2008 TSSAA State Tournament

[catsbackr]

Just a few thoughts, post State tournament for next year.

 

First off, you guys at Smyrna host a first rate tournament. Beautiful lanes, knowledgeable and friendly people, reasonable pricing on your food, great motels, plenty of places to eat, etc. First rate all the way.

 

The only suggestions I have for next year would be increasing your parking area and come up with some way (low bleachers) to accomodate the fans for viewing the matches. You might make this suggestion to the TSSAA, I know they want all the fans ($7.00/per) they can get and I bet they would be in favor of anything that would increase the number of fans.

 

Congratulations Smyrna, you guys host a great tournament!

[McGavockBowling07]

Yeah parking was terrible.. I had to get there super early for a good spot...

Others wasnt soo lucky...

 

The bleachers prolly wouldnt work not enough room.. I like the set-up they had.... If you wanted to see and have a good seat you had to get there early.. but once you got there they were good seats...

 

I sat at the bar during the Hixson-W.S. match and they were GREAT seats...

 

I cant comment on the food.. never ate while I was there...

 

The Waffle house down the road was good tho.... lol

 

Um, cant think of anything else

[BHSbowling]

I thought everything that Smyrna did was great. Our girls had a great time (except for the match). and are looking forward to coming back again soon.

 

Something I would like to see is for the tournament to expand (have the sectional round in Smyrna) and make it a double elimination. We hosted a sub state round, but I would understand why teams would be upset to have to travel to another place where one team would have all the advantages. Same thing for the double elimination. If you are going to have teams travel from all over the state, I would like the chance at more than just one match. I know the purpose is to win, but I think there would be a greater intrest and more fans that would hang around for more days than what they did.

 

Either way it was fun. Congrats to Wilson Central on their win over us!

[dawgsfan]

QUOTE(catsbackr @ Jan 28 2007 - 02:01 PM) 826349299[/snapback]

Just a few thoughts, post State tournament for next year.

 

First off, you guys at Smyrna host a first rate tournament. Beautiful lanes, knowledgeable and friendly people, reasonable pricing on your food, great motels, plenty of places to eat, etc. First rate all the way.

 

The only suggestions I have for next year would be increasing your parking area and come up with some way (low bleachers) to accomodate the fans for viewing the matches. You might make this suggestion to the TSSAA, I know they want all the fans ($7.00/per) they can get and I bet they would be in favor of anything that would increase the number of fans.

 

Congratulations Smyrna, you guys host a great tournament!

 

 

Thank you for your comments about our center. We Smyrna High School bowling people are very proud of our facility and are excited to hear that others appreciate how hard they work to host a fantastic tournament.

 

I do want to mention that the Smyrna bowlers and their parents give their time during the tournament to help get the facility back in order for open bowling (cleaning, putting tables and chairs back in place, etc.) I hope that those of you using other bowling centers across the state during regular season appreciate your centers and are willing to help out with keeping your centers clean and in order. Without the generosity of the bowling centers, we cannot keep our sport going, and we as bowlers and fans have a responsibility to them.

 

Low bleachers are a great idea, and hopefully, before next year, someone can make a plan for making that happen. Of course, the first step for that is making sure there aren't fire codes or something that would prevent the use of bleachers. If there aren't, I think everyone would like to see bleachers used so that more people can have a better view of the action.

 

As for the parking, the field across the street from the bowling center was available for parking, but I realize now that only those of us from the area know how to access the field. From the bowling center, it looks as though the only way to get into the field is to drive across the curb, and most people do not want to do that. People unfamiliar with the area do not know that there is access to the field from the highway. For next year, we will try to see that there is signage letting people know that the field is available.

[dawgsfan]

QUOTE(BHSbowling @ Jan 28 2007 - 07:07 PM) 826349595[/snapback]

I thought everything that Smyrna did was great. Our girls had a great time (except for the match). and are looking forward to coming back again soon.

 

Something I would like to see is for the tournament to expand (have the sectional round in Smyrna) and make it a double elimination. We hosted a sub state round, but I would understand why teams would be upset to have to travel to another place where one team would have all the advantages. Same thing for the double elimination. If you are going to have teams travel from all over the state, I would like the chance at more than just one match. I know the purpose is to win, but I think there would be a greater intrest and more fans that would hang around for more days than what they did.

 

Either way it was fun. Congrats to Wilson Central on their win over us!

 

 

Prior to last year, the state tournament was four rounds in Smyrna and there was not a sectional round (substate). I'm not sure what brought about the change, but as a parent and fan, I think I like the old format better. However, I would like to hear how others feel about it. Perhaps if enough people express opinions, TSSAA will take another look at how the tournament is done. However, I don't know that double elimination will ever be considered because that would lengthen the tournament and that would take the participants out of the classroom for more days, and I know many would frown on that.

[worthyone]

They went to 8 teams to keep it like every other sport... baseball, softball, basketball... all have state tournaments involving 8 teams.

 

I don't see them changing that anytime soon.

[kel2695]

First let me say that each year it is a pleasure having everyone at Smyrna Bowling Center. The class of the players, coaches and participants far exceed anything i have seen at other sporting venues. I would personally like to thank the members and parents of the Smyrna Bowling team for their help each and every year in the setup and cleanup of our center. Congratulations to everyone who made the State Tournament in both the Singles and Team Competition.

To answer some of the questions about the tournament... We have tried bleachers in previous years but ones placed on the end lanes were rarely used and ones placed on the concourse created a terrible traffic flow problem. Parking was very tight this year and it is a testament to the growing popularity of our sport and the addition of a Singles competition. We had staff on the street on Friday for awhile to help direct cars into the field but i agree next year we need to have signs posted for additional parking. If anyone has any other ideas or comments i will be glad to pass them on to the TSSAA and the owners of the Smyrna Bowling Center.

 

Thanks to all for another wonderful year and i hope to see everyone back next year!

 

Kelly Marlin

[BHSbowling]

QUOTE(worthyone @ Jan 28 2007 - 08:19 PM) 826349661[/snapback]

They went to 8 teams to keep it like every other sport... baseball, softball, basketball... all have state tournaments involving 8 teams.

 

I don't see them changing that anytime soon.

 

 

 

 

Is baseball not double elimination? Just wondering.

[catsbackr]

QUOTE(dawgsfan @ Jan 28 2007 - 09:11 PM) 826349647[/snapback]

Prior to last year, the state tournament was four rounds in Smyrna and there was not a sectional round (substate). I'm not sure what brought about the change, but as a parent and fan, I think I like the old format better. However, I would like to hear how others feel about it. Perhaps if enough people express opinions, TSSAA will take another look at how the tournament is done. However, I don't know that double elimination will ever be considered because that would lengthen the tournament and that would take the participants out of the classroom for more days, and I know many would frown on that.

 

 

Logistics probably brought about the change from 2004-2005. Think about it, you'd have 16 teams in Div. I, or double, plus having the individuals. The tournament would have to go for a whole week.

 

Like I said before, Smyrna runs a GREAT tournament. I doubt placing some type of bleachers would violate any fire codes if the current setup doesn't. You can't walk through there anyway. Maybe move all the vending machines to a central area would help create more room for bleacher placement. And they don't have to be bleachers, just some kind of gradually raised incline so that spectators could see. Also, maybe having the coaches on either ends of the lanes being used would help also.l

 

And lastly, I would be proud to wear a Smyrna shirt, as long as they're not bowling Hixson. Hope to see everyone next year!

[worthyone]

They would have to probably drop the singles competition if they made it double elimination.

 

Too much bowling for people in both.

[ccbowler]

Kelly and Roy and Candy and everyone else at SBC do a great job. The only complaint I heard was about too much bowling in a very tight window for the kids involved in both tournaments. Matthew Gillespie said it was too much of a problem for people to travel twice if they were held in two different weeks. I intend to contact all of the bowling coaches and petition TSSAA to move it to two weeks later than the team competition. Then it will spread out the bowling and not interfere with any other TSSAA events. Any kid in TN that qualifies would gladly travel twice. Or maybe have a regional competition in singles and send 2 bowlers from each to the state competition.

 

A three tiered bleacher would be possible, but block the people at the counter behind the lanes. Anytime you try to get that many people in a center, it will get crowded. The only center in Middle Tennessee that has a big enough concourse to set up bleachers properly is Hillwood in west Nashville. TSSAA is in charge of site selection, but I don't know if they have considered other centers.

[bowlindog]

They could do a double elimination tournament and ease or increase the crowd if they would Split the division to A-AA and AAA-AAAA into two weekends or a weekend and Monday-Tuesday event. The Division II could bowl with the A-AA timings. But I don't know if that would or could happen. It would mean more money for the area.