I enjoy travelling to tournaments every weekend not just to watch my son wrestle, but because I am a true fan of the sport. I don't mind waking before the neighborhood rooster crows and starving until after my wrestler weighs-in because we are a wrestling family.

I am tired of defending our seats in the bleachers/stands for a full twelve hour day. Never fails, I leave for a few minutes and have to come back to a stranger either sitting on top of our things or resting their feet on top of what used to be in our places. This is the first year I have noticed this to the extreme. \:o

Yes, we are sometimes packed like tuna and I am more than happy to oblige to a polite request, but spectators and parents alike simply cannot arrive at a tournament ten minutes before showtime and expect a VIP seat. \:\/

As a coach's wife, I arrive at a tournament prepared for the long haul. We pack our own refreshments and bring our own entertainment, but it is physically impossible to remain in your seat for the entire day or to ask your wrestlers and other children to do the same. Whenever we step away for a break/stretch or lunch, we inevitably have to argue our way back into our seats in the stands.

We actually had a family physically gather and move our (several families) belongings to a different row yesterday so they could have a nice seat for the afternoon session. Our club had been parked there for seven hours at that point and the majority of us were in the commons eating lunch. I actually returned to a lady reading my magazine...

I am dying to know when we lost our respect for others and our common courtesy. I do not think I am being overzealous or unreasonable. I am usually happy to allow a parent to sit briefly to watch their wrestler from a better point of view when I can, and I have often volunteered to videotape for a stranger so that they may enjoy/cheer for their wrestler.

Share with me your thoughts and stories if you would be so kind as to indulge me... ;\)

USAWMom