Wow, I actually like everyone posting on here that I know and believe that some good points are made in each of the posts. Saying that, let me offer my two cents.
As a parent I personally hate all day tournaments. As a coach it don't matter other than I want my kids and parents to be happy. I am generally there all day, unless like this last week I get a little under the weather. That being said, I think it is important to do as Lemon says, to grow the sport. With little kids especially, and their parents, of which many are new to the sport, you have to give them something to fall in love with before you can put up with the bad parts, like an all day tournament and a full day commitment. For those of us who are married, if we had known about the bad, little things, like squeezing the toothpaste in the middle of the tube, of our spouse at first we may have likely never gotten married. After falling in love though, we tend to overlook the little things, at least most of the time.
Vince is also right, I watched Iowa and Penn State Dual on TV some this weekend, watched the Super Bowl, and that is about it for the week. My yard is flooded, I had to help clean house for a super bowl party and still need to help my wife in cleaning the carpet. Truth is, our house is a mess, (at least to me) because my wife nor I don't have much time to give it due to wrestling and jobs, and I don't think we are much different than many other families in that regard. Therefore, Nigel, I do believe the comment about sitting on the butt to watch TV was a little overboard. Families that work through the week normally only have 1 or 2 days at most to get things done. Also remember, many have seemed to have forgotten in the wrestling community that some families still go to church so that takes away one day, enough there.
Now as to concessions. Lemon, I have heard people say that one of the reasons they don't like the split format is because it cuts into their concession sales. I don�t dispute this as a reason and believe that Nigel makes a good point here. I don�t hear him saying that is right, just that is what people believe. I believe that in the long run that if running split tournaments though that that will balance itself out with additional numbers of people who attend. If having two tournaments in the same district, one a split session, another not, I would choose myself to go to the split session as I am sure most people would, even as a coach. Thus, that tournament has the potential to increase numbers over time. Valley Center ran a great tournament this weekend, a split session, and had to turn people away. I know that next year we will also attend that tournament as a club due to the wonderful experience there.
That does not change the fact though that some see it cutting into concession sales. Now before some become critical of that point, understand that I also fully support a club's right to make money so that becomes a legitimate concern. Often times that money assists the club with costs, or the club uses those funds to help and reward the kids. I think this is okay and I fully support it. It is just that clubs that are running a split tournament might need to look at additional ways to increase revenues if that is an issue. They may need to have a concession stand, plus have a raffle. In Oklahoma, we used to set up some of the tournaments so that for each session you had at least one meal time in there, for example, early breakfast, afternoon, or even having a supper session, I think that the Catoosa tournament for example still does that. It is just a matter of being innovative and maybe doing something different. I know that Derby is even exploring the Nebraska format right now. This would also cut into concession sales but allow you to have more kids wrestle and then those individuals be there for no more than 3 hours.
Next year my son is in high school. I'll help coach some on the kids level but plan on officiating as well. I want to stay involved with the sport and believe that, especially the young kids and those new to wrestling, it is important to make it as convenient for them as possible. Once they fall in love with the sport, they won't mind so much being there all day at a state or national tournament, but even in many places those tournaments are going to a split format.
