Wrestling in The Dome?

Paul Hix was asked for program suggestions and his impressions after his first six months in Hennessey as the athletic director and head football coach.

The first suggestion he made is to add a wrestling program.

“It’s a pretty low budget and low maintenance program,” Hix told Hennessey school board members at their Jan. 14 meeting.

He doesn’t have anyone in mind as a coach, he said, and thought they might start the program at the junior high level.

Hix said some students are already wrestling at the youth level, but are having to wrestle through the Kingfisher, Enid or Watonga programs since Hennessey doesn’t offer one.

He said the new event center’s arena would be a great place to host a one-day event.

They usually run from 7 a.m. until 10 p.m. “so every business in town would benefit from it.”

Hix said his son wrestled at Moore and their profits were about $3,000 for three weekends.

“You could have 12 mats going at the same time in the new arena,” he said.

Hix said he wanted all students to try all sports, and though powerlifting is good for all sports, it’s not a OSSAA-sanctioned sport.

“I need more feedback,” he said. “I don’t think it (wrestling) would pull kids from basketball…We have a unique balance here: We have some big farm kids (for football) and some leaner Hispanic kids (for basketball and track).”

Scheduling Problems

Hix said he wants kids to play two sports, or more.

“I’m after these kids’ hearts,” he said. “I want to help mold these kids into being better and to help others…To play a sport that they aren’t particularly good at so their friend that’s really good in volleyball will have a team to play on.

“That way kids aren’t in off-season.”

He said scheduling is a big problem.

“I had a kid (in football) who wanted to play in band, but couldn’t do both because of his schedule, so he dropped football. I want the kid to be able to do both.”

Hix said he doesn’t want to see kids left behind and not know what it’s like to work with others, or with a coach.

Sixth Grade Help Needed

Hix said, “Sixth grade athletics are an issue. Our coaches are stretched pretty thin and we need community support for it.”

“You mean volunteers?” President Patrick Griffi n asked.

“Yes, and I want our kids to participate in a full gamut of sports, not just one,” Hix said.

Not just football, basketball and cross country, “and even bowling,” he added.

“Logan Macy (volunteers) to run our football sixth graders,” he said, and we need community help with others.

Athletic Trainer

“We’re going to have some good equipment in our training rooms, and Kylee (Warne) is the fi n- est (athletic) trainer I’ve seen,” said Hix. “She’s phenomenal.”

Warne is new to the staff this year.

Hix said her “passion is in rehab” and she has already helped several kids who’ve had injuries.

“That way they don’t have to travel to Enid to get the help they need to recover,” Hix said.

He suggested the board consider offering her rehab services to other schools who don’t have a trainer on staff to help with small problems, or post surgical injuries.

“(But) What can we provide and at what value without having our kids going without is also a question,” Hix said.

Athletic Stipends

Hix said the superintendent tasked him with finding out “how we fall in comparison with other schools in paying athletic stipends for coaches.”

“I found out a lot of schools don’t want to share that information,” he said, “but I found that we’re not the highest and not the lowest.”

Hennessey Too Far Away

He said Hennessey’s biggest problem in getting coaches is its location, or the distance from major coaching markets.

“Coaches don’t want to drive this far, and they have to live in Hennessey to coach here,” Hix said. “They love Hennessey and want to stay here after they get here, but there is no place to live here.”

He found that out fi rsthand, he said.

“What about the track?”

A board member asked about use of the track. “It’s just for practice,” said Hix. “It’s going to take a lot more money to get it ready for meets. There are surface issues, no restrooms or concessions or stadium facilities.”