Randy:

I'm probably picking the wrong topic to put forth my thoughts on this because I do understand that there are safety issues and ideally you want to provide a non-obstructed view for all fans in the stands. I also understand that that if you give an inch people will take a mile. Where do you draw the line? I would say the 3'-5' safety area around the mat that you mentioned. Again I realized this is easier said than done as far as enforcing that safety area.

I do believe however that we need to make our tournaments more enjoyable for both spectators and participants. I believe this can happen if they are closer to the actual action that they want to see, there are shorter waits between matches and that the length of the normal wrestling day is basically cut about in half. If we could work towards those things, I believe we would begin to see greater interest and participation in the sport which in the long run would lead to more popularity, media coverage and maybe eventually more college programs.

A lot of times you are situated in the stands so far away from the action of your wrestler's mat that you have a poor viewing experience from the stands. You might have a lot of disinterested individuals and other clubs around you and between the action that you have been waiting hours to view. I'm not going to sit in the stands for two to three hours in the opposite back corner of the gym from the mat that my son is about to wrestle in and not try to get a closer better view. In doing that it is my personal responsibility to have the courtesy not to obstruct someone else's view. I'm also not going to scream thru all those disinterested people on chance that my son might hear me trying to give him some positive encouragement.

The basic differences with the sports that you mentioned is that their viewing venues are set up for each particular sport (and one event taking place-normally the game) and therefore more focused on the action. Also the events do not last as long as a youth wrestling tournament. I think of a good wrestling day as arriving at the tournament at about 7:30 and leaving by 3PM. That is a good day! How many football, baseball or basketball games have you been to that last that long? It has been suggested to me that if I don't like these long days, I should consider getting my son out of wrestling because that is the way wrestling is. Do we really want to drive people away just because they think that the 7:30 to 3PM and beyond normal tournament day is too long for both spectators and participants? I hope not because the sport will never grow to be more popular with the general population if that is the attitude we take.

I believe we need to look at possible solutions like the split tournament formats (Where the younger wrestlers would wrestle in the morning and the older wrestlers in the afternoon). Mike Juby stated that it would probably cut the wrestling day in half for about 80% of the people in another topic post. That would make more a faster paced, more enjoyable viewing experience and shorter day for most people. The problem of this topic would not be as big of a problem because you would not have as many people in the gym at one time and therefore you could situtate yourself easier to view the actual mat you wanted to see. That is the situation at most tournaments later in the day when the crowd starts to thin out and I believe it is easier for everyone left to comfortably situated themselves for a good view of their wrestler's final matches.