Nobody Asked Me, But…

I don't understand why everyone is complaining about recruiting. Look at all the top High School football teams, Most of them are private schools. Do you think they recruit? If my kid had a chance to go to a elite school like Graham I would send him there. In wrestling you need the exposure to colleges early or you will not get a scholarship. I was a referee for wrestling in Ohio for 15 years and I loved seeing the top notch school wrestle. Now I live in California and there is not as many top notch school. Wrestling in California isn't at same competitive level as in Ohio.

ahhh!!! i better not bite too many hats or i'll get a tummy ache

Listen to your own words! just about everyone transferred to Graham at some point? hmm does that sound like what high school athletics were supposed to be ? I don't think so - athletics are supposed to be an adjunct to academics - instead what Graham has done is put competing in wrestling first and thus become a hub of kids from lets say Wyoming - who move in just to wrestle - Jordan doesn't develop wrestlers - he recruits them that is a fact -does he have the best team in the country - yes he does - but he is not playing by the rules

"Recruiter" So let me understand this, Jeff Jordan is a "cheater" because Graham has a great atmosphere and develops talented wrestlers. I thought that is what a wrestling coach was supposed to do. I moved to Saint Paris, OH (transferred in) when I was in the 8th grade, back in 1982. I imagine that just about everyone that currently attends Graham High School also transferred in at some point. I doubt that very many kids can say they attend the same school that their parents and grandparents attended. Do we get move -ins? Sure. Doesn't everyone? Don%u2019t all schools have families move in and out of their district every year? So what's the problem? I guess everyone that's not at the top has to find something to blame other than themselves. The winner must be cheating. It couldn%u2019t possibly be the fact that they work harder and dedicate themselves more. No, they must be cheating. Because if they%u2019re not, then I%u2019m just a loser that%u2019s not willing to do the work that it takes to get to the top and that just can%u2019t be the case.

Ian my friend - its all hersay but let me tell you how it is done - Jeff Jordan has a very successful camp - "Jeff Jordan's State Champ Camp" and what happens - according to parents of wrestlers is that when Jeff gets a phenom - he pays more attention to him and tells him he can have "this" everyday - this being the atmosphere and workout partners at Graham - it's one of those things that you can never prove but Jeff knows he's a cheater and he can take that to the grave. Leave it to wrestling to become the new gymnastics of disfunctional youth sports!

I think you're confusing recruiting and transferring. St. Paris Graham no doubt gets transfers, almost all big time high school programs do, but I doubt Coach Jordan is making home visits to 8th graders asking them to wrestle for him. They move into the area because they want to wrestle there. I completely agree that it hurts the lesser programs, we've seen that in the Lehigh Valley where I live. But rather than complaining about how unfair it is, I think its important to recognize just how good this team is, because its one for the ages. And aa, this has nothing to do with full nelsons, but I needed a title for my column. If you have a better idea, please let me know, because I'm very open to suggestions.

Good Stuff

Graham has done amazing things but look at how these kids are being held back. the state needs to do something. I have a 13 yr old and to realize that in 7th grade he is wrestling a 15 yr old who is also in 7th grade is crazy. not only does graham get kids in from all over the country look at how many kids have been held back in school.

First of all St Paris Graham does recruit - as do many other schools around the country - what this does is delute the talent at public schools and despite what you think is not good for the sport - the age old adage of going to the better room definately makes better wrestlers and less solid programs - so in our depleted college wrestling community - please don't cry when more programs get dropped because they can't compete - the high schools are now starting to do a better job than colleges with recruiting.

this has nothing to do with full nelsons!