We have been involved with wrestling for 4 years now. Not as long as most on here, but long enough that we have been involved in both split format and "regular" format tournaments. It just blows my mind that anyone would not be in favor of this. It has nothing to do with "lets hurry up and get out of here so we can go have a beer," as Nigel stated he has heard. It has to do with from our point of view, we have another child that gets put on the back burner during wrestling season. She even had to have her birthday party at the Chanute tournament earlier this year. Saturday was great, she didn't have to be woke up at 6:00 and didn't have to sit for 6+ hours in a gym with her little bag of toys. As much as I love wrestling (you can ask anyone that knows me and they will tell you I can't wait for Saturday's tournaments) getting to spend time as a family is important.

I know you say we should be willing to give up 1 day a week for the sport. It would be fine if it was only one day a week. What about the 2-3 days during the week when I leave my house at 6:45 a.m. for work and after work I meet my son at his practice and we don't get home until 9:00? Many parents give up hours during the week along with their Saturday for both the wrestler and their love of the sport. If that is not supporting your child and the sport I do not know what is.

Even if you don't believe it Nigel, the kids get tired of sitting around all day too. My son is lucky enough to normally be in the championship match at the end of the day, and his bracket is one of the last one completed. Believe me, he was very happy to be out of there in only 3 hours on Saturday.

I believe you can have a passion for the sport and support your child in it with out having to spend 6+ hours every Saturday for 12 weeks in the gym. Nigel said "if it is not broke, don't fix it." Well many of us think maybe it is not broken, but very bent. If we can bend it back before it breaks, why not?