is that too late. nix they are going to call the local pd on your butt. you know how some people in here are so i wouldnt put it past a few to do that. just trying to get through these next 2 weeks we are taking off before going to the classic.

I'm with Luellen. BTW, love the OT quote in the sig line - that rocks!! Later man ... tell my kids hi if you see them this weekend ... I'm in NC.

Wow...are we here for ourselves or our kids?? I don't hear the kids complaining...and sometimes, as much as medals and brackets are nice...isn't about being a good sport and showing good sportsmanship and supporting/respecting each other?

Also, for the one that misses tournaments because of others...maybe what is said isn't always the truth. We can all and should all make our own decisions based on truth not the rumor mill.

your right bock so i was only kidding he only had 2 laxatives and he did get a sip of water. shoot if the local pd showed up they would say dam jeffrey for being 58 pounds has a gut like his daddy,lol

and i agree with you luellen that was a good post. 2 weeks off bockman hell we just started if you can believe it, we hit our first tournament this last saturday

EVEN A BROKEN CLOCK IS RIGHT TWICE A DAY.

SOME DAYS THE SUN EVEN SHINES ON A DOGS BUTT.

ANY IDIOT CAN WIN THE LOTTERY.

ETC...

Jon Trowbridge 913-314-4529
4251 Parkview Ave.
Kansas city, Ks 66104

I still have my own point of view and still have an ax to grind with those Sprawl guys. The only thing I’ve learned is to be a little more "sensitive" cause people can take the written way out of context a lot faster than the spoken word!
As for my name, I will let everyone know as soon as the others on here start playing by the "rules"!
My opinions are mine and sometimes people might associate MY opinions (good, bad, ugly, crazy, or even controversial) with my club and I don’t speak for them.

highcrotch is cool, we had our differences, but now we're good.

at least with highcrotch you get the whole story, feelings and why, with others you only get quick little riddles.

HOLY HEADGEAR BATMAN......SPORTSFAN IS THE RIDDLER!!

Your obsession with me is noted!

I think he was the second gunman on the grassy knoll.

Last time I checked an opinion was an opinion. I have never known an opinion to be wrong. But when you go to the same people a few years in a row and have the same issues? 2 years in a row I have had a bad experience at the same place. Same issues. You are right it is not about the medals and brackets, someone said something about they're not in it to profit, then if they aren't then why are they getting cheaper and cheaper on awards and charging higher entry fees? That money is going somewhere. I'm not saying it is going to someone personally, but I am saying people are seeing $$$$. I am not going to keep my OPINION to myself good or bad. If you don't like it, then ignore it. If you run a crappy tournament then people should know about it. If you run a good tournament people should know as well. I think we're all a little past the good job certificate stage, but i'll be more than happy to print off something if it will make you all warm and fuzzy inside and not hurt your feelings.

you are right for once you are entitled to your opinion, as is anyone else.

the problem isn't your opinion, it's your approach--learn from highcrotch/ sprotsfan is a lost cause.

you can't want your opinion heard and then tell people who don't agree to simply ignore it. now you are the guilty one, of not listening to others opinions. see how it works now, we don't have to agree, we don't have to read, we don't have to post, but if we do it's as OK for anyone else as it is for you.

OK YOU WIN clubs do put on tournaments to raise $$$, there is a big difference between raising $$$$ to fund the wrestling clubs activities, and making a profit. they might want singlets, mats, headgear, shoes, camps, rooms at tournament, travel $$$, OR EVEN TONER FOR PRINTED BRACKETS OR BIGGER/BETTER MEDALS, it doesn't mean that someone is getting rich at your expense. toughen up or stay away, it's as simple as that.

AND TO YOUR LAST POINt: let everyone know what tournament you run, then we can come see how it's done. until you do, your OPINION WON'T HOLD WATER WITH THE MAJORITY OF THE FOLKS ON THESE FORUMS.

Then why haven't I?

If I remember right....CC's Dad was one of the biggest complainers about our tournament a few years back. Some of his "constructed" criticism he had against our tournament was based not on truth but on assumptions made by him that were not true and therein lies the problem.

You may say it is only your opinion but do you really have all of the right facts? Do know all of the circumstances surrounding the tournament that may play a part in how it was run? And how can you honestly say you can judge which tournaments to go to based on ONE or TWO people's comments on a public talk forum? What if the majority of people thought the tournament was very well run but one guy just had a bone to pick so decided to make negative comments? Or maybe I just don't like a club and decide to just make up stuff about how bad their tournament was even if I didn't actually attend?

I have been involved with several tournaments....even helping to run my fair share and I can tell you it is no easy task at all. There is NO tournament where everyone leaves completely happy. There is NO tournament where everyone doesn't have suggestions on how it should have been done better. It just doesn't happen and to expect every tournament to be run completely to YOUR style is fool-headed.

Here are a few comments to add to the post that started this topic:

1. There are beginner refs who need experience to perfect their skills and learn by doing. How are these beginner refs ever going to be the experienced and highly qualified refs if they are never given any work? So instead of complaining about the refs, maybe try to understand that they are doing exactly the same thing as the kid....they are learning and getting experience. Instead of cutting them down, offer them constructive advice and help them out.

2. Understand that not every club has over 100 highly-qualified parents willing to volunteer to run the tournament. Every tournament will have volunteers who are "newbies" helping at a table, or working in the concession stand, or handing out the brackets. Again, it will be more beneficial to help these people out and realize that they are learning and getting experience than to cut them down.

3. Understand that there are many clubs that don't have the facilities that some of the bigger clubs enjoy so they must make do with what they have.

4. And no....not every club can afford to purchase those shiny new medals, provide a catered hospitality room, or give over 100 huge wall-size brackets made from sturdy card stock. The club may be hosting a tournament primarily to make sure kids have a tournament close by to wrestle and are just planning on breaking even or they may be trying to put as much profit as they can towards the club so there IS a club next year. If they go all out on the shiny, belt-buckle size medals...that means they will either have to increase their entry fees or not have money for every member to have a singlet the next year.

5. Not every tournament makes money. Many times people only see the money made by the entry fees and the concession stands but they don't see the expenses that are also incurred....like paying for the refs, paying for the food for the concession stand, renting the facilities, paying for the medals and brackets, ect. Our club had two years in a row where we LOST money hosting the tournaments.

6. And finally, whenever I hear someone openly complaining about a tournament....that just proves to me that they have never had to actually PUT ON a tournament themselves (and no, I don't mean just working...I mean they have never been the tournament DIRECTOR). For if they have, then they would know the huge amount of work necessary to run a tournament from start to finish. I, myself, will never publicly complain about any tournament I attend as I KNOW what is involved and I UNDERSTAND how hard it is to be the tournament director and to have a successful tournament for the MAJORITY of people.

Very well put mom4!

And there are a couple of tournaments out there who run it (and well) by paper and pencil ... there probably is not a computer in sight!!

OK since these are directed at me I will comment then I am done, this is beating a dead horse here. First for mom4. I was not the one that complained about your tournament years ago or whatever it was. Had you read the post you would have know that the same problems have happened 2 years in a row. And my opinions are based on fact. They are not made up because I don't like your club, I don't know your club. I could care less about your club. If you don't like being criticized about your tournament GET BETTER! It's just like wrestling, if you don't like losing, do something about it, don't keep making the same careless mistakes every year.
1) Trust me, the ref that had the mats I coached on, he needed depends not baby diapers. He was no beginner. Just awful.
2)I realize there are "newbies" but do you train them before the tournament? have practice matches at practice for them to score possibly? Just a suggestion that worked for us. And maybe they wouldn't get cut down if they actually paid attention to the matches instead of talking or texting on their cell phones during the match!
3) If you know you don't have the facilities, don't accept more than you advertise. I think you ended up with over 100 extra entries, so you are looking at 200-300 more people. That more than likely would have eliminated either the hallway problem or the problem around the mats.
4) No one is asking for a catered hospitality room, I have yet to go into a hospitality room, I spend money at the concession to support the clubs. And you kind of made my point for me, fees HAVE increased and the awards have gotten worse. Maybe it's because we baby the kids too much by making ABC brackets in an OPEN tournament, so there are increased cost because you have to buy more participation medals.
5) If you are losing money at your tournament there is probably a reason why.
6) I have been a tournament director and have ran many tournaments. Success of your tournament depends on the people you have working it. And that means treating it like a business by training people and preparing. I am assuming that you don't ever complain about anything? WOW! you must be the only person in the world! Complaints are part of it and for you HEADUP, if you can't take the criticism, what was it "toughen up"!

HEADUP....I want to join your club if you are paying for camps, singlets, shoes, headgear and rooms for travel!!

I am assuming this whole thread was directed at me and my opinions. I am NOT the only person that had the same opinion, I am simply just stating what I and others were saying at the tournament. And i don't believe in patting someone on the back for a "job well done", "great tournament" when it clearly wasn't and hasn't been the last few years. Maybe it has just been luck of the draw by getting on a mat that has no clue what is going on. That's my fault for giving it another shot and that's their fault for allowing bad mistakes to happen yearly. I am done commenting on this tournament.

you know it's hard to even consider anything or opinion to any post any of you put without a name behind the post.

just my thoughts name, town, somthing

Beeson your not rich ehough to win yet. But when you do you can finally get those Spinner wheels for your Trailer House! You'll be the envy of the the park. LOL

beeson you have to play the lottery first.

1- these comments are directed to anyone who complains, rather than offer suggestions
2- complaints are counter productive and do not have a place in any aspect of my life...i can take criticism just fine, and this club/ tournament has nothing to do with me. i just don't like whiners. period.
3- we do furnish the above mentioned in our club, we have a very strong group and work well together, there are certainly mistakes and things can always improve, but again there is no room for COMPLAINTS
4- YOU WOULD NEVER MAKE IT IN OUR CLUB, AS THERE IS NO ROOM FOR COMPLAINTS- FROM ANYONE.
5- i noticed you figured it out and started a more positive thread and i thank you and appreciate it, hope there are no hard feelings. SUGGESTIONS=PRODUCTIVE/ COMPLAINTS= COUNTER PRODUCTIVE.