As one of the Team Ky coaches and a board member for KY USA I will take part of the blame on this one. 

We need to continue to improve on our organization and do a much much better job preparing these kids to compete in Fargo. Over the last year KY USA has involved more people in the organization and made some great strides forward, but still a lot of work to do. As far as preparation, I think Zeke said it best in his post match interview when he talked about the coaches from Indiana playing a big role in his freestyle development (specifically Mauer Caughlin). While I applaud Zeke and his family for seeking out these resources and opportunities, this shouldn't HAVE to happen. For the record I have nothing but great things to say about those coaches and they deserve a lot of credit for the development Zeke has shown over the last 6 weeks. While we are showing tremendous momentum and unprecedented success recently, I think it is primarily due to a few individuals going above and beyond to get themselves as prepared as possible. We have to do more than just a single camp here or there and really get kids training across the state. And I mean training. Not just a little drilling here and there, but a good number of kids really getting ready to compete at a high level. And right now we aren't there. We held free open workouts in N KY for the last 3 months totally focused on freestyle. Virtually never had more than 4-5 kids in the room (2 of those my own). We have to get more in line across the state and push kids to the resources to allow them to be successful. And we should be able to make that happen in our state and not push our best kids to seek out better options. 

Exactly!!! It's very hard to find Freestyle coaches here in KY in the off season. My son wants to wrestle all year long, we traveled the counrty this off season wrestling all over, my son always wrestled at these tournaments with out a coach, he went out and did what he loved. He has a private coach who is great, but when he wrestled in our Ky Freestyle State tournament and the USA Wrestling Regionals in Kalamazoo Michigan he was coachless. I just could not believe that KY does not have Coaches interested in coaching these kids in Freestyle!!! If our kids are going to be wrestling Freestyle in College, I would think that they would be learning it in HS. I was very proud of my son to get out on the mat at all these tournaments and wrestle without a coach in his corner, but at the same time it angered me that KY shows no support to these kids who want to better their wrestling skills for a future in college wrestling. 

5 hours ago, Melissao6969 said:

Exactly!!! It's very hard to find Freestyle coaches here in KY in the off season. My son wants to wrestle all year long, we traveled the counrty this off season wrestling all over, my son always wrestled at these tournaments with out a coach, he went out and did what he loved. He has a private coach who is great, but when he wrestled in our Ky Freestyle State tournament and the USA Wrestling Regionals in Kalamazoo Michigan he was coachless. I just could not believe that KY does not have Coaches interested in coaching these kids in Freestyle!!! If our kids are going to be wrestling Freestyle in College, I would think that they would be learning it in HS. I was very proud of my son to get out on the mat at all these tournaments and wrestle without a coach in his corner, but at the same time it angered me that KY shows no support to these kids who want to better their wrestling skills for a future in college wrestling. 

College wrestling is folkstyle. 

I'm sorry, I meant to say his career in freestyle for the future. After and during college. This kid is not gonna quit wrestling freestyle he says it's much more exciting and more of a challenge for him. All I was trying to say is I wish more KY coaches would get involved with the kids who want to prosper in this style of wrestling. The coaches we have in KY that are involved are great like The Mustang Coach and Coach Carr but they are not close to out part of the state or he would definitely be working with one of them on a regular basis. In our town wrestling stops after the regular season we have to travel 5 days a week for training which I don't mind but that still does not give him someone by his side on the mat. I have seen how dedicated the few Freestyle coaches we have are, I just wish there were more!!! 

 It is sad how the writing on the wall is all of sudden apparent with the success of Zeke. You mentioned how Zeke praised and thanked his coaches, Maurer and Coughlin for his accomplishments. Well if that's the case then why was there no numbers for Maurer and Coughlin when they came to KY?? There was a strong showing the first couple of weeks but it died. I believe Trinity also has or had some Cuban Olympian placer and Pan Am Champion training freestyle over the spring for $10 a session. So what's the real excuse??? It seems to me over the years, that web as a state, want to be good but don't want to put in the time. Have more freestyle tournaments through out spring. Once Folkstyle is over, we should be doing freestyle all over the state. Get the youth involved more. The younger kids seem to gravitate more to freestyle. As I said in my previous thread...missed opportunity. But lets focus on what we can do going forward. 

First things first, Zeke thanked all his coaches not just Mauer Coughlin.  He thanked his local coaches, Mauer Coughlin for the help preparing him for Fargo and Coach Marcus Hoehn for always being in his corner coaching him no matter where they're at.  I don't believe Ranger was trying to make it sound like he only thanked Mauer Coughlin but I want to be sure that those that read his message and weren't there don't take it that way.  Second, Mauer Coughlin is a great club with a ton of experience and knowledge.  They also have a club full of partners that are very competitive.  During the folkstyle season, Zeke has never spent much time there because he's never had to and I believe this is the point Ranger was trying to make.  I too have questioned why I'm having to take Zeke to MCWC for freestyle.  What I've come to believe is that some people only focus on folkstyle because it's your high school therefore it shines a brighter light on the community and is more team oriented.  In Freestyle the wrestler represents the state which means for KY wrestlers all awards are individual awards.  If a wrestler doesn't perform he doesn't get a feel good award for being part of the winning team. He gets nothing.  Some people are more interested in growing wrestling locally and others see the bigger picture and want to grow the wrestling presence at the state level.  I don't see a problem with either vision so long as they don't undermine one another in their attempt to reach their goals.   After all, growing the sport of wrestling is the ultimate goal.  

Thanks for clarifying Richard. You are correct. Zeke recognized all his coaches for their efforts. My point was the need to seek out other opportunities because our state as a whole is not stepping up to the plate. 

125, go read my most recent rant #3. Even when the opportunities are right in front of them, kids and parents don't step up to the plate and take advantage of it. I see it every stinking day. At the end of the day I don't mind it for the kids who are taking the easy path, but what really burns me up is the kids who do show up struggle to get a good room of competition to jump levels like they could. 

I would love for there to be more opportunities in eastern Ky for Blue to train through the summer. But it's hard to drop everything and travel 3 hours a few times a week. Blue has only wrestled folk style but he'd love to learn the other disciplines. 

Congrats to Zeke. He's a great kid who earns every win.