Re depth: I agree w/ what 2082 said. The 9.9 limit makes it difficult to get a couple of kids at each weight who are NQ ready when they arrive on campus. Plus, if the kid is NQ ready as freshman, they won't stick around if they are sitting . . . even if they have a partial or might get one down the road.
I guess one way to take care of the $$$ issue is with RTC shenanigans. At least, that's the narrative we are told. Another way --- and this will sound absurd --- is to make certain demographic metrics more important in the recruiting process, e.g. target potential Pell Grant recipients or academic stars ... or rich kids.
This won't solve the transfer problem though. To solve that problem, the staff would have to find kids who aren't ready to compete in March right out of the gate but fit a wrestling profile that OSU has had success in developing, i e. program kids. Ideally, these kids won't sniff the line up until Jr year and, even then, they should only get in there if one of the big board guys goes down . . . like Hone. Why would these sorta kids hang around with no real chance of starting? Wrestling is hard; why do it? Irrational dedication to OSU wrestling/Stillwater has gotta be part of the recruiting profile.
I would also look at kids that haven't been un a Blair-stylr program in highschool, kids who had a relatively late start, kids who didn't start all 4 years in HS/kids who placed progressively higher in the post season, kids without any injuries ... like at all, kids who hit puberty late, kids who never cut weight, kids who were .. .*** Foot note
Platitudes, I know and ... I'm sure that's what they are doing and .. . it's easier said than done.
*** I know I'll get flamed for this post, so I will go ahead an present my ideal recruit:
1. Significant financial need
2. Son of a D1 volley ball player and a 3-sport athlete in HS, all-state in one. Mom's 5' 9; Dad's 5 ' 11."
3. Mom and dad didn't stop growing until they were 19~. Kid doesn't need shave but about every other week.
4. Turned 18 after New Year his senior year.
5. 5-10 and wrestled 145-152 his senior year. Didn't cut any weight. So ... thin with a big frame. Short legs, long torso, wide hands with sausage fingers.
6. Started wrestling in 7th grade. And wrestled year round since then. High school program had a coach who wrestled D1, but the team is thin. Kid primarily worked out with the coach and the state placer that wrestles one weight above him. Wrestles only about 100 matches in hs, but the schedule is top notch. Takes significant losses => 10th grade. 11th onward he is a tough out against anyone. Has a couple (>2 <5) of none flukey wins against kids whose credentials suggest that the kid can't win, e.g. state super 32/beast/iron man/fargo placers. He might not put together a complete tournament until his senior where he will get on the podium in a tough bracket at one of these tournaments. Placement at state is almost irrelevant. The non-flukey wins are more important.
7. Joined local freestyle club that serves as a regional magnet. Coaches are top notch. Partners are top notch. Misses practices infrequently (homecoming dance, hiking the bitter root valley and such.) Wrestles tournaments infrequently but never flakes when he makes a commitment. When he does wrestle it's at his current skill level, e.g 7th grade = local events, 8th grade regional events, 9th grade state events, 10-12 national events.
8. He doesn't play other sports but did before 7th grade. He still likes skateboarding or rock climbing or parkour.
9. He hits the weights but has not put on much bulk bc he is still growing.
10. No injuries beyond broken fingers and the like.
11. Mean
12. Works as a mason's helper or concrete laborer in summer (see sausage fingers)
13. Interested in whatever field the school is good at, e.g. OSU => agronomy or turf management; OU => meteorology or mining (?)
No flame, but I disagree with the one-sport kid. You may be correct, but HS coaches asking kids to specialize is what is hurting Wrestling in our state.
Football coaches want Football players only, when the reality of it is, Wrestling, Basketball, Track and even Tennis help Football players tremendously. Mainly Wrestling...
I also believe that Football and Track help Wrestling tremendously. So we can agree to disagree on this one, even though you covered the well-rounded aspect of a ute.
The rest of this ties together nicely!
1. Shows a good family structure with a work-hard mentality.
2. Genetics are very powerful
3. Late growth is a super indicator of post adolescence prodcution (in animals anyway.)
4. Eh, I like older on this one to add maturity and quicker response to nutrition and weight training.
5. I also don't like short legs totally. Short legs generally mean less explosive. Bow-legged maybe? I'd like to see good squat and dead-lift numbers combined with vertical and broad jump here.
6. I like it. Less likely to burn out.
7. Spot on!
8. I've already covered my view.
9. Perfect
10. That's important. Bow-legged helps with ACLs here too by-the-way.
11. Dang right!
12. Any labor field that is strongback in the heat labor. I hauled hay and feed in the summers.
13. Exactly. Back to 12, we have a strong farm boy cirricullum as well as a strong construction management program!
Pretty good and insightful post! You should chime in more often!
This post took me a completely different direction than my thoughts. I've long wished that we could get more inner-city black kids excited about Wrestling. Maybe it is the law of numbers, but that demographic always seems to produce? These kids fit many of the criteria except summer labor and education goals. The main thing to me is, athleticism and the NEED to Wrestle!
