The numbers for 16U and HS have year in and year out have not grown. These groups are annually the leader in scratches at subs as well as the smallest number of participants. The elimination of subs for the HS division was largely supported in our fall meeting. However, USA Wrestling offered the $300 per team "deal" on USA Cards. Mike Juby put fear in the board and it was narrowly voted to TABLE instead of eliminate the subs until we had the NUMBERS. The motivations of the board were the very reasons you discounted. The ancillary benefit of other options and the freedom to choose were just icing on the cake. The FOCUS was to eliminate being held hostage for three weeks, NEEDLESSLY. You do realize in some cases where there are 2 or 3 in a bracket the same wrestlers could wrestle four times in two weekends. That is not good. When the numbers did NOT improve, and we knew this on the Wednesday before the seeding meeting, the question was why should we wait. Intuitively it seemed that parents would be happy not to have to travel an extra weekend so why wait another year when the Bylaws have the flexibility. The Colorado deal came along after this discussion and is just a tangential benefit for, really for all HS wrestlers not just a few. ANY KS HS wrestler could have signed up and wrestled in the RMN. Back in the fall no one knew what events were going to line up on what weekends. The issue isn't some conspiracy about favoritism for a few kids. The real issue is that the bylaws are very gray and written in such a manner that change is nearly impossible because it takes 2/3 vote and a year's notice. These changes were made within the Bylaws but the majority of people are uncomfortable with change. I know the board wants what is best for the kids but sometimes people let money, pride, ego, or the potential for conspiracy road blocking progress. The state body meeting is months away and another year of holding HS kids hostage for three weeks just didn't seem like it was in the best interest of those kids and parents.

Lets just look at the cost... In D4 there are 83 HS kids. Lets say 75% were going to travel an average of 100 miles to the sub. That is 200 miles times 62 kids or 6200 miles. That's $3500 in mileage. Lets say half those kids had to spend the night... That is another $1500. So just mileage and lodging it would be a $5,000 savings. The majority of people in wrestling have complained about the escalating costs to participate. We cannot just look at the hardcore we have to look at the majority and make the spending make sense.

Who knows when the RMN will be or whatever other tournament. The real foundation for this change was to reduce cost and the time parents and wrestlers had to spend in the gym. GUARANTEE you this was the driving force.