Park High School athletic staff see leaving the Suburban East Conference as a way to bolster the school’s sports programs, but first want to hear from the community.

The school’s activities department is inviting students, parents, teachers and local residents to a “community input night” on Park athletics and activities Wednesday, Jan. 11. It will begin at 7 p.m. in the Park lecture hall.

The meeting, to be led by Park Activities Director Phil Kuemmel, comes as coaches and staff are looking at ways to improve the school’s competition and bolster participation. Kuemmel said there is general consensus among coaches that the best solution is to leave the big-school-dominated Suburban East Conference, where Park has struggled to compete in many sports.

Kuemmel acknowledged that any decision about a conference change would require District 833 School Board approval and that so far discussion mostly has involved school coaches and staff.

“We’re trying to improve the climate in the whole entire building” he said of Park.

Superintendent Mark Porter said any proposed change would need the support of the broader Park community, not just the consensus of a small group of coaches. He and School Board members encouraged Kuemmel to solicit more ideas and feedback.

“It does need a broader input before you would move this thing ahead,” Porter said of a conference change. “We’re willing to explore it.”

All three District 833 high schools are in the Suburban East, but Park teams generally have fared worse among conference opponents.

Kuemmel said Park has “unique challenges” that East Ridge and Woodbury high schools may not face and said school staff and coaches believe the district should consider “expanded opportunities” to help Park students.

Park has a higher percentage of students from low-income families, and Kuemmel said Park’s “socioeconomic demographics” are a factor in student-athlete participation. For instance, he said, there are fewer youth traveling athletic teams in Park’s boundary than in Woodbury’s or East Ridge’s, and those teams serve as feeder systems to the high school programs.

Also, Kuemmel said, more Park students may have to decide between getting an after-school job and playing sports.

“I would say that definitely comes into play,” he said.

A smaller pool of participants can make it harder to compete against larger schools, he said.

Kuemmel said some Park teams are competitive in the Suburban East, but a conference change may be better for “the overall culture of Park athletics.”

The Classic Suburban Conference could be an attractive alternative for Park because the schools are similar in size and athletic offerings, Kuemmel said.

“We’re not just going to go anywhere,” he said.

For instance, Park is not eyeing the St. Paul City Conference as an alternative, as some have speculated.

“That’s not going to happen,” he said.

If Park were to leave the Suburban East and was not picked up by the Classic Suburban, it may explore creating a new conference, Kuemmel said. That was unsuccessfully floated in previous discussions about Park’s conference alignment.

Even if Park left the Suburban East, the school still would want to compete against intra-district rivals Woodbury and East Ridge in non-conference competition, Kuemmel said.

Short of a conference change, there are other ways District 833 could help Park, Kuemmel said. For instance, it could restore team bus service to away games at Woodbury and East Ridge. That was eliminated in budget reductions, and student-athletes now must carpool or rely on bus service paid for by booster clubs. Those clubs increasingly are being used as a funding source.

Kuemmel said that school officials want to get public input on “a number of issues affecting Park High school.” He said the school’s focus is to offer “high quality, competitive athletic programs at Park.”

In the offseason, the Minnesota State High School League realigned its section placements for the 2011-12 and 2012-13 school years. The minor adjustments brought forth a major change for the Park wrestling team as perennial power Hastings was moved out of Park’s section and into Section 1AAA.

With the top two teams and the top two individual wrestlers in each weight class qualifying for the state tournament, Park will still need to contend with the state’s top wrestling program, Apple Valley – the six-time defending Class AAA state champion – in section competition. However, without Hastings in Section 3AAA, too, Park will have a better chance to send individuals to state or to go as a team – something that’s only happened twice before (1984 and 1985).

This past year, Apple Valley and Hastings were the No. 1 and No. 2-ranked teams in the state and qualified 22 total wrestlers to state out of the 28 possible berths. Apple Valley sent 13 individuals to the state tournament and Hastings sent nine to state. Of the six remaining spots, Eagan qualified three wrestlers to state and Rosemount, Burnsville and Henry Sibley each sent one wrestler to state.

“Our team is very excited. We will have much more team balance than we have had in many years,” Park head coach Jim LaBrosse said. “However, we still have a long way to go and we feel that this is the year to make big strides in a positive direction.”

This season, Park will be led by senior captains: Kenny Gerhard (145 pounds), David Ayers (138 pounds), Nate Bauman (182 pounds) and Scott Johnston (170 pounds). Other senior wrestlers looking to make an impact are: Craig Sargeant (285 pounds), Jordan Reeves (152 or 145 pounds), D’Monte Farley (160 pounds), Darius Henrey (195 pounds), Max Flipp (138 pounds), Tyler Liljedahl (215 pounds), Nick Cekala (285 pounds) and Ryan Lund (126 pounds). Others to watch in 2011-12 are: junior Matt Armour at 152 pounds, sophomores Cody Linssen at 195 pounds, David Giadyu at 145 pounds, Austin Thurmes at 106 pounds, J. P. Pallias at 120 pounds, freshmen Corey Flaata at 160 pounds, Jake Lanik at 126 pounds, Brandon Young at 145 pounds, Danial Duval at 132 pounds, Tony Watson at 152, Noah Ijohma at 138 pounds, Steven Thongsirisak at 285 pounds and eighth graders Zach Wills at 170 pounds and Collin LaBrosse at 106 pounds. Linssen is the lone Wolfpack wrestler currently ranked in the top 10 in his weight class. He is ranked 10th in the state at 195 pounds right now.

“With the addition of a number of football players coming out to help solidify our upper weights we will be strong up top once again,” LaBrosse said. “We have some great leadership and experience in the middle weights and some scrappers down below.”

This year, the Suburban East Conference is as tough as ever with three teams in the state rankings.

Hastings is ranked third, Forest Lake is fifth and White Bear Lake is seventh.

Last year, Park finished in the middle of the pack. However, LaBrosse said the Wolfpack’s goal this year is to finish in the top four in the SEC.

Park opens the season with the 14-team Lakeville North Invitational on Sat. Dec. 3, followed by the annual District 833 Triangular against rivals Woodbury and East Ridge, which will be hosted by Park on Thursday, Dec. 8. Park also is holding its annual tournament – the Park Wolfpack Duals on Saturday, Dec. 10.

“These guys are very anxious to step on the mat and show their talents,” LaBrosse said.