Hello Everyone. We hope you are as excited about the wrestling season fast approaching as we are! We have a question for you. Maize puts on a large tournament every year with a lot of brackets and giving out a lot of medals. This year we are wanting to change things up. We are thinking of having a Championship-style tournament (kind of like Hutch's and Salina's) but taking it a step further. We will have one Championship bracket and one other bracket (B). The Championship bracket will be for the more seasoned wrestlers and all will be in one bracket however large it gets. With that bracket we will give out a "Championship Belt" (that will be a true championship belt) and our medals for 2nd, 3rd, 4th. The (B) bracket will just get medals. There will be one bracket on that side. We will charge $15.00 for the (B) bracket and $25.00 for the Championship side. We would like some feedback from you who attend our tournament every year.

Question: Do you like the idea, and is the entry fees fair?

Tim Fitzmier
President
Maize Wrestling Club

Tim,

Go for it!!!! Some say the awards do not matter, but I bet the kids go nuts for a belt.

I can't wait to see the belt!!!

Jess Keith

Is there any question?....DO IT!

I think it's a great idea. I Can't wait to see the kids reaction when they see the belts.

Absolutly Tim, Not only will the prize be cool but the level of compitsion will raise the bar for other tourneies!!!! GREAT JOB!!!!!!

I say have an open division, I need a belt I am loosing weight again finally.

Super idea! I will bet that your number of entries goes up too.

I guess the question would be for Maize. Is your facility big enough to handle an increase in numbers? I know we have been to the tourny in the past, and it was a bit crowded then. You guys run a great tourny no questions there. I was just curious if you think a high school gym is big enough to hold an increase number of entries? I think your idea is great, an open tourny should for the most part have 1 open bracket.

I think the only question is, can the facility hold everyone. If so I think it's a great idea.

I love the idea! But didn't you guys kinda do this last year but without the belt?
Even though it was an open tournament you took all the upper wrestlers and put them in one bracket and all the C's and D's and put them in another. I say charge a flat rate and divide it up like you did last year. This way an "upper wrestler" don't just slide over to the other side and make for an easy week with a big 1st place. Some people seek medals vs. competition!

Charge a flat rate, say $20!
Have them send in their ranking!
You guys divide them up and make a champion bracket based on their rank!
That bracket wrestles for a belt.
It might even bring in more $$$ for your club that way!

Hey, Thank you everyone on your feed back. I know our facility is big enough. We would run it as a split tournament and we would have to limit the number of entries for now. We have always tried to keep the A wrestlers with A & B and your C & D together. We are wanting to change it up alittle, so that might not happen with this tournament we are wanting to do. I'm not sure about the ranking because not everyone is truthfull about it, you are right in saying "some people seek medals vs. competition. I will run all these ideas by the board and we hope to come up with a AWESOME tournament for all of you. Thank you again!

I do think $25 bucks is a lot for a tournament... I hope it is not just to cover the cost of the belt. Wish I know most kids would love to have... Either way you do it, you always have great wrestlers there and that is why to come to Maize to wrestle.

Lynsey

Tbonesdad, I had my sons read your first post on this subject & they both want a chance to wrestle for a belt. My two sons will be there! I think this is a great idea.

The championship belt idea is awesome. I hope you decide to do it.
I think it would be worth the $25 fee.

I love the idea!! We went to Panhandle Nationals last year which also gives a championship belt. The competition was awesome and the kids were gathered around the awards table all afternoon checking out the belts. The competition was incredible. My younger son was in an 8-man bracket and had to wrestle the TX State Champion, the OK State Champion, and the CO State Champion in 3 total matches.

Great idea! We'll be there!