First, let me start by saying that venues such as the Expo ARE big business ... and have to be ran that way!

Searching bags, purses, coats, etc. for our safety and security, seems to be the way of the world today!

Searching for other contraband (food and drinks) will happen in some fashion, regardless where the tournament is!

The price of concessions may vary slightly from venue to venue but I don't think we are not going to find any bargains out there!

The USAW-Kansas Kids State Tournament is a BIG event. We have 1500 participants, 1000 coaches, support staff and fans. With our current operations, we need a big venue.

Whether it is Topeka, Wichita or Hooterville ... there are certain inherent issues regardless where we hold our tourney!

Now, I too at times, think that Topeka and the Expo has treated us as a given rather than a guest!! Just like a baseball player in the final year or his contract, "Topeka" need to perform well to keep playing ball!

some things at the expo does not need to be ran that way for example.

me and jeffrey wrestled there last year, after jeffrey 1st match he was hot and i wanted to smoke so i grabbed his bag and we headed for the nearest door, there were 2 security gaurds at the door i asked if we could enter back through the same doors they said yes.

these were clear glass doors and the security gaurds were right there, jeffrey started saying he was cold so we opened the doors and the same security gaurds said we could not enter there now because of our bag.

so with jeffrey cold we had to walk all the way around down the hill and back through the bag check, now these 2 idiots at the door treated me and my son like crimanals, the way they were talking to us other than that they ran a good tournament, but the security needs to relax a little there.

I've heard it over and over about "how we can make wrestling affordable", as it is probably the most expensive sport you can have your child participate in. But for them to not allow you to bring in your own drinks and food is BS.

attitude adjustment........

We are not talking about bringing in our own conssession stand. I understand that there has to be bag searches for security. We are asking to bring in reasonable food for our athletes. JOC, Tulsa Nationals, Liberty Nationals, Kliff Keen...all of these tournaments allow this. Whey not the Expocentre? I am tired of hearing it is protocall. It does not have to be. Parents, coaches, and kids will still spend money at the consession stands no matter what. These are kids and they like icecream, hot dogs, and such. But to lean on the fact of "That is the way it is these days" approach does not cut it. As an organization we can make rasonable requests for the betterment of our athletes. I don't think our counsel has fought hard enough. We do have a bargoning chip....5000+ people in the city of Topeka spending money. I know we will not walk away from the Expcentre if it does not give us what we want, but I think that we need to try. So lets stop walking on eggshells and make some reasonable requests.

If memory serves me, that amounted to 1 and a half million dollars to the local economy over two days.

Topeka had its chance, lets vote to move to Wichita

Topeka is the only tournament I have attended in the last 5 plus years of wrestling that searches bags- I don't believe they are doing it for security! They are doing it to remove the bottle of gatorade and candy bar! I have attended much larger venues and as long as wahtever I carry in is in the bag nothing is said.

I must be the odd duck, but I want my bag checked. And I want your bag checked and his bag checked and so on. This is for the kids and in today's age who knows. I want my children to live a long life, not saying something will happen but who knows. A bag check if done correctly only takes a couple of minutes. I can live with that.

Now on the concern about food, I believe we should be able to bring in a moderate amount of food, just not a cooler full.

we need to decide something here. who is the customer and who is the big business? randy i agree with you that i don't know that we will find a bargain. i am glad to have my bag checked, FOR SECURITY, but the fact is they stop checking once they find your contraband (gatorade, energy drink, whatever). i feel that the topeka chamber of commerce members who bend over backwards, and count on this revnue, would be very upset if the tournament were moved, because of 20oz of gatorade. small gestures can make a big impression. if you don't get the service you want at your local lowe's, you would travel to the nearest home depot. does this hurt lowe's, not bad today, but over time very much, just ask a k-mart exec. let's face it the economy isn't changing any time soon, we need to make decisions now, to ensure the survival of this sport. until we change, i will keep my money to myself, and enjoy the stale popcorn and chips in the hospitality room, yum yum. negative one on the bcs scale!!!

now who really believes they checked your bags for weapons and to make the venue safer? think back do you remeber getting patted down no. when we was there they checked your bag, they did not pat you down at all.

so the venue was safer because some one had a weapon in the back of there pants instead of in there bag. hell i could of had a shotgun stuck down my pants. but guess what the bag would have been clear. all but nthe snacks we had.

so why would you like having your bagged checked knowing no one is getting patted down or at least not when we was there.

I have to agree with you on that. If the search was for security, fine, if it is to make sure the concession stands make more money, not fine.

And the concession stands wouldn't have to worry about people bringing food in if they charged reasonable prices for food. I like the local tourneys where the parents make the concession food. Valley Center had a pulled pork sandwich, chips and a drink for I believe $3 or $4. That is reasonable, especially since it was GOOD food. The expocenter would charge $8 for something like that.

I would like to address the bag searches. The Expocentre conducts bag searches for security reasons. Now please keep in mind that like most large venues or even the movie theatres we do not allow outside food and drink into the building. Our searches in the last two years have amounted to opening a bag or purse looking for security threats, if guard did see a Sonic bag or larger food items we remind the patrons that it is not allowed. We have found some serious security risks at these tournaments and have taken corrective action.....large knives, guns and such....yes even at Kansas Kids.

The wrestlers are allowed to bring in beverages for hydration at the participant entrance. I dont mean to be sneaky about this but if it were me, I would bury whatever it is you want to snack on under a blanket or other item. We will not rummage through your bag....take it to your seat and enjoy it there. Also remember that because we have a parking lot, many wrestling families take a break and go back out to the car and enjoy whatever they packed in their cooler for the day.

We have not taken Kansas Kids Wrestling for granted. Every year we listen to the board and tournament chairs and adjust policies and yes concession menus each year. This is one of our favorite events of the year.

Thank you for your time today.

H.R. Cook
General Manager
Kansas Expocentre

Anybody caught sneaking stuff in totally disregards rules, laws, etc, and should be kicked out of the tournament, etc.....oh wait, thought I was on the anti-chew thread...sorry, having a hard time telling the difference from a philosophical perspective.

Security checks are ok, if that is what is truly being done, I don't think that is the whole point of the bag searches. But YES, our bag was completely checked, purses also. EVERYTHING pulled out and gone through. My daughter had a pack of gum and tictacs taken from her purse! We later paid $8 for a slice of (cold/hard) pizza and small drink that we waited 20 minutes on line to get!

Keep the concessions reasonable
Let parents and other spectators bring snacks and drinks (within reason)
And give the security guards some lessons on proper manners
And from what I am reading here... try to get involved with keeping the local motels from price gouging

Maybe everyone will stop pushing to have this moved to wichita

Mr. Cook,

I think that we all would agree that there has to be a level of security. I don't think that we are questioning that. I do think that our wrestlers should have to "sneak" in reasonable amounts of food. I think that we would appreciate it if we did not have to be "sneaky" about it. Why can't you allow our wrestlers to bring in reasonable amounts of food. The Expocentre is different than other tournaments of this magnatude. I think that we have to get away from the security standpoint as that is a given. We all want to be safe. We are talking about reasonable amounts of food. I would like for you to make some considerations and supply us and the security staff with an approved list so we can stay with in the rules.

I don't want to have to have my athletes sneak stuff in.

Coach Craig Adams

I agree with not making our kids be sneaky. Who knows how the mind works? If we are telling these kids it is alright to sneak snacks in at these ages, who's to say that as teens they subconsciously think it is ok to sneak in something other than food? Know what I am saying?
I have spent a lot of time teaching my kids right from wrong and I am not going to tell them it's ok to cheat here and there occaisionally.
To be honest with you, I am a little concerned that someone in authority is making that suggestion in the first place.

mr cook?

is it or is it not just as easy to carry a weapon underneath your shirt, or in your jeans. i will answer that yes it is so if it is about security why not have a pat down or medal detectors. the answer is simple it has nothing to do with safety.

if you explain checking bags but not pat downs for weapons then maybe we could all understand thats it's simply security.

The Expocentre has a contract with an outside group that handles concessions. A part of that contract is the exclusive right to sell food and drinks on the property. This is not that uncommon. The Bicentennial has a similar outside group and this weekend if you read their flier you are told “ABSOLUTELY NO FOOD OR COOLERS ALLOWED IN THE BICENTENNIAL CENTER”. Most high schools have contracts with a soft-drink of choice. When hosting a tournament at my High School I am required to utilize Coca-Cola products…I cannot even bring Pepsi products in for the hospitality room. The Coliseum in Wichita has similar issues to deal with…go back and research the threads complaining about that facility on the HS Forum a few years ago when 4/5/6A state was hosted there. I think their security guards were even accused of being Nazis with “mullets” to boot! The new arena in downtown Wichita will be an SMG property. Guess who else is an SMG property…you guessed it, the Kansas Expocentre. Do you think that all SMG properties will not be managed in a similar manor; heck they probably will have the same concessions vendor.

Without putting words in his mouth, I think what Mr. Cook was trying to say above was that searches for food and drink items were loosened up last year at the athlete’s entrance. And from his comments today I read that to mean that they will continue that policy again this year. Can he tell you that you can bring in the kitchen sink…no. His facility has a contract with a vending company that has exclusive rights in this regard. However, with a wink-and-nod he has told you that the policy has been loosened up for the athletes. Don’t drag him through the mud over it; appreciate his position and the good faith effort he made at compromise in his statement above.