It's my opinion that selected satellite weigh-ins do not save us money? For example, If a tournament won't have Saturday morning weigh-ins (and i'm fine with that), and I have to drive 45 minutes to weigh my kid in, I now have two choices....1)get a motel and stay the night, or 2)drive back home, then get up in the morning and drive to the tournament. Either way it costs me more money.

Satellite weigh-ins are more of a convenience than anything. I think if we are going to have satellite weigh-ins, we should allow each club to weigh their team. Obviously there would be some exceptions...qualifiers and state are no-brainers. Salina for the simple fact that this tournament is one of the toughest tournaments in the State (if not the toughest) and should be held to a higher standard. I would also think maybe Maize and Haysville due to the fact that they give out rings and belts (I guess awards like these may cause someone to cheat).

I'm curious to know what you all think.

Greg Pelland

I think they are great, don't get me wrong but limiting to night before weigh in only is a tough deal. That saves no one money.

I think that both have to be offered, even if the day of is shorten time.

Probably right from the stand point that they will not save everyone money. What they do is make the running of a tournament much more streamlined and functional the day of the tournament.

We were one of the 1st teams to use this option...
And we were going to make a club pay an official to be there to make sure the weigh ins were "offical"! Then we realized this was about saving $ and time.
I think it does save you money if you have to travel more then 45 min to the tournament.
With so many tournaments going to Friday night only weigh ins to help with starting on time I think there is $ to be saved.
Gas money...
Maybe leaving work to make the weigh in
People always wanting to stop and eat out after weigh ins

None of that has to come into play if we put a weigh in close to your home town.

As for just letting everyone we have done that too for novice tournaments. Let me tell ya we thought people wouldn't try stuff on a novice tournament... there was questionable entries!!!
Now we do satellite weigh ins with clubs we feel we can trust.
I can tell you that satellite weigh ins (if done correctly and with people you can trust) it does save you time and money and it does help make a tournament go smoother.

Ok...
As for Salina and subs ect satellite weigh ins...
I would say that if you can get district reps to oversee them, then I think its a great deal to have one.

I think the key to satellite weigh ins is to let the clubs weigh in their kids and then call in the exact weights to the tournament directors on Fri night. For the bigger tournaments and obviously the state qualifying series this does not apply.

I applaud so many of the different tournaments doing more of these this year. I think it will help keep interest in the sport for young kids and parents.

Shawn Budke
Leavenworth County Spartans

We did a satellite weigh in for the Middle School State last year and it work out great. We plan on doing it again this for MSSC.
I feel that is that it is a convenience for the parent, but it also would make the tournament run smoother and start on time. Friday night weight at clubs site and a 30 min Saturday morning weigh in at the tournament. If you give people a convenience, they will come.

James Cook

If you are driving 45 minutes to a satelite site then you are way too rural! Either that or your club needs to ask to host a satelite weigh-in.

Sportsfan...45 minutes was just an example.

BLT...Lets look at the satelite locations for Derby. Although I'm sure Derby would allow other clubs out West to have a Satelite weigh-in if asked, Garden City is the only location. Say I lived in Ulysses, and had to drive to Garden City to weigh-in, how does that save me money?

The only way to make satelite weigh-ins work successfully (IMO), and not have a Saturday morning weigh-in is to allow every club to weigh in their own kids. We've been doing it now for a couple of years here in Pratt, and have had 0 complaints.

In my opinion, Satelite weigh-ins are a convenience, more so for the hosting tournament than the wrestlers. One arguement might be that you get to sleep in a little longer. That may be true for some, but not at my house. We still get to the tournament a couple hours before it starts because my wife wants to try and get good seats for us and our club. I think she may be a seat Nazzi!!

Greg:

Last year I volunteered approximately 1 1/2 to 2 hours to host satellite weigh-ins in Western Butler Countyfor five or six tournaments. Generally, the weigh-in did save parents from Andover, Augusta, El Dorado, Rosalia (Flinthills Wrestling Club), Towanda, and Eastern Sedgwick County travel expense and time. I had wrestlers from Valley Center show up for the Ark City, Derby and Haysville weigh-ins. To be sure, the satellite weigh-in was a benefit to the host tournament and a service to the clubs which attended the weigh-in. The satellite weigh-in was certainly not a convenience for my wife! In order to keep the peace, I am not certain if I will be volunteering to host a satellite weigh-in this year.

I still don't see the dollar savings....If you have to travel to weigh-in the night before, how does that save you money?

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for Satelite weigh-ins...I just think every club should have their own.

Example:

If I have to travel 45 minutes for a satellite, but 3 hours for the tournament. How can that not save me money. Even more important if I was worried about my kids weight during a growth spurt.

The alternative is to drive there get a motel and stay the night, or drive the three hours starting a couple of hours earlier to ensure that we make weight. Granted the drive there is a wash.

Is it worth the 1.5 minute drive to be able to leave possibly 3 hours later? It is to me and yes that isn't really a cost but it is when it comes to the sharpness and alertness of my kid that was on the road 5 hours compared to 3.

It all might not be a finicial windfall, but it may give peace at mind and less travel time overall.

Wrestling isn't a cheap sport we all know that, and if you aren't read and willing to travel your aren't going to make it.

I like the satellites more for the ease of weighing in, and letting the kiddos get more rest and not have to get up at 4am.

I totally agree with letting each club/team having their own weigh-ins. We did it all through school when I was a kid (at least until the post season) with an Athletic Director overseeing the weigh-in.

I understand this would be a test of everyone's integrity and I don't know about the rest of the parents/coaches that have lived this sport most of their lives, but wrestling was an integral part in teaching me integrity.

If it becomes an issue then take action then. However, as I like to say, you never know what a new recipe tastes like until you take a bite! So why not give it a try...you never know...you just might find out that USAWKS has quite a few honest people involved!!

Thoughts?

Chris Walters

I certainly can save quite a bit of money especially when you add it all up. It also helps if you have a team that is willing to participate when it is offered. Unfortunately, we are not.

Maybe I'm missing the point here. If you drive 45 minutes to weigh in, then 3 hours the next day to the tournament you're driving 3hrs 45 minutes instead of just the 3 hours the morning of if the weigh-ins were traditional.

I love satelite weigh-ins. Everytime a tournament offers satelite weigh-ins I contact that club so my team can weigh in here. Our members really appreciate the tournaments that allow satelites.

The point i'm trying to make is, there is no way to save money if you have to travel to weigh-in the night before. Quite frankly you don't save money if you host a satalite yourself. It is just convenient for both the tournament director and your members.

AAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW.....light switch just went off. I see how you save money. If it's a tournament where you either drive up the night before to weigh in and have to get a motel room, or you drive to a satelite. I see your point now. Being so close to Wichita, the furthest we drive for the most part is 1 1/2 hours. I can sometimes be narrow minded.....

Wouldn't you agree though that allowing remote weigh-ins for all clubs would be the most economical.....Just sayin!!

I am just saying that there is NO WAY I will let some clubs do their own weigh ins!

Saving you money...
If you live in Ullysses Ks and want to wrestle the Team Haysville King of the Ring tournament...
I am having weigh ins from 6 to 8 Friday only...
Its 4 hours from Ullysses to Haysville
You can either take off work early to make my 6 to 8 weigh in or you can drive over to Garden city (one hour away) and do a satellite weigh in and then drive into Haysville and stay the night. Your not having to take off work to make weigh ins... hence, saving you money!
Lol
I'm sure people can give example where they cost them money...
Its just another way that we try to enhance the experience that people have at our tournament and hopefully they come back next year.

Lol
Sorry Greg I was typing my reply on my phone while you posted yours...
I'm glad you see the light lol!
And thank you for willing to be one of the King of the Ring weigh in sites!

Come on now BLT....you're going to make Ulysses drive to GC to weigh in?

Not to put you on the spot , but how many remote weigh-ins are too many in your opinion? If GC, DC, Liberal, and Ulysses all asked to host remote weigh-ins, would you grant all 4 the opportunity....If not, how would you determine which team gets to host such an event? ...............

I forgot to thank you for allowing us to host a remote weigh-in for your tournament. We truely do appreciate it!! Do you think you could hook me up with one of them rings?

Ok ok...
Ya that is a little bit of back tracking there huh?
The point is still the same...
And as for putting me on the spot, I'm ok with that!
I look at who is asking to hold a weigh in and why. If you sending a decent size group of kids and there are people around you sending kids then yes I would consider you as a location.
But if you have 5 kids coming and you want to find a location, drag out the scales, print off the sheet and sit there for 2 hours to wait to see if anyone else shows up then send me the results...
Sounds like more of a waste of your time then mine lol
To me, its more about trust and mutual respect between clubs then location.

I have to trust you to allow you to do a weigh in. Not everyone gets that!
I would also hope they extend me the same courtesy come time for their tournament!

Are you wanting one to show around or are you asking for an expo match with say Schroeder???
Lol
PM me and let me know what your needing and I will see what I can have ready by the time Derby rolls around!