Topic ID: 16425 | 15 Posts
I keep seeing all these cool pictures from other states with their state placers on podiums. It's ridiculous we didn't have one last night. Whoever made that decision should be removed from their decision making responsibilities going forward.
If you know a kid that placed top 8, then you know the work they put in. These kids deserved a podium picture.
Khsaa wouldnt allow it. We have it and were ready to bring it, they told us no. Same thing at swimming state.
Everything was great except:
1 lack of adequate venue
2 carry over of team points from semi state
3 highly inconsistent referee calls
At least that’s my takeaway from 40 years of Ky state wrestling tournaments.
9 minutes ago, LCalum said:Joe Angolia stated that Covid regulations was the reason there was no podium.
Haha. They sat next to each other in chairs before they went to get awards, closer than standing on a podium. This is classic and you can't make this up!
19 minutes ago, LCalum said:Joe Angolia stated that Covid regulations was the reason there was no podium.
Did Joe see the thousands of people stuffed into the undersized venue for over 20 hours without masks? Or the hundreds of wrestlers in physical contact, breathing and sweating and bleeding on each other?
Has he even been in a single school classroom in the last 6 months where masks have long since been abandoned and everyone has safely moved on?
Did Joe approve of the silly chairs that the same wrestlers day on shoulder to shoulder?
This is such a cowardly explanation. I'm glad to hear the guys had the podium ready to go, but the khsaa decision really frustrates me.
Whatever happened to Gene Wolfe? He built that podium. One of the nicest I've ever seen.
Unfortunately, the work that Coach Wolf, his Franklin County team, and parents that were involved, were destroyed a few years back due to inadequate storing of those podiums. An “oversight” by the KHSAA. There were a lot of thankless hours put into those podiums. Thank you tiltfor3 for recognizing a man that not only made some podiums for the State Tournament, but also was a huge part in growing the sport of wrestling in KY. Proud to call him my Coach.
I have stored the podium for the last 4-5 years, it is being well taken care of and is ready to go when we are allowed to have it again. I believe a few coaches I cant recall their names built a new one after the old one was destroyed. I want to say maybe Coach Riordan from Oldham helped build the new one.
All I have to say it that it is a good thing we did not have the podium. Otherwise the Ky wrestling State tournament would have went down as one of the biggest super spreader of COVID this year.
Thank you so much KHSAA for watching out for the health of me and my family. 
2 hours ago, coachteater said:Looks like we werent the only ones that got shafted...
But at least they got a venue commensurate with the atmosphere a state final should create and generate.
My prayers, hopes, and dreams are for the KHSAA to be transparent and say we want a check for X amount following the state tournament for wrestling. Assign a committee to handle all aspects of post season, venue selection, acquire mats, acquire scoreboards, acquire awards, acquire tableworkers, set up and tear down. They just provide support, oversight, as needed.
We, the coaches do all the labor, lifting, and execution. They get their money and the kids get a great tournament that exceeds their expectations.
They would take not heat rounds or negative feedback, no stress to them and they still have the money at the end.
Why is this not an option? How would this hinder them? Why can't this be the way forward?
No offense to them, but to be an authority over something, you should have the knowledge and experience to know what and why you are making the decisions you are making.
So allow those with the knowledge and experience to handle those aspects.
