UIL wrestling alignment

[Barrett O'Connell]

Ironman, you act like it takes thought or hard work to come up with a solution to the problems he raised. It doesn't. It takes grade school math. Just count with the fingers on each hand and get the same number (or close to it) in each district.

[Iron Man]

Barrett, It doesnt take a genius to figure out the problems that have been created but it may take a genius to get the UIL to listen! They obviously dont have a very good understanding of the sport! So how does the wrestling community work together to make things better? That is the conversation that should be taking place!

[cwilson]

Ironman, you act like it takes thought or hard work to come up with a solution to the problems he raised. It doesn't. It takes grade school math. Just count with the fingers on each hand and get the same number (or close to it) in each district.

I am not sure the person that drew up these regions has hands and toes. We will have to make the best of this, and I hate to say I told you so, but I told you so. We clearly were not ready for a split. Hopefully those small schools start slapping mats in their gyms, because if they don't, look what we have done.

[Barrett O'Connell]

Barrett, It doesnt take a genius to figure out the problems that have been created but it may take a genius to get the UIL to listen! They obviously dont have a very good understanding of the sport! So how does the wrestling community work together to make things better? That is the conversation that should be taking place!

I agree with this. I think the first step should be a unified request every year from the State's coaches for as numerically balanced an alignment as possible. This does not take a genius, but it does take unity (which is unfortunately far more rare in wrestling than genius).

[justanotherparent]

Well, as much as I hate being the lone voice of optimism, I think they did a pretty good job drawing these up. We have always known that the UIL places a higher value on geographical balance than on competitive balance. That is just the way it is, and I can't blame them. You can't put teams in the same district that are hundreds of miles apart. The result is that some districts are tougher than other districts. But, for the most part, the big problem has been solved by having 4 districts instead of 8. If you are the 4th best in your district, but you are 4th best in the region, you still get to go to the region dance with a good chance of making it to state. We don't have the situation any more that you are 3rd best in your district, but top 4 in the region, but you don't get to go to the regional, much less state. And if you are 5th best in your district, but still 5th best in your region, you aren't making it to state anyway. I think they did about as good as was possible. Yeah, the 2 man district is a little strange, but sticking Lubbock and Amarillo in with El Paso or Ft. Worth would have been even stranger.

[Goddard84]

Ok to have geography as the highest value but that should not limit them from having districts that are more balanced. It should be a starting point and the 2 team district is crazy. Just doesn't work!! Yes, those 2 teams should go to El Paso or Fort Worth for District. 1 trip a year doesn't make that big of a deal. We aren't asking them to travel all season to El Paso or Fort Worth.

[cwilson]

What is crazy is the inability to think outside of the box. Breaking a 17 team district in to two districts puts 4 more kids in the regional tournament, which is a two day tournament anyway. We can definitely have more than 16 kids in regions if needed. I kind of get the two team district, but I don't get the 17 team districts. Split them and have a bigger region. Having 20 or even 24 kids could happen. Why we think we HAVE to have 4 districts in a region is beyond me. IF you need 5 or even 6 it could be done.

[cwilson]

What is crazy is the inability to think outside of the box. Breaking a 17 team district in to two districts puts 4 more kids in the regional tournament, which is a two day tournament anyway. We can definitely have more than 16 kids in regions if needed. I kind of get the two team district, but I don't get the 17 team districts. Split them and have a bigger region. Having 20 or even 24 kids could happen. Why we think we HAVE to have 4 districts in a region is beyond me. IF you need 5 or even 6 it could be done.

Looking at the teams beforehand, you could tell it was going to be crazy. But it is a little crazier than I thought it would be.

[cwilson]

What is crazy is the inability to think outside of the box. Breaking a 17 team district in to two districts puts 4 more kids in the regional tournament, which is a two day tournament anyway. We can definitely have more than 16 kids in regions if needed. I kind of get the two team district, but I don't get the 17 team districts. Split them and have a bigger region. Having 20 or even 24 kids could happen. Why we think we HAVE to have 4 districts in a region is beyond me. IF you need 5 or even 6 it could be done.

Looking at the teams beforehand, you could tell it was going to be crazy. But it is a little crazier than I thought it would be.

[cwilson]

At least they went 4 out of Districts and 4 out of regions. That is an improvement and one of the positive things that came from this.