it sure is a long drive from far western ks, to bad it couldnt be more centralized.

kinda sounds like we all need to go into the hotel business. heck look at all the cities that need hotels just for one tournament. how about it nix. you build the roof, i know a plumber, i know a framer, i know others in that line of work and i am damn good at giving orders. just think of all that money we could give back to wrestling. some of you probably think im joking but just look at the opportunity.

I think people aren't aware of just how many hotels there are in Topeka. Most of the motels and hotels in Topeka are on the west side of Topeka. If you try to find a room close to the venue it may not be possible, but to go from Wanamaker road to the expo is a ten minute drive. Topeka supports one of the biggest drag race venues in the country and we have 10's of thousands of people show up to Heartland Park each year to watch the races. Granted many people stay in motor homes but we still manage to accomadate thousands of people. Our state tournament is small potatoes compared to some of the events held in the capital city. Call around and check out some of the Hotels and motels in other parts of town and I think you'll find it's easy to get to the venue from any location in topeka. Topeka is growing fast and every year new motels and hotels are being built to accomadate not only Heartland Park but the Kansas Speedway just down the road.

I was told last night that people from Mulvane were still calling to find rooms and were quoted between $200 and $250 a night for a room that is usually less the $100. We ended up giving them 3 or 4 of our rooms. Also, when we were looking for rooms they would asks us if we were wrestlers. On one of the calls we said we were with the Boys Scouts. They offered us $89 a night vs. the $129 a night we would of had to of paid because we were wrestlers.
I have also been out to eat in a lot of places and some places will seat non wrestlers first. We had a group of 5 and they would seat other groups of 5 first. I just think that some of the businesses in Topeka treat us like we are a hassle instead of an additional business opportunity.
That's a shame!

BLT I;m sure I've never had a hotel ask me why i'm in town and then quoted me another rate.I travel alot and if someone wants to know why i'm in town I sure wouldn't have to lie to them. I would simply tell them it was none of there business. My reply would be of this nature beacuse Hotels simply want to know (A) How many rooms will you be needing (B)What size of a room do I need (c) How long will you be staying and (D) Will you be paying with cash or charge. Also I would imagine since your online that you reserve your rooms online ( atleast that's what I do when I need a room) and at no time does it ask you during your online reservation why you are in town (atleast not any that I have done.) Also I've lived in the Topeka vacinity all my life and i'm pretty sure we don't have a motel or hotel that charges $200 or $250 for a regular room. One more thing, most of the restaurants in Topeka (that I have to wait in line to be seated) wouldn't have a clue if my son wrestled unless I told them. Our tournament is a big deal for us but unless your involved in the wrestling community the majority of Topekans wouldn't know you from the next person who walked in the door. I think maybey you were seated after someone else beacuse of the size of your party or the preference of your seating ( this may be a real possibility think about it.)

Last year we stayed in Lawrence the first night and then moved to Topeka for the second night. It wasn't that far to drive for one night. By the second night, the rooms seem to be more plentiful in Topeka, so not everyone has a 2 night minumum.

As I see it there are 2 options...

Option 1) Tell your son you are not going to State because of the expensive rooms and all of the mean restaurant people, then gather your family around your computer in your cozy home in the best darn location in Kansas and follow the action on Track Wrestling.

Option 2) Quit complaining.

Wow! That is the nicest way that anyone has every questioned my integrity. Thank You!
The name of the hotel that is charging over $200 a night I am not aware of because it was Mulvane people still looking for rooms. We assisted them because we didn't think it was right that they were getting treated like that!
The places that seated other parties of the SAME SIZE were Red Robin and Cracker Barrel. Its not to hard to tell when a group of wrestlers walk into a place. We are wearing shirts and jackets that show our team support.
The hotel that gave us different room rates because we were not wrestlers was Days Inn.
I do not book online. I call because a lot of times you can talk to a manager and work the price down when you are blocking 8 to 10 rooms. I usually get great deals and corporate discounts when I look for rooms. That is why I book the rooms for my whole club everytime we travel and do it over the phone instead of on line. That is when they ask why or who you are with I'm not rude to them and say "its none of your business because I'm trying to work a deal"!

I don't get on here to tell fairy tales and bed time stories. There's no reason to. So please don't ASSUME that!
If you have anymore questions please feel free to PM me!

BLT...I don't think anyone was questioning your integrity. CBR was simply trying to explain what he knows about Topeka through his personal life experiences.

Here is what I did yesterday. I called every hotel in Topeka and asked about room availability and rates. Most are charging $89/night. A couple of the higher end establishments topped out at $119. Yes...there was one that I gave a piece of my mind because they should have been in the $89 range (or lower catagory and were charging $100). The Visit Topeka group does a pretty good job policing this...however there are a "few" opportunist out there, as there would be anywhere the State Tournament is hosted. If I were in your shoes and I thought I was being taken advantage of, I would not give these people my business. There are other options in the Topeka and surrounding communities that will accommodate you. They will soon get the hint. Nobody I called came anywhere close to $200 or $250 a night that you mention.

Availability...most said that they are full for now; but they all anticipated rooms opening up today. Wednesday night was a common deadline for clubs with "blocks" of rooms reserved to be either released or paid for. No hotel I called required cash payment. Only a few required a two night stay. So if you are still looking for rooms I would suggest calling again today. Many of the hotels were placing people on lists to fill the rooms vacated by other clubs with "blocks" reserved...but I would still try. I travel a lot through the year for wrestling, baseball, and football...so I know the drill. Get in early or late for the best location and deals. Early is the best bet, but if you chose to book late don't give up. I am sure rooms will open up. Lancer Lou's suggestion is a good on too. Topeka is a 30 minute drive on 4-lane interstate to Lawrence and 45 minutes to the west side of KC. They both have hotels with rooms available. Heck I have been on trips to Wichita that took me 30 minutes to get across town...and there are places in Wichita I wouldn't stay with my family.

There is a lot of hear-say going around on this board. If you have specific complaints or need help I am willing to either help or get you in touch with the people who can. I do not have the time to be your travel coordinator...but I am proud of my city and I am willing to help if needed. I can't do anything about hear-say...but it is a bid year as Will has pointed out and it is natural for one to question the motives behind any second hand information.

Mark Stanley
jrvikingwrestling@yaoo.com
785/224-5161

One more thing on this topic...another reason that hotels are asking what group you are in is that a few of them are signed up to give the State a portion of the bed tax money collected. In order for this to happen you have to declare why you are in town. This is not that uncommon at large evets. ...so be proud you are wrestlers and tell them that on every occasion. Make your presence known about town.

There was an article in the Topeka Capital Journal that ran last summer and our event rated very high in the list of events hosted in town in regards to the economic impact on the city. The management of the businesses in town appreciates your patronage. You may run into a hostess that has another opinion...but I wouldn't hold that against our community; you'll find that anywhere. Just adjust your tip accordingly…I do; they’ll get the hint or “tip” as it were.

Mark,that was very well put. I would also like to ad that I'm very proud of my city and the people that help it be a great place to live. I don't say much on this forum beacuse i like to see and read the thoughts of people in our wrestling community.I would rather stay behind the scenes when it comes to some of these topics. I enjoy wrestling and I have loved this sport my whole life. I would take my son to western Kansas if that is where the state tournament is to be held and I would do it without blinking an eye. I would pay outragous hotel fees, buy expensive food, and smile the whole time,just so my son could have his day of glory next Sunday afternoon.You can't put a price on that. No way, no how! Finally,Topeka is a great place for this tournament but the middle of nowhere comes available we'll be there with bells on.

Sportsfan,

Are you saying that the organization is soliciting bids from Salina and Hays and they are declining to bid because they feel our needs can be better met in Topeka?

I guess that settles it.

Thank you.

I'm saying that if my memory is correct neither city submitted a bid the last two contracts. Even if they had their facility is not large enough to handle the tournament so it would have been rejected. Our only options are Topeka or Wichita.

I don't have any problem with Topeka. Any ill feelings I have about the location are less important to me than the joy of being there and taking part in something special.

However, if you would be so kind to look at a map of the State of Kansas, you will see that Topeka is situated very similar to Garden City. Opposite corners, but pretty much the same relative to the rest of the state. Put it in Garden City for 10 years in a row and see if anyone from D1 complains.

My wife and I both will require a vacation day Friday. All of our kids will have to miss a day of school. We will spend about $150 in gas and $178 in hotel. We will eat out at least 5 meals and will spend nearly 2 hours waiting for seats in Restaurants. Our wrestlers will ride in cars for several hours and sleep on strange beds. My kid's grandparents have never got to see him wrestle at state.

We have to go through the process of booking rooms months in advance and hoping we qualify, or begging for rooms from someone who reserved a whole hotel.

Like I said, I'm okay with Topeka. Having it in Salina, Hays, or Manhattan may not be feasible. It probably isn't, but when somebody asks the question, it's okay. It's not necessary to imply that they are new and dumb. You should acknowledge their plight and be glad you're not dealing with it.

After further analyzing the data...
If the tournament were in Wichita this year
The average travel distance would be 137 mi
25% would travel 67 mi or less
75% would travel 188 mi or less
10% would travel 240 mi or more
5% would travel 270 mi or more

With the tournament in Topeka this year
The average travel distance is 156 mi
25% will travel 67 mi or less (exactly the same as Wichita)
75% will travel 200 mi or less (10 mi more than Wichita)
10% will have to travel 310 mi or more (70 mi more than Wichita)
5% will have to travel 350 mi or more (80 mi more than Wichita)

The assumptions I previously listed were used for the analysis

Conclusion: With the tournament in Topeka, the average travel isn't much different than it would be if it were in Wichita. However, the western 10% of the wrestlers are bearing the burden for the rest of us with the tournament in Topeka.

I like visiting western KS and would gladly go to state at Hays (the center of KS) -- that is if we split it up like Cokely outlined.

Cokeley for president!

I'll second Cokeley's nomination for president.

If you are having problems locating motel rooms for this weekend, contact the Topeka Conventions & Visitors Bureau 800-235-1030. I'm sure they will help you locate motels at reasonable rates.

If you have problems that occur at restuarants or motels while you are in Topeka this weekend, PLEASE let Leanna Grater or Ned Price know about these issues by telling us in person or through email. We are in contact with the Topeka Organization / Businesses throughout the year and THEY ALSO want to know of problems.

We've already been called about a couple issues with motels BUT when I personally called the motel, there IS NOT a problem. As I said in the letter that was mailed to ALL club directors, stay in contact with your motel throughout the year. Get them your rooming list ON TIME, release any rooms you DO NOT need, and IF they require payment before arrival, get it taken care of. If there are problems, let them know. Most of the ones I've taked to are more than willing to work with you --

As I said, if there are issues this weekend, let Ned or myself know about them.

Good luck this weekend at Kids State!!


Leanna Grater
Tournament Committee Member

I never implied anyone was dumb and I don't think being new is an impairment and thus should not be taken as a slight. It does get old for some of us who have been around to have to keep answering the same questions about facilities, thus why I recommended the disclaimer at the top of the forum.

"Maybe we need to have a disclaimer at the top of every forum for all the new people who wander in that says "NO, Salina cannot host a state tournament".

All the new people who wander in may find this statement condescending. Maybe not.

Regardless, you are not required to answer any questions which you find burdensome and all the new people wandering in have no way of knowing which questions have been asked and answered. They would have no way of knowing for example that Hays doesn't want the tournament.

I think the point was that you shouldn't hi-jack a thread without reading what was already discussed.
_________________________
"I've seen (a wrestler) (shoot a single leg) through a concrete wall. Men have emptied entire (technique toolboxes) at them and hit nothing but air, yet their strength and their speed are still based in a world that is built on rules. Because of that, they will never be as strong or as fast as you can be." - The Matrix