Just a thought.
NO EXCEPTION THE NIGHT BEFORE only weigh-ins will solve hundreds of scratches, no shows, weight changes, AGE CHANGES(Unbelievable) huge problem parents signing kids up in the wrong age group. The people traveling will have to get a hotel and maybe leave a day early, or do not go to that tournament. But if bad weather comes over night the no shows will increase. Kids dodging other kids once they see who is in their weight - or the parents changing the kids to get easier competition and sometimes better competition. It is not just one kid and your kid that needs to be changed at the last second. Every tournament(novice & open) I hear from at least a few parents "I accidentally signed my kid up in the wrong weight." This happens at subdistrict also and it is a fact that some change just for an easier path to state. The morning of the tournament weigh-ins is not friendly to Trackwrestling or any tournament format. I think a MANDATORY night before weigh-in & check in ONLY that end at 8:00pm - NOT 8:03pm or 8:30pm or 9:02pm. Brackets will be posted the next morning at 7 or 8 am. Do not provide a list of the names of participants early. Tournament directors could post the number of kids in each bracket. Sing the National Anthem at 8:45am Start wrestling the next morning at 9:00am sharp. Unless there is bad weather and you'll get local no shows. Then for example 3 no shows in a 5 man round robin just became a 2 man RR best 2 out of 3. Sorry, I can't control the weather. Optional weigh-in site, 1 or 2 different locations maybe - besides the sight of the tournament. I do not understand why people can not read the flier that says NO BRACKET CHANGES - DEADLINE IS this DATE at THIS TIME. I would suggest READ THE TOURNAMENT HANDOUT.
MOVING JUST 1 KID WHAT IT REALLY MEANS – It is more than 5 minutes per kid
On average from what I can tell - there is at a minimum of 60 to 80 changes per tournament with about 400 kids signed up. Note: each change affects 8 other items in brackets and bout sheets.
Moving a 12 & under 76 (wrong signup by someone) out of a bracket to and 8 & under 76 bracket so those kids can at least wrestle a kid or kids their own age requires the changing of eight brackets - 2 head table brackets, 2 scorers table brackets, 2 wall brackets, and 2 sets of bout cards. - That is moving just 1 kid. It is very important for parents and club sign up people to get the kids in the correct spot. DO NOT COMPLAIN IF YOU HAVE EVER EVER SIGNED YOUR KID UP WRONG.
If one club who sent in 8 entries and had one wrong entry that is 12.5% of the entries sent in wrong. 12.5% of 500 entries is 62 total wrong entries. If all of these kids are in one of the different 120 brackets then over half of the brackets would have to be changed on the wall, at each table packet, the head table, and the bout sheets. This all has to happen before the tournament can start.
