p.s  "Coach". . . I really want to read your lastest argument now that FFs are gone. . . I'm sure "alll of Hawaii's children and not just a select few", as well as their families, are waiting for your pronouncements with baited breath. . . .

Coach Noel Ito said:

For clarification, you do not know my thought process but feel free to imagine you do.

HA!  I KNEW YOU WERE GONNA SAY THAT (AGAIN). . . HA!!!  I DO KNOW  YOUR THOUGHT PROCESS. . .

Coach Noel Ito said:

Also feel free to keep the asterisk on this years wrestling champions (as it speaks volume on  your perspective) as I will keep an asterisk on your post. 

This year's wrestling champions were terrific.  But, they competed in a tournament that was shrunk from the year before based on false pretenses.  Would the outcomes have been different if the OIA didn't engage in their shenanigans???  In many cases probably not. . . and in many cases maybe. . . . But, kids got left out this year because of ungentlemanly gamesmanship, disingenuousness, and greed.  To me, that deserves an asterisk. . .

So, don't just put an asterisk on my post. . . print it out, frame it, and ask yourself  every day if you're part of the problem or part of the solution.

I think you're part of the problem.  You've made that clear. . . 

. . . also,  I know what you're thinking right now. . . . and. . . . that's not very nice. .  .now, is it????

Jimmy said:OK, folks — a very passionate discussion from very diverse viewpoints. But let's keep the comments focused on the key issue here, which is this messed up schedule.

Didn't see the above post until just now. 

Punahou Carnival aside, the proposed compression of Fall, Winter and Spring sports seasons appears to be occuring across the board.  Football is shortened from 19 weeks to 18, and all other sports from 14 to 13.  So, based on season length cuts alone, high school sports over the year will be losing 3 weeks.  Add in that Winter sports in particular are beginning 3 weeks earlier, and you've got a six week swing. 

The wrestling "season", as I understand it, begins on November 1.  SO, it appears that important pre-season "wrestling conditioning", as opposed to football, or cross country, or bowling, or air riflery "conditioning" won't be available for kids in Fall sports.  Moreover, the earlier start and earlier finish's proximity to the ending of Fall sports impacts weight decent issues, timing, and opportunity.  

It seems to me incongruous that the State athletic intelligencia on one hand would impose the weight decent plan on the basis of "safety", but set up a scheduling situation where football players in particular might feel compelled to make ill-advised cuts DURING football season, or dramatic cuts once they are freed from their Fall sports obligations.  The wrestling community understands both the incongruity and concerns they raise.  You gotta wonder whether or not the hs sports intelligencia has thought it through.

Also, an earlier season start means and earlier "regular season" start. . . . so, what happens to Officials?  What happens to Iolani Duals?  Those are Christmas vacation traditions (and understandably so if you've ever attended one or either because they are 2 day events that basically takeover Leilehua and Iolani.  Then the Kamehameha tourney usually follows shortly afterward once school is back in session.  By my admittedly faulty math, the traditional times for those tournaments, if the proposed schedule is kept, would fall squarely in the middle of the "regular season" when league dual matches are supposed to be going on.  At the very least, it seems like already scarce and therefore very valuable wrestling opportunities will be sacrificed in either the pre or regular seasons if the proposed schedule is approved.

Also, with the compression of seasons and overlap, it seems like the sports intelligencia has little remorse about driving kids to "specialize".  What choices will the football player feel compelled to  make if they are serious, ambitious wrestlers???  What choices will the runner, or bowler, or future sniper feel compelled to make?  This past year, at least the football players who weren't in the state tourneys had time to participate in pre-season conditioning.  As we all know, for instance, a player adequately if not well conditioned for football's 7-9 second plays is often simply not ready to jump right into wrestling's 2 minute round, 6 minute match format.  What choices will the kids be forced to make based on those considerations?  How wise is it to place them into situations where they must make those choices?  Isn't the goal with hs athletics to give kids ample opportunities to compete? 

Then, there's the big Shibai – the economic excuse.  OK, let's forget about the SOS fund (which covered last year WITHOUT any reinstating of things cut based on the economic excuse).  Assuming there are economic issues, why do seasons have to be made shorter?  How does  a longer season in any sport increase costs?  Or, more specifically, why does it have to?  Does the costs of the kids practicing an extra one, two, or three weeks cost too much?  Spread out practice times.   Fundraise.  Don't hold cost incurring events if theyt can't be afforded.  All of those things can happen without cutting seasons short.  

Citing economic concerns over season length, particularly for wrestling is a total Shibai.  I can think of two costs that might be increased with a longer season.   1.  Electricity for the practice rooms; and, 2.  Fluids to clean the mats.  I don't count officials/events costs because if they are cost items, then they can simply no occur without shortening seasons.  Everything else in wrestling is already either handled by the kids and their families, or a fixed cost to the schools regardless of season length.  For the kids and families:  shoes, headgear, practice attire, Lamisil.   For the schools, mats, uniforms . . . scale service guy. . . . plus, the longer a wrestling season runs, the less a school has to spend on subsidized lunches for their wrestlers. . . .

But, the bottom line is that, with this proposed schedule and the clear trend toward cutting back sports play in this State, the kids – the participants – get fewer wrestling opportunities and a shorter time to build up to their peaks in a sport that requires as much mat/competition  time to be of greatest benefit to the players.  And, this ain't a pretense argument for me.  I make this argument in full support of my kid and contrary to my own self interests.  Wrestling season is hard on me.  I don't particularly like to go to all day tournaments.  I don't particularly enjoy the way wrestling invades my life from the food I have to prepare – or, more accurately, NOT prepare – to the washing machine running every night to wash the stinky wrestling clothes, to the hours it demands from my family.  The intensity of the sport is simply draining.  BUT, I see and treasure the benefits it brings to my young 'un.  That makes it all worth it – most times . . .