i don't know if i was the only one that felt this way but i was unhappy with the way the brute-Addias National tourny went on. I was unsatisfied with the lack of seating, parents being able to see their kids, the lack of bracket posting, how hard it was to find out where you were wrestling and when, the P.A. system was messing up. there were many things but i was unpleased and heard many complaints about how it was not worth $20. do not get me wrong, i witnessed some great wrestling but it was because i was sitting mat side so i don't believe many other did. Not to take away from the wrestlers because i was one myself but i was unsatisfied with the organization of the Brute-Addidas National tournament. did anyone else feel the same way???

Yes, our son wrestled his last match at 11 PM tonight. The cattle call method of announcing an entire weight class to report to the head table and then handing out mat #s in some cases allowed no time to warm up.

And what is with the concession stands closing so early? The main one closed at 7 PM and then the smaller drink/ice cream stand closed before 10 PM. So far, we had a better experience last year in Omaha, not because of the wrestling, but the organization and environment.

Thursday night we were there at 6 PM for weigh-ins and didn’t get done till 7:30 PM., we didn’t weight in late and we didn’t have problems making weight. It was just very disorganized. Should have realized at that time what would happen Friday when wrestling started.

I think Brute and company are just out for the money. They definitely were not organized and ready for 1st thru 12th graders. Junior and Seniors were suppose to start at 5 PM and finish by 8 PM. They didn’t get started until after 6 PM; by 7:30 PM when we were looking for something to eat or drink everything was closed down and by 11:30 PM wrestling was stopped for the night without all of the backsides finished as scheduled.

But probably as a parent the biggest complaint was after our son was called to the bull-pen to wrestle, we as parents had to 2nd guess what mat he might be wrestling on. I think it’s a shame that Brute would charge us $20+ and if we are lucky we might see all or part of our sons match. And of course after the match it would have been nice to see brackets updated, so we could see who our son was wrestling next. In this age of modern technology it wouldn’t have taken more then adding a couple of more printers to handle the load of printing brackets to post or even putting the brackets on-line.

I wish I was there....but yes, I heard the parking, the seating and the cost are horrible.....that really stinks !



....and I do not have the energy to bring 3 little ones to that mess....

that http://www.trackwrestling.com site is awesome...covering the US Open right now...I never understand why we can't get instant results either...very frustrating....

thanks again to Randy ! for the results ....

I have to say the 2nd day was much better. I can't imagine how late the organizers worked last night, but today they seemed to have a more organized approach to assigning mats and calling matches. Good job on recognizing the problems and making the necessary changes. Thank you.

I also had forgotten that this is not a private for profit business. As the announcer explained this morning, all profits go to a deserving team or organization to help fund college wrestling. That helps me justify some of the hefty fees.

I could see what they were doing on the fees. i do like that it is going to a deserving group, i just heard from many that they were upset that they spent $20 and not be able to see or even know if their son/daughter was up or coming up and not even know what mat they were on.

Well to top off the weekend - the other wrestler's said my son did not want his picture taken. My son never heard the announcement for the podium picture until after the picture was taken. And now I don't have a podium picture.

Seems liked they rushed the pictures just to get them done and several missed the oppurtunity to get their picture taken.

all the team parents and grandparents that came to see their wrestler, and some of our coaches, said they would never come again to this location, and we live within 30 minutes...the fees were terrible, I never saw my sons last match of the tourney, as they moved his match, and did not announce it. It was on mat 6, and I was trying to respect the rules, and not go matside...as many of the parents did just so they could see their child, which made it hard for anyone in the few bleetchers did. I am all about giving funds to a deserving group. But I think we should also get what we pay for...and it didn't happen. You could take two mats for the first day and devote to a single age group, so we would all know where our child was wrestling..and like the 2nd day...know you were going in weight class order.., but again, when you child is wrestling in the middle mats...and no way to see the action, it takes away from the excitement..
The stress it caused to many of the wrestlers, because they didn't know when or where they were wrestling on the first day, was terrible, and could have been avoided....many people were given wrong information, and either missed their bout, or almost missed, with no time for preparation.
Brute...please make some changes, or your loyal fans from Kansas may not go back next year.

Just some thoughts on how the KCI location compared to Omaha/Lincoln the past 2 years. However, it is hard to compare because adding the grade school divisions was probably more overwhelming than the organizers expected. Plus if you figure in the number of extra fans (and the younger kids always bring in a crowd) it's hard to compare. But I am looking at the organization of the tournament in general.

I didn't help with registration and weigh ins in Omaha so I can't compare but some suggestions:

Registration which I volunteered to help with. The bags needed to be stuffed prior to starting it...at least 2 people per age group checking kids in and maybe having it in a more open area, like a table set up in the arena. That little conference room was just too little for the number of people. If there was a fire we would have all been in trouble!

Weigh ins - set up the number of scales to correlate with the number of kids i.e. not many 1st and 2nd graders - put them together on 1 scale and give an extra scale to 10th or 11th. Or even maybe spacing out weigh in times i.e. 1st - 3rd grade weigh in from this to that time etc...a longer time for volunteers but happier parents and wrestlers as the process is quicker - which means they come back!!!! Also, maybe combine registration at the scale - just one line!

In Omaha they had a system of having a runner for each table. When that table got down to 2 or 3 wrestlers on deck that runner went to the head table and got another bout that was announced overhead. Those kids had 2 or 3 matches to warm up and the parents had time to get situated. It looks like they needed more head table workers updating brackets and making up new bout cards. That runner should also have been responsible for taking the completed bout cards to the head table - don't leave it up to the wrestlers! KC did assign particular mats to particular grades which is fine but they need to stick to it.

Need more seating! Omaha compared to KC - you still had to get up and move around to see your kid as he was not always on the same mat and you could not see every mat from the bleachers in Omaha. I think this was another problem that was not expected with adding the grade schoolers - they just have more people that come and watch! Adding more seating will hopefully prevent people from standing between the mats and if there is somewhere to sit and view the mat, you can enforce the rules of staying behind the barriers.

Admissions cost - same as in Omaha! The only other national tournament I can compare cost to is Fargo and it is pricey to get in up there as well. How does this compare to other kids national tournaments? I volunteered and got a pass to get in free all weekend! Definitely need more people willing to volunteer - every tournament can benefit with more people helping out! Parking - in Omaha I think there was less parking on site, I had to walk to a nearby parking garage but a little exercise is needed for me!

Pictures - same problem in Omaha. I don't think we even waited for podium pictures last year as it was just too slow of a process. Suggestion: maybe 1 or 2 more podiums. High schools don't always place to 8th place but maybe having a local person who can build an additional podium???

Just one other thing...some table workers left prior to the end of the last session...some of our parents sat down, got some bout sheets and started getting some of the matches done. We thought that the clubs that brought the mat were to work those tables until it was done. There was a problem getting new bout cards but as I suggested earlier, more head table workers and that runner getting bout cards, I bet we could have gotten out of there by 9:00 on Friday. Once we told the head table later that we needed bout cards, things got moving. There were way too many open mats at the end.

Positive - Saturday seemed to be much more organized! I was pleasantly surprised as I thought we were in for another really long day (and night).

Anyway, I'm e-mailing the above suggestions to the organizers of this tournament. And I hope that many others do as well. We have been to this tournament the past 3 years and enjoy the format. Having it local was a definite plus!

I liked the video before the finals.

I will just say my two cents. BRUTE/ADIDAS Nationals was for the wrestlers only. Spectators got really poorly treated at this event, and obviously from what I saw the tournament directors were more concerned with the wrestlers than their fan bases. For the most part, every kid got a match when he was supposed to and the quality of wrestling was around average to above average in some matches.

The officials and referees did they best they could with all people being rude and not following proper conduct for a wrestling tournament, let alone as a coach. I felt that this tourney needs a newer venue with the wrestler competing on a sunken floor (i.e. Municipal Auditorium or even possibly Kemper Arena or Topeka Bi-Centennial Center). This venue was a barn and there was NO seating for family or friends to watch.

Also, the bathroom was disgusting. Yeah, thats right... the one nasty bathroom shared by all dirty 7 year old boys through even dirtier 18 year old boys. It was foul to say the least.

But the wrestler wrestled. And that is what they came there to do. They stepped on the mat with other good wrestlers and they challenged themselves to get better every time the whistle blew. I like watching wrestling like that, even if I'm 4 deep against the wall and seeing it through necks and shoulders of these pomopous redneck coaches cussing up a storm about whatever I don't care about, while chewing tobacco right in front me and 8 year old boys. To me this was kind of bothersome.

One of the good things about BRUTE/ADIDAS Nationals, if not the best thing, was that a tournament like this is full of distractions. Aside from the tournament being run poorly, all the boys including our boys in Kansas should have learned a valuable lesson this week being: A) how to wrestle in a chaotic environment when things are not typical and B) getting mentally and physically prepared in same said environment. If you have allowed the chaos on the floor to get into your head because of upset friends and family who came to view you being angry around you coupled with not having a proper preparation area/workout area- then as a wrestler you have a long way to go to learn what it takes to become prepared to wrestle. That means AT ANY TIME, IN ANY SITUATION.

Wrestling or not, there are times in your life when things are going to be chaotic, hectic, and poorly run. It is in these times that a true champion of character emerges because for good wrestlers THE MATCH is the only thing that should be on your mind. Learning to be prepared in the worst environments will make competing in the ones that are done right even that much easier... thats my silver lining on all of this gray.

Coach, I believe that goes beyond a good post to a great post. For clarity since my thoughts were possibly misunderstood.

Does Brute need to improve on this tournament? Yes

Do I believe they will listen to the suggestions people make, especially people like Jeff Peanut Bowyer, Bob Gonzales etc? Yes, I have found Jeff to be very accommodating in the past, and there is a reason Coach Gonzales is among the top coaches in Kansas, it isn't just his coaching ability, but his willingness to do what is right.

Will Brute improve on this tournament? That is what is yet to be seen. As my past experiences with Brute, and in listening to the comments made prior to the opening ceremony tell me, I believe they will but can't say until I see those changes. While the changes for the 2nd day were better, there was still much to be desired, some things with an improved sound system, (not entirely Brutes fault) may be able to help. I still like a bracket system with/and/or at least a mat assignment as it gives way to being fan and wrestler supportive.

For those at the tournament we can all relate to and I believe support the things you stated in your post Coach DeYoe. I do believe the wrestling competition was above average, at least in the brackets I got to work.

One good thing I did notice at Brute was I thought the ref's did a great job. I don't remember any controversies, at least not the matches I was around.

Must not have been there Friday afternoon on the high school end of the mats.

Ned

I thought this was the worst run tournament I ever attended.
The entry fees, admission, and concessions were outragous. I can see that the profits go to a good cause but there is no need to rob the people attending. The tournament was total chaos, no way to keep track of wrestlers, noone knew when they would wrestle or where. The facility was a warehouse not a good place to run a tournament, spectators who paid $35 admission could not see. The referees were for the most part arrogant jerks who would not even explain a call. The one bathroom was filthy with a long wait. I walked next door to the Holiday Inn and used the restroom in their lobby as did several other people as there was a line there also but at least it was clean. And during the finals when the sherrifs came out on the floor and told people to get in the stands and off the floor, where were they going to sit in the stands, they were full. I don't blame people for coming matside to watch their kid for $35 they should be able to see. all in all good wrestling above average competition but horribly ran. usa nationals in cedar falls is a much better deal.
better competition, lower prices. even with the drive to Iowa it cost about the same.