Thread: Apple Valley, MN High School Wrestling Coach Jim Jackson

gool ole coach jackson...i could see, even back in 1987, that he had big things coming his way...

from my vantage point, he gets more out of his kids than demeray did and he does it with a little bit more positive vibe...just my opinion...before anyone argues that, you can talk with guys like brian kemp, tim duran, joey venewitz who were cutting SERIOUS weight and getting guilt tripped most of the way...

Originally Posted by goferphan

from my vantage point, he gets more out of his kids than demeray did and he does it with a little bit more positive vibe...just my opinion...before anyone argues that, you can talk with guys like brian kemp, tim duran, joey venewitz who were cutting SERIOUS weight and getting guilt tripped most of the way...

You'd be expected to cut more weight, Demaray didn't have 3-4 transfers each year to weight classes where they need guys...

sitandspin, who are you?

I never said Jackson built the program. You would be misinformed to make that statement. It was Demeray that began getting the middle schools and the elementary programs going when I was there. We were expected to volunteer our time with the elementary and middle school programs.

I would disagree that a Brian Kemp needed to be ridden. Just the opposite if you knew his upbringing. That kid, while somewhat of an a-hole to be around had an enormous amount of talent and bravado but I think he burned out even before he got into highschool. Cutting weight I think was killing his ability to perform at a very high level.

Just my opinion. Any AV guy is a friend of mine. Welcome to The Wrestling Talk.

Originally Posted by sitandspin

I was told tha Kemp killed himself some years back. Your right his life did suck. His father was an ass and everyone knew it, even the coaches. I'm not sure that cutting weight had anything to do with making his life worse, per se.

Do the varsity wrestlers still have to help with the VAA?

Yes, they do.

i ran in to Joey Vennewitz about five years ago and we talked about the old days...when I was there I was fighting for time between he and brian kemp at 98 and 105...that kind of blew but then it was kind of sad i thought that both of these guys who were a freshman and a sophomore at the time were still wrestling at these weights two years later...that is ridiculous...joey was short and cut but still had a tough time making weight i am sure...i moved to mankato east my junior and senior years and moved up to 112 and then 119...

the intensity at mankato east was no where near apple valley's but i fell back in love with the sport when i moved to mankato...the coaches were good guys and i got to wrestle against some pretty good lightweights (david lindblom and andre harnitz) who continued to wrestle with some great success in Division II.

actually, coaching the VAA wrestling program was some of the better memories i have of wrestling in apple valley...watching a second grader throw a monster head lock was awesome!!! someone was always crying too...

I didn't get bought to wrestle there...

Shankey didn't, Fesslers didn't, McCauley didn't, etc... It isn't cheating when you are the best option in the state for an athlete to earn a scholarship- its called dominance.

Originally Posted by bigdan2

Why even post this who cares about this they buy all there wrestlers from around the state in my opinion they run an unfair program

thats ridiculous...there have been some instances where some wrestlers certainly came to apple valley from other areas and joined the wrestling program but as Schlottke said, these decisions are made by the parents...its ridiculous to think they are actually recruiting these wrestlers...what can they truly offer them other than an opportunity to wrestle on a good highschool team?

that being said, if you look up and down the roster it is completely stocked with AV wrestlers who started with the elementary school programs...there have also been quite a few years where when the team won the state title, they won it so convincingly that one wrestler out of 13 on the team that may have come from out of state would not have made the difference...