I've watched this topic for several days and I really don't know what to think about any of it but do have to agree with one thing and disagree with another. First of all, we did go to at least 4 tournaments this year which my son only had two matches, so don't know what the answer is but would be nice to get more matches after driving 2 hours. And yes we could go where there is more kids and yes we do know where those tournaments are but as much as anything I try to teach, being there for your teammates and coaches and sticking together is one of the biggest lessons we can teach our kids in this great sport. Yes you can look at it as an individual sport but "team" is a much bigger part of it and will be as they go through Jr High and HS. So I will not preach this to my son and then take him to a tournament while the rest of the team goes to another as a "TEAM". What bigger lesson can we teach our children than loyalty to family, team, friends or whatever.
Now, as far as State being "not the toughest" may be but I am NOT going to tell my son that he was 2nd at the STATE TOURNAMENT but it wasn't the toughest. In my opinion, it is the toughest tournament you will find with only Kansas kids. Sure other big tournaments may draw kids from other states but the STATE Tournament is exactly that, the best of the best from our State and I am extremely proud of my son and his two "teammates" who placed at STATE. You have to earn your way there over the course of 3 weeks and then wrestle your heart out for two days, with thousands of people watching you (sure it feels like that) and knowing that all the sweat and tears to get here rely on what you do THIS match, then you have to do it again, and again, ect....Ask the kids when the season starts and they will tell you they want to win STATE, not Hays, Park City, Salina. STATE is what they look at as the biggest. I do agree the bling is a very big part of some kids goals. Others is the bracket. I know my son was thrilled more to get a bracket for 2nd place that the plaque. I hope nobody is taking this as me braggin on my son, it is far from what I am saying, which is we don't want to do anything that takes away the prestige of the STATE TOURNAMENT, cause it is what the kids want. I will always remember the tears of joy that lasted about an hour after my son won the semi-final match. As he said, "now I have a chance to get my goal, I wanted a chance".