I have sat here and read this thread for some time now. And some people are saying how satilite weigh in will get more people out for wrestling, and how spilt format will get more people out for wrestling, and this and that will get more people out for wrestling. And that we need to come with "today's innovations". I look back when I wrestled kids club in the 80's and 90's from SW Kansas where there were few tournaments close. We would get up on a Saturday morning anywhere between 3:00 AM and 5:00 AM to take off for a tournament. (there were no satalites then) We would get there weigh in, and warm up for the tournament, and I never remember my bracket being a round robin, I always had at least 8-10 wrestlers in my bracket, generally 16 man bracket or more. So in my oppinion all these "innovations" will not get kids out for wrestling. It is convincing kids to get out of in front of the TV or X-Box and wrestle is the only way we are going to get our numbers up. JMO

Lance Geyer

But there were not 5 or 6 tourneys, or more, every weekend back then. Yes, we all were there, early getting up to get to weigh ins, sitting all day til 10 pm as there were no split sessions. The hardcore wrestling families will continue to wrestle no matter what, but if we make little changes that do not HURT anyone, why not make it easier on the kids and their families that are on the verge of saying Screw It!! It is too expensive, too time consuming, etc.

I am missing something for my thought process here.
1. How exactly do satellite weigh ins save me any money?
A couple of the posts indicated that these cost the family twice the fuel. ?????
2. Is the major support of satellite weigh in approval from those who are cutting weight and want an opportunity for the kids to not have to wait another day or morning or however long until the tournament weigh in?
Are we even close to weight the following day?????
3. Time saver for morning weigh ins?
4. Is there a process to challenge a kid's weight the day of a tournament?

What, in reality, are the benefits here?
Terry

I agree that there were not as many tournaments, but the argument here is that there are not as many wrestlers out for wrestling as there used to be, becuase of the expense and time. I disagree with this being the reason for the lack of wrestlers. My thinking is that parents and kids want everything handed to them on a silver platter. Even if everyone does "todays innovations" parents still need to make their kids get off of their butts and be physically active and the parents need to be involved as well. I know I am preaching to the choir here, as most everyone on this forum is more than likely active with wrestling, But I am not sure if Satalites and Split sessions are the answer.

I can put that in perspective from my point of view. If there were satellite weigh ins, I would be spending at least $45.00 less. If I spent $10-15 to get to/from satellite site versus $60-70 for even a cheap hotel. Second, it is harder for some kids to make weight in the evening(due to eating that day) than it is making weight in the morning. So that is not what people are running from. These are simply cost/time effective ways to save and help more economically challenged families be involved.

As to #3, don't know. #4-I sure wish there was a way to put that into effect and believe that would have to be an option if satellite's were allowed within some parameters of course.

I also didn't include the amount of money that would be saved on food not having to eat out and feed two growing boys for dinner and breakfast that could be eaten at home.

can't speak for everyone, but here is why i speak about the "innovations" as a good thing for the sport to grow.

I coach other sports (baseball and football) all three sports we travel, all three sports we spend time and money. We have had kids join the wrestling team, then give it up after about a year. Some of the reasons they brought up were time and money. We tell parents up front, what it takes, sacrifices etc. they still have found that they spend less in baseball and football combined than in wrestling.

face it we are not in the "space in time" when we grew up. everything is different.

"Unless you continually work, evolve, and innovate, you will learn a quick and painful lesson, from someone who has" Cael Sanderson

this quotes fits all areas of our daily lives, work, school, sports, family. nothing will ever be the way it used to be, nothing, we have to accept that, and continue to work to be better.

I agree we need to continue to be innovative with our sports, but as far as satalites for qualifying tournaments I dont agree with this. And I am very suprised that you guys can play traveling baseball and football cheaper than you can wrestle. Many of our families say even though wrestling is an expensive sport, it is cheaper than traveling baseball, and football. As far as innovations for wrestling I am sure they will come, but it takes time, as people dont like change, look how long it has taken Trackwrestling to take off. JMO

I hope you are correct that these innovations will bring more to the sport, but as I commented earlier, I feel there are many other factors that need to be addressed as well, to ensure wrestling grows in numbers. (again JMO)

For those people gripping about driving....I would be more than happy to drive hours to weigh in for subs or districts if it meant by kid making it to state. It's a small price to pay for the memories and fun we have. In district 2 we have so many great kids left at home for state because our subs and districts are so stacked. Let's just rotate the 8 subdistricts every year. We all will have to drive and get the best 16 kids to state

One thing no one has mentioned is, getting a certified official (are we meaning KSHSAA or just kids?) to be at the weigh in all evening. They are going to have to be paid, or good luck getting someone to just volunteer to drive to the satellites.

No matter what we are doing someone is going to pay for the use of satellites. I know it's not all about money but as everyone already knows finding enough officials is hard enough.

What happens when a kid is turned away for having long hair or nails etc, who reports this and makes sure the kid doesn't compete?

Just a few other thoughts from the other side of the coin so to speak.

The reason I like satilite weigh ins is that I do not have to get up so early in the morn! When we have to go up to KC in the early season we just suck it up and get up very, very early! As far as baseball goes, I have a nephew in 7th grade and the are going to OKC 4 weekends in a row with a 2 night hotel room stay each time. So no matter what you do it costs something!

Almost every club is associated with a community that has a Jr. High Program, or High school program and if not they are not far from them. Jr high and high school coaches do the weigh ins for the regular season, why couldn't they do this for subs and districts.

There is little doubt, alot of today's kids are p*ssified, and it is much harder as a coach to keep kids out. The easy way out is the route that most parents and kids will take if given the option. If you give a kid a choice of going to get his butt kicked on Saturday, or playing video games, he'll take the video games. If you give the parent the option of letting the kid play video games, since they have to drive a long ways to weigh in, or buy a hotel room, or whatever, versus giving them the option of a nice close satellite weigh in, and telling their kid to nut up and wrestle, it is easier on that parent to be harder on their kid.........Long winded, but you get the point.

I remember a guy that had kids on our club, who are now graduated. He said when they first started wrestling, he told them they had two options, wrestle or not wrestle. They said not wrestle, and he said he changed his mind, that isn't an option, you only have one option.........

If everyone wants satellite weigh ins it can be accomodated NEXT year. Simply write up a proposal and email (as well as mail) it to Matt Treaster. You just need to cover all of the details on how it will be done. The schedule has to be consistent, certified official, certified scale, etc. It was NOT defined this year and if you want a state tournament series to be credible you have to have standardization and consistency. That is the only fair way to operate a series. If your proposal is credible and supported by 2/3 of the state body then next year we will have satellite weigh ins for state. We cannot just change the rules at the last minute this year. Sorry.

I have three boys and we've been wrestling for 12 years now. I say no satellite weigh-ins for qualifiers. We've used them. Mainly to get a good breakfast at home. We've went to split format tournaments and those don't save any money.(still had to get a hotel room because we live out west) Just a big hassle for my boys. The waiting is worse than a regular tournament. Split format tournaments are probably good for the Wichita, Topeka, Kansas City area families. If you want to save money pack a cooler. Stay away from the t-shirts and other vendors at tournaments. Change spending habits somewhat. Don't eat out! We don't eat out unless we have to(I know we're boring)But, we do what we have to do. All my boys are involved in wrestling, baseball, football and now tennis.Ages soph. 7th and 4th grade.

Ok I have set here and read every post and still don't understand why if District 2 south in Garden Plains is going to be a split tournament then why there is not an afternoon weigh in session. I will be traveling almost 4 hours to get there and I have two kids that will be wrestling in the afternoon session. Why is it fair to make my kids or any other kid who wrestles in the afternoon come up on Friday night(I have to take off work early), stay the night (which cost money), and just wait around till 1:00 pm for them to wrestle????? If my kids wrestled in the moring it would be one thing to stay the night or weigh in that morning, but we don't wrestle till that afternoon.

I have 3 kids and I am very tough on my kids and everybody that knows me will tell you the same thing. My kids are not allowed to quit and they do travel to wrestle, but if we don't wrestle till 1:00pm at Garden plains then why is there no afternoon weigh in session? That is what all the fuss is about. We have to take off work, stay the night, and just wait till 1:00 to wreslte. Thats crap!!!!!!!

T. Will why are you hard on your kids? Is it that you want them to reach their potential... Are living your dreams through them.. Or love the sport of wrestling and want your children to learn the life lessons wrestling brings? I think we all need to examine our intentions and our competitive spirit. Food for thought! These are the rules right now and let's live by them.

Cut to the chase people, if it wasn't for the internet none of you would be able to air their dirty laundry for the world to see. There is no point in complaining. The rules are the rules set by the people in charge. If it was football you wouldn't be able to start the game early, basketball doesn't change cause some kid didn't get to stay home and play. Why is wrestling so different? Some kids, and their parents, have the drive to sacrifice and some don't that's the bottom line!!! Home weigh-ins don't save money in the end (maybe a hotel which we as parents probably spend on foolish things anyway)suck it up it's for your kids.