Why is it that all the top seeded kids, in these local tournaments, (Goddard) always get a first round bye? But when you go to a real tournament they always get to wrestle first?

Smaller tournaments do it to advance the 2-3 "better criteria" wrestlers towards the finals. Larger tournaments that give MVW or OW awards give the top seeds matches to give those kids ample opportunity to win these awards. For example the top seed at Tulsa gets lets say 5 matches and gets all 5 pins in the 1st period, he would be a top candidate for the award there. Yet if a kid in the same age group but a lighter weight got a bye he would only have 4 matches.