State Tournament

[darth vomitus]

I think everyone is in agreement that the tournament was run well, but the venue is just not large enough. Unfortunately unless someone takes "the bull by the horns," or the SCHSL as the case may be, the tournament will be at Anderson for the foreseeable future.

That being the case, I think several suggestions have been made that could improve on the experience for fans, wrestlers, and coaches alike. Several suggestions that I liked:

Programs. Great idea, and I would certainly buy one. Think to get some wrestler's profiles included it would have to be started prior to the Upper/Lower qualifiers then "refined" after.

Raised clocks like you see at college tourneys. Think someone rented them long ago for a past state tournament. Really sucks when you cannot easily follow the score.

And, I know this won't go over well, the suggestion to "stagger" wrestling further. I agree you would probably lose revenue if kids were knocked out the first night; so instead, have the first round of championship followed by the semis. Not ideal, but I think it would allow for a couple advantages:
1) Finalists can sleep in or have more time to cut weight. Most hotels won't force you to check out until around 11 am, and some will let you stay longer if you ask. Finalist parents could also sleep in.

2) Consolation kids and fans would have the arena to themselves in the morning.

3) Separate finals rotating every year. The fans could then concentrate on one mat. As one classification ended the venue would clear out a little more. Medals awarded after each classification or between weights.

 

[JYMF]

Having not really thought of this much beyond the inconveneinece factor, ParTerre makes a very strong point. Although not likely, if a kid were to end up in a hospital needing surgery to save a leg because of a staph infection that was suspected to have started at the state tournament, in part because of a lack of facilties, the SCHSL would be looking at yet another lawsuit, and one that they would likely lose. Some things are beyond the control of the league (fights, parents, etc..,) but most very well are.
Addtionally, I doubt that offcials would want to be called into court giving testimony as to why a suspected condition was not caught.

Again...not likely, but in today's litigious society, a really good/slick attorney can make things look really bad, and honestly, there is no defense when a judge/jury is asked if a "reasonable" person would expect shower facilties at a major athletic event involving that many athletes, as well as the nature of the sport.

The answer is yes.

This post was edited on 3/6 2:20 PM by JYMF

This post was edited on 3/6 2:20 PM by JYMF

 

[ILWRSCCoach]

Darth the idea for stagger would not work. I am almost positive that everyone from the same weight class has to weigh-in at the same time. So your #1 would not be advantage would not be there. Also seperating the finals only works for the fans. What about coaches and wrestlers. I know my wrestlers would want to watch the other state final matches. So like said before If i have lets say an 182 pounder in the class 2A state final and the order of finals is 4A then 3A then 2A/1A, he would ultimately have to sit around from morning weighin until his championship match much later in the night. Especially if he had a teammate in the consolation and only one coach.

 

[darth vomitus]

If you remember Friday, the different classifications weighed-in at different times. Stagger like we did Friday, just wrestle semis that night as well. Saturday wrestle consolations for all classifications at the same time, then stagger the finals. Say next year you went in order - 1A/2A, 3A, then 4A - and a kid/coach from 1A/2A wanted to watch 4A, they could stay. Just like at the state dual finals. They want to go home they go home. However, I bet most, if not all, the 1A/2A parents/family would leave creating more space for the 3A spectators. Not sure if this would work time-wise, you don't want the finals for the last classification ending at midnight, but maybe it could.

Just a thought on how to make a small venue work better.

 

[rhino_wrestling_club_sc]

The weigh-in's can't be staggered for wrestlers that are in different rounds. They all have to weigh in at the same time. The reason why they're staggered on Friday is becauase you have three tournaments starting at different times. Your idea of having the semi's on Friday is still doable- the wrestlers in the finals would just have to weigh in at the same time as everyone else in the morning. Other tournaments that have the finals as the only championship round that runs later on in the day do that (NCAA's, NJ States).

 

[darth vomitus]

Ok. Have them weigh-in in the morning and then they can go back to the hotel for more sleep if they want. Their parents don't have to get up for the weigh-in do they?

 

[Tattoo68]

The Citadel has a new AD, a more fan oriented and competent AD, and I think that whether it moves around the state or is held there only, it would have the parking, warm up areas, and fan seating that you are looking for. Hope someone in charge explorers that option. Besides, every wrestler upon completing their season would love to hit the restaurants in the area. Plenty to do afterwards also for the fans.