keep what up the complaing, or quotes. lol

Both Haha

i like you to cja, but all this sintemental, talk is starting to water my eyes. kinda like the first time i watched WHERE THE RED FERN GROWS. and dan gave his life for little ann, and she lie on his grave until she died, and in the spring up pops a RED FERN.
i still cry on that movie.

man i can get off topic on these post. just a little.

I'm not meaning to rain on anyones parade but really guys give the messaging back and forth a rest. I would venture to guess and correct me if I'm wrong <moderators> but the boards of late have been swaying more for some as a means of like what one would use yahoo or msn messenger for. Sure there are times when a direct response/reply to a particular subject is warranted but am I alone in feeling that there is waaay tooo much direct talk messaging back and forth. Come on guys, that is what the message capabilities for this site are for. I like to come to these boards to keep updated on new topics affecting USAW-KS wrestling and also those weighing in on those topics and yes even a ~little~ (key word) humor and bantering amongst those weighing in BUT, ..not to be witness to your unnecessary (at least for ALL eyes on these boards) bantering back and forth about silliness that is dirtying up the forums. ....And NO , I don't want to hear it that you dont HAVE to read it. Yes, you make it necesary to filter through all your junk because the world evolves around you and your personal conversations and views on everything under the sun. ....PLEASE for the sake of others, have a little respect and use the PMs (Personal message option) for your PERSONAL conversations non-wrestling.

How do others feel, am I alone ?

It sure would be nice to come on here to get updated in about 1/4 the time it is now taking (time I could be doing something else of a little more significance than keeping up with some of your personal lives on a daily basis) because of the need to scroll through PERSONAL conversations that go on and on and your need to crack yourself up and assume and be funny.

I apologize as I seriously am not meaning to offend but durn its getting to where its annoying!

AM I .....alone ??

I gotta do it...If you don't like it don't come (and read the posts.)

I started this about the cost of parking this year at the district 1. and it does have to do with wrestling because parents of wrestlers have the last say in does my kid wrestle or stays home and do something else and I was told yesterday by the board they did not know that the people in charge in topeka were going to charge 3.00 a car for parking but when you add that to the cost of food and drinks and then not let any food or drinks in the building thats when USA kansas wrestling needs to make some changes. Every person that has kids that wrestle in Kansas should be thinking what can we do to get more kids into wrestling and belive me running the cost up in entry fees and gate cost and parking plus gas cost to get to where your kid wrestles has got to stop or the numbers will decrease and thats in all sports.

Tom,I like you man but you are way off base on this one. Yesterday was the best ran District tournament that I have been too. The group that put this together should have be commended (including the staff at the Kansas Expocentre) and you go negitive about a three dollar parking fee. Get real; how much did you lay down for a tip for your dinner? How much does parking cost at any other big venues that you have taken wresters too? I bet in both cases it was more than $3. I was at all of the same meetings you were at. While parking was not discussed; Mark let everyone know his contract with the Expo was based on the gate. District One did not have to pay a rental fee to use the facilities.

We had almost 700 wrestlers at the tournament, nobody wrestled on anything less than a half mat surface, all 14 and 16's were on full circles, the tournament started at 8:30am as advertised, nobody had to stand in line waiting for a bathroom stall to open up, WE HAD CHAIR BACK SEATS, and we were done wrestling by 2:30pm. How many other Districts can say the same about their experiences yesterday? Please appreciate what you are getting for the money

Your right the district tournament was great and yes it ran well and yes Mark did a great job and yes your right about every thing< But I think the expocentre people took the district when the parking was not talked about and as Confucius is right about every thing but he is missing the point, we are here for the kids and if the parents of the kids are upset then its time to change things and Mark did a super job and the others clubs that were involed did to. As for the other districts they can do the same thing at Salina and other great places in kansas and should but theres no one in Kansas wrestling than can say the cost to the kids and parents is where it should be.
A lot of clubs that have kids wrestle have some that can not pay the cost to wrestle and most clubs have someone who will pay there way but like our small club it is getting harder for me and others to do that and what happened yesterday is just one reason what can happen when big buisness takes advanage of people that are working there butts off for our kids.

As a 11 yr wrestling family and many many times i have read this website I felt it was time to re-register and give my opinion on this particular topic. I myself was upset when I pulled into the expo yesterday and had to pay to park. It wasnt over the 3 dollars, but more just the idea that we had to pay. We have attended hundreds of tournaments and only the national one we went to in Tulsa did we have to pay to park. I have read post of how the wrestling numbers are down and how we need to promote our clubs and build for the future. I agree, but times are tough and are going to get alot tougher in the near future. When our boys were young and it only cost 6 to 8 bucks a tournament...it was hard to afford it every week. I cant imagine the young parents nowadays trying to pay for gas, motels, and everything they need to keep a kid wrestling every week. When we did it we took food, and drinks and bought used shoes and whatever else needed. The expo center was fine for the tournament but i also refused yesterday to spend any money there because of the convenience. I drove to sonic and bought our food which for 2 of us it cost a matter of 8 bucks. Stuck it in my pocket and walked back in. This is a matter of principal...not cash. In Salina for the High School State tournamnet...they charged 10 dollars a day to get in. BUT the food was reasonable and the pop and water was a normal amount.
If this sport is to continue in the future people need to bind together and quit paying these large amounts for the venues to make such money and you will see a increase in the amount of kids that wrestle. I think alot of parents just cant afford it anymore and so they just dont dont go.
Please note I am not trying to stir anything up here but it is what it is. Its not a crime if one has to struggle in this day and age with money issues....Its just a fact and we all need to take that into consideration when we are hosting a tournament or setting up our consessions stands or whatever to make money for our own clubs.
Good Luck to all the wrestlers next week at STATE!

You can read every post about this topic and the one that LONGTIMEWRESTLIN just added is better than anything you will read and my hats off to him. Thanks

Thank you for the compliment on my post, I just feel that everyone needs to take these matters seriously. And just fyi, I am a wrestling mom. lol... Dad was home sick yesterday and couldnt attend although...he agreed with my frustrations.

D1was out of food in the coaches room by 12:00

I am not looking for a fight by any means, but we are talking about $3…right? I have been to District tourneys over the past few years where fire marshals shut us down and others where the darn sure should have. I have had to wait in line to use the toilet only to find that there is no paper left. Lines at the concessions were 45 minutes deep. Heck, we didn’t get out of the building until after 9pm a couple years…what were you doing last night at 9pm? Get over it…I really don’t think the $3 parking fee or even the $2.50 bottle of water and $5 dipping dots is going to drive anyone away from our sport. If anything I hope the great experience Friday and Saturday will make a lot of these wrestlers and their families hungry to get back into the mix next season.

Hi guys... I have read a lot of positive posts and got just as many PM's to that effect; thank you. I apologize to those who took exception to the $3 parking fee. Confucius is right; our contract with the Expocentre was based strictly on them getting the gate. Parking was a grey area. I really do not see it as that big of deal. Tom and longtimewrestlin look me up at State and I will give you each $3 out of my pocket if it will make things right between us.

Coach Bill, we put out donuts and pastries for breakfast. At 11:30am over 1000 wings (from Hooters, Blind Tiger, and Wingmaster), 10# of meat for sandwiches, 2 crocs of chili, over 100 hot dogs, 4 large plates of fries, 50 slider burgers from the Blind Tiger, and much more. A fountain with Pepsi products was available all day.

We asked that each club working a table provide four people and we gave them each 5 floor passes. It only took three to work the table. The excess were to help as runners that were responsible for keeping their table fed. I had people circulating through the tables with water and cans of Pepsi all day.

If anything, my people were too liberal with who they let into the hospitality room…that is the only way to explain how all the food was gone by 12:00...but we wrestled our last match by 2:30, so I really don't see that as much of an issue either. You could have went to Hooters with one of the FREE coupons being cirulated on your way home and had another meal. I know there are those of you that were so opposed to the venue that no matter how it was wrapped you will still complain…I understand and can take the heat. It comes with the territory.

I hope you all had a good weekend; we did appreciate being your host. I think all three events we had were amazing. There are too many people for me to thank that made it all happen. I will open another thread to try and do that later this week. We are listening to your suggestions and will try to make next year even better! Peace and out.

Mark Stanley

This was our first district tournament. I have to say that the opportunity for my son to wrestle at this venue was well worth the $3.00 parking fee. He had the time of his life. This was big time for him. Isn't that what this is all about? Or is it about getting in free and getting free food?

If I could be guaranteed an event this organized with this much room every week, I would pay the 3.00 every week & this is coming from the guy that packs his lunch, refuses to buy
t shirts unless it is a national tournament or the State tournament. I also missed the hot wings, thanks for bringing those up Mark. You want to improve numbers? Make the events thru out the year as planned & organized as D1 District will be a big step in the right direction.

Mark what a great experience for our 5&6 year olds boys on friday and my 9 year olds first district tourney saturday.If every tourney was this well ran& organized,and the large arena.....I couldnt spot my wife until the matches were nearly over. the price to park $3.00 t shirts $25.00 food $20.00 the great time&memories with our 3 sons PRICLESS!!!!!!!! THANKS A MILLION!!!!

dear Mark as for freinds we still are you did a great job I just think the people that ran the building did not tell you about the parking and as for freinds we still are. Mark you will know when I get mad and for the three dollars keep it for your dinner this week O thats right its free to coaches. I just started this post because I know you heard if from a lot of people and you just fell into a bucket of well you know what I wanted to say and thanks see you sat. and keep up the good work.

One of the gals in the concession stand told me that they were fundraising...so the Expocenter wasn't even having to pay people to man the concession stand... I can't imagine that they set their prices that high and expected people to be able to buy very much. As we all know you need to price it reasonably and you will sell more.

Ok. I hardly ever make comments to these posts but here is my reply. Jackson County wrestling club was also 1 of the hosts of District 1. Let me give you a little backround. I have been involved with our club for the last 13 years. Of those years, I have helped organize 10 years worth of Sub-Districts at our facility. This year was no exception. It was my first year with being involved with Districts as a host and what an eye opener!!

First off-every effort was made to make sure a hospitality room was provided to the coaches and table workers (I don't mess with this at Subs don't have the time and obviously it's not worth all the complaining). I made sure that arrangements were made to get drinks to the tables and I know for a fact that it happened. It was also stated at the table workers meeting that every club was responsible for relieving their workers for lunch break. I know this for a fact because I organized this meeting. We can not be responsible for those parents that gave their passes to their wrestlers to get food out of that room. If you were one of these parents, shame on you!!

Secondly-Did I know about the $3 parking fee? Absolutely not! I paid it and didn't even bat an eye about it. That was a small price to pay to watch kids wrestle their hearts out.

Thirdly-I love to volunteer and have for the past 13 years for wrestling or anything for that matter. Do I expect anything in return when I say yes I'll help you out? NO!! Do I think it's great to get in free and possibly get a free meal? You betcha!! But..hey...if the food is gone and I'm hungry, I get something at the concession stand and don't think twice about it. I figure getting in free and having the best seat in the house is well worth the sacrifice of no lunch especially since you got out of there by 2:30.

But..hey...let's just say that when you run a tourament you don't get much of a chance for breaks. You're pretty much on your feet from 5:30am to 5:00pm (that's what time I got out of there on Saturday and for that matter the Saturday before that)and you're really lucky if you get anything to eat or drink because your way to busy trying to make sure things are running smoothly so everyone can get out of there by 3:00 and yes Subs was done by 3:00 also! Not to mention the long nights several weeks in advance that you are planning for the tournament. AGAIN..a big sacrafice to volunteering but well worth it for the kids.

And..Finally..life is way to short to complain about not getting food for lunch or paying a $3 parking fee. And...yes...I know this too well. My husband is battling his third round with cancer since April 2007. We will be making a trip to Mayo next week to see what type of treatment he can get to help battle this terrible disease since it's resistant to the chemo that he has already had. And...yes...he is a coach for our club and guess what...he was coaching on Saturday! Do you think he cared that water was $2.50 or had to pay $3 for parking? NO...he was there for the kids and enjoyed every minute of it. Is money tight? You bet! We have two kids left in wrestling and with the events of the last year we had to cut back some.

We have always helped the kids that couldn't afford to wrestle and it was difficult not being able to do that this year. So...I help by volunteering my time and not complaining about it even with everything going on in our lives! And...yes...I'll be volunteering my time at State this weekend and so will my husband and for that matter our 10 year old son took it upon himself to ask Tuff if he could volunteer at a table this weekend. What a very valuable lesson for a 10 year old to learn!! You can bet that I'll be very happy volunteering this weekend just for the front row seat that I'll have to watch our 14 year old wrestle and the joy of seeing my husband coach him!!!!

That is what volunteering is all about!!