I would like to see us split the state tournament up. Lets get 6,8,10 year olds done the weekend of or before HS regionals. They need subs, dist and state. The size of that event would allow us to move it around: Hays, Salina, Wichita, Pittsburg, and Topeka. The 12, 14, and HS state would be held by having a Dist on the Saturday after HS state and State the following weekend. Again, small enough to use several venues.

Our tournament has outgrown any available arena. Saturday after the parade of clubs we started wrestling and the floor was really crowded. I looked around and we had fans sitting in every row all the way to the top and from one corner to the other!!! It was awesome but this means we are too big.

This plan gives families their spring break back. Lets you go to the NCAA tournament without giving up the kids state series. Lets the little wrestlers start baseball, soccer, lacrosse or whatever as those age groups don't need to be singularly focused on wrestling yet.

Lets get it done!

I have a contract with Hyatt Place in Topeka for 25 rooms, I actually need 26. They felt I only needed 18 rooms and will not honor the contract I have with them. They said they are over booked and that the 8 additional rooms will not be available. Now I have 8 families that will need to find a room this weekend.

It’s frustrating when you have stayed at the same hotel for 6 years and they feel the need to break their commitments. What is the point of having a contract if they will not fill their obligations?

I do NOT recommend staying here, unless you want to take a chance of sleeping in your car.
_________________________
Bruce Woodruff
Goddard Wrestling Club
316-259-7353


The tournament has grown to the point that Topeka does not have adequate lodging options.

I have 6u, 8u, and 10u sons wrestling, so at least for the next couple of years, would be relatively unaffected by the logistics of this type of change (others would not be so lucky). My sons absolutely enjoy being with all their friends, the ones they have worked so hard with throughout the year; they've been through all the ups and downs with there teammates all year and would be disappointed if they were not able to share the experience with them. I can't speak for the older boys, but I think they get a kick out of sharing the experience with the younger guys too.

If there was a split to occur, and I am not agreeing or disagreeing with that fact, further splitting the 6u-14u, is not the way to go... it is tough enough for the 6u wrestlers not to be wrestling with their teammates.

On the other hand, it would be nice to move the season up a little somehow, I agree with Cokely, it get's awful tough this time of year.

I know someone will get on here and point out they will have to attend two state tournaments but the fact is that same family will be attending a tournament somewhere that weekend in February so the cost is not a valid argument. This proposal shortens the entire season by two weeks which means two less tournaments that a folkstyle family will be compeled to attend which is, in reality, a cost savings for 90% of the families who will not wrestle after Folkstyle state(s).

i agree with you there!! the opportunity to finish the season at a state tournament with your WHOLE team.''''' PRICELESS


Hows the Sprint Center?

I would have to think long and hard about what our little kids would be missing out on, by not being "teammates" with the HS kids that come back to wrestle the kids series. The HS kids get something out of "mentoring" the younger kids, and I know the younger kids love being with the "big boys".

Was the executive board aware that the city of Topeka was going to initiate a special room tax just for this past weekend, at the time of the contract decision?

I agree Doug, all our big boys were so nice and supportive of the little guys and they loved it. They need to have that, someday it will be their turn.

Someone has not taken their sedative yet today.

Sportsfan02,

I heard several people say the same thing this past weekend. I must be honest here I only spend the night in Topeka one weekend a year so if you can send me proff that this occured I will get to the bottom of it.

And the Council was not told about any special tax for this past weekend.

Ned

I agree and have to add myself to that i love seeing the Bigger kids mix it up in the same venue. Hell I hate that we have to choose which highschool state to go watch when you have friends from all over.

Ned,

All I am aware of is this, which was posted in another thread...

DUMB IDEA. U can pick and choose what tournaments u attend. U will b taking away from some of the clubs that host tournaments. For some clubs tournaments r their only money maker. Plus, the little guys and older guys enjoy those 3 weeks together.

Most of us are in kids wrestling for the long haul(or should be), which means high school and hopefully college. I would love to have the opportunity to share a college dual/tournament with my kids. They have no idea what it's all about. Currently we couldn't go see a dual/tournament if we wanted too, unless we skip a weekend of wrestling. If this creates the opportunity that other states such as Oklahoma have, count me in!!

As far as HS mentoring younger kids, you have the entire season to mentor. The HS kids can follow if they desire.

Ned

This tax exists 365 days a year in Topeka and wasn't in place just for this weekend. You can check it out online by trying to book a hotel anywhere. The 13.95% represents the 7.95% sales tax and 6% lodging tax. 99% of the municipalities in KS have a lodging tax when you rent a hotel room and Topeka's 6% isn't the lowest, but it isn't as high as 9% in Overland Park and 7% (I think) in Wichita.

I'm not in favor of the price gouging happening at the Expocentre. I mean $2 for a cup of coffee!!! And $3 for stale popcorn. Give me a break.

It's not the fact that there is a lodging tax as almost all cities I travel to have some type of lodging tax. It's not the fact that the price of food is so high at the Expocenter as most arenas have high priced food. It's the fact that a hotel room that on a normal weekend is $74/night is being priced at $169/night on this weekend. This is price gouging no matter what you say.This event needs to be moved if only for one contract. I wouldn't care about the entry fee for state, raise it another $20 a kid if you have to but get this event out of Topeka for at least one contract and may be they will appreciate this event a little more. We went to dinner after weigh ins and it was taking forever which I don't mind as they were getting hammered, but when the lady went to seat us she said "i'm so sorry it took so long, we didn't see this coming" This event has been on the same weekend for over 20 years, how can you not see it coming?

I absolutely agree. This tournament has outgrown the Expocenter.
That, coupled with the completely idiotic bag searching should lead (quickly) to a move to something much nicer (which wouldn't be hard to do).

I did take the time while going through the cavity search for water bottles and other food items, to express my appreciation to the security staff for protecting us all from those evil-dooers who would try to bring in water bottles and expose us all to unauthorized water in unauthorized bottles. They didn't take my expression seriously.

On a more serious note, the expocenter is a joke. Their water bottle searching/confiscating bs is also a joke.

I'd vote for Intrust Bank Arena (Wichita) or a couple of places in Kansas City.

The bad thing about Intrust in Wichita is that it is managed by the same company and you can expect the same kind of searches.
The other thing is the Intrust is consistantly booked. This management company will not rob one venue to help another when they can fill both.

Plus with the bids being submitted by the same company, always expect the Topeka bids to be the lesser of the two. I think if people will examine what they are paying for hotel/motel expenses in Topeka they would be more than willing to eat some increased admission costs at Wichita to offset the higher rental fees for the facility.
This is not to say that Intrust in Wichita will be without it's complaints and detractors, it will have some. But I do not believe hotels/motels costs will be among them.