years they may be back up then are you going to want to do a big region shake up again ?? Alot of kids walking around in schools today are athletes. But choose not to be. Fix that and you'll have it solved. Just my 2 cents. Good luck to all the wrestlers this weekend. Stay healthy