AAU Top 100

[truthsquad]

Sorry for posting here, but no one reads the travel teams forum, anyway most people involved with TN high school wrestling is also involved with AAU so why not let everyone see.

 

Team TN AAU has once again disappointed. Great attempt at this TOP 100 tournament held on Saturday at Pigeon Forge, but again failed to live up to the expectations of many. Team TN leadership spends so much time mandating what other teams do within the TN AAU group with respect to hosting and running tournaments, but then when it comes their own tournament, its a mockery of what a real tournament should be.

 

Problems:

1 - Referees!!! Seriously?? You have high schoolers who have no idea as to some of the rules of wrestlering officiating matches without supervision? In a Top 100 tournament? A few times I saw coaches have to run onto the mat to stop the action for illegal headlocks and full nelsons because the "referees" didn't understand the rules. This is absolutely unacceptable. The whole AAU Ref thing is not working, just spend the extra money and get TSSAA refs and save yourself and the rest of us these problems.

 

2 - Kids working tables. So you're telling me you couldn't find enough help to get at lease adult at each table? Bad decision.\

 

3 - Great choice to finally embrace Trackwrestilng, but there is a feature in the system to allow you to display a mat call board with upcoming matches. Your 15" monitor on the side was not very helpful when it only showed the current match on the mat. I even offered a suggestion and instructions on how to make the board show up coming matches, but my suggestion fell on deaf ears. And maybe consider a projector, like is usually used at state.

 

3 - Splitting gyms. I understand the reasoning for time, but teams should have been notified so they could have made arrangements for additional coaches to cover 2 gyms.

 

4 - Hospitality. What hospitality? What if I don't like Cousin Kevin's Deer Meat Stew. Come on guys!

 

5 - Satterfield's play by play. Dude! You were so loud and annoying, I couldn't hear myself think. Maybe you should limit your time on the mic to your local karaokee bar.

 

6 - Starting on time, with weigh ins on Friday and morning sessions ending well before the afternoon, how can you justify starting late?

 

7 - Finally, You need a better system for voting for your outstanding wrestler and match awards. I saw one coach, who is intimately involved with Team TN turn in more than one ballot and guess what, his son won one of the best match awards. Interesting! Maybe it was legit, and maybe so was Lance Armstrong's 7 titles. Just sayin.

 

Good Points:

1 - Great job for awarding Outstanding Wrestler Awards at each division

2 - Great job for awarding Best match at each division.

3 - Great job of attracting some good talented wrestlers from other parts of the state.

 

Time to look within Team TN and tidy up your own house and not spend so much time telling other teams and clubs how to run their tournaments.

 

And before you shoot the messenger here, I HAVE offered my help and advice--it was politely ignored.

[JBoskenUSAW]

Thought PF and company did a great job. All my kids got great matches and I was not there all night. Refs did their best, they have to start somewhere and I feel a youth tournament is the perfect place. If your worried about the hospitality room you are there for the wrong reason. Thanks to all who do this stuff for free, you guys ran a great tournament.

 

Josh Bosken

Higher Calling Wrestling Club

[SAC]

Probably why nobody reads the travel team forum... Even more crying there than here! It's a youth tournament for Pete's sake. But great first post truthsquad. Let us know when you are hosting an event...

[truthsquad]

Bosken--I saw you at the table more than once with a ref arguing a call! If it didn't matter, THEN WHY DID YOU GO TO THE TABLE AND ARGUE, after all they have to start someplace right? And I bet if you ask the fine folks from Soddy they would agree that they don't want a ref or table worker training on their kids, especially without supervison. This was a TOP 100 tournament and supposed to be the showcase in the state--we shouldn't be training new refs without supervision. Why not let those refs train at beginners tournaments and everyone can learn together.

 

Would you feel comfortable with the female ref you were arguing with calling your child's finals match at state?

 

This is precisely the problem with TN AAU. There is too much glad handing and lip service because no one wants to upset leadership and therefore we never improve.

 

Do you seriously think its a good choice to have kids running tables and officiating our matches?

[truthsquad]

Right SAC-lets just ignore everything bad and expect it to improve...that always works.

 

As for hosting, been doing it for 16 years now. If you've been to many wrestling tournaments in TN or GA you've probably attended one that I've ran. And guess what, when people offer suggestions we listen and improve.

[Sommers]

Thought PF and company did a great job. All my kids got great matches and I was not there all night. Refs did their best, they have to start somewhere and I feel a youth tournament is the perfect place. If your worried about the hospitality room you are there for the wrong reason. Thanks to all who do this stuff for free, you guys ran a great tournament.

 

Josh Bosken

Higher Calling Wrestling Club

Amen to that! And a good job with the mat side training for these new refs and wrestlers

[JBoskenUSAW]

Ha I didn't agree with everything but I didn't lose any sleep over it or go complain to anyone afterit was over. I have learned very early in my coaching career that as long as my kids enjoy the sport and learn proper techniques they will be successful. Highly doubt anyone will remember if they got 1st or 3rd at the PF top 100 when they were in the third grade.

[heresyourstupidsign]

Right SAC-lets just ignore everything bad and expect it to improve...that always works.

 

As for hosting, been doing it for 16 years now. If you've been to many wrestling tournaments in TN or GA you've probably attended one that I've ran. And guess what, when people offer suggestions we listen and improve.

 

Do you think you are so much smarter than everyone else that you are the only one that knows what the problems were? Are you even aware of what the problems were? What caused the delay? How do you know they voted for their own son? Maybe if they did their son deserved it . People probably dont listen to you because you post on a public message board under a fictitious name and then cry that nobody listens to you. I was at the tournament a few weeks ago at east Hamilton and it was the best tournament I have seen in Tennessee. It appears Tn has made huge improvements. The numbers are up, the talent is the best its ever been and so on. Have you ever ran a tournament with computers at each table and no paper at all? Im not an expert like you are but I bet that would open up the door for potential problems. In order to continue to progress these new methods must be used and tried and there is a learning curve Im sure. They werent running a three mat tournament in one gym so Im sure there is a lot room for problems. That being said, Trackwrestling updates imediatley when they run computers at each table so the parents can all watch the brackets and bout numbers on their phones. There is no need for a bout board at all when its ran Tulsa style and the kids are on the same mat all day. Also, do you know why there were young refs there? I bet there was a reason for it. its my understanding the refs are all paid the same. If you were an expert you would know this right? As far as standards not being met that are set in place I cant argue with you there. If there are rules everyone should meet them.

[Sommers]

Amen to that! And a good job with the mat side training for these new refs and wrestlers

 

From a man beyond his years! And from The Hill no less: )

 

BTW... Hamm tells me he will whip you again by Feb 16th and that includes Bray

Edited January 21, 2013 by Sommers

[heresyourstupidsign]

Ha I didn't agree with everything but I didn't lose any sleep over it or go complain to anyone afterit was over. I have learned very early in my coaching career that as long as my kids enjoy the sport and learn proper techniques they will be successful. Highly doubt anyone will remember if they got 1st or 3rd at the PF top 100 when they were in the third grade.

I have a feeling truthsquad is going to enlighten you on how important it is. These kids confidence levels will be shot because somebody missed an escape on a 5 year old. They may never recover and need professional psychiatric help. Ive noticed the ones that usually cry the loudest are the ones that got beaten. Its funny how that works.

[truthsquad]

Do you think you are so much smarter than everyone else that you are the only one that knows what the problems were? Are you even aware of what the problems were? What caused the delay? How do you know they voted for their own son? Maybe if they did their son deserved it . People probably dont listen to you because you post on a public message board under a fictitious name and then cry that nobody listens to you. I was at the tournament a few weeks ago at east Hamilton and it was the best tournament I have seen in Tennessee. It appears Tn has made huge improvements. The numbers are up, the talent is the best its ever been and so on. Have you ever ran a tournament with computers at each table and no paper at all? Im not an expert like you are but I bet that would open up the door for potential problems. In order to continue to progress these new methods must be used and tried and there is a learning curve Im sure. They werent running a three mat tournament in one gym so Im sure there is a lot room for problems. That being said, Trackwrestling updates imediatley when they run computers at each table so the parents can all watch the brackets and bout numbers on their phones. There is no need for a bout board at all when its ran Tulsa style and the kids are on the same mat all day. Also, do you know why there were young refs there? I bet there was a reason for it. its my understanding the refs are all paid the same. If you were an expert you would know this right? As far as standards not being met that are set in place I cant argue with you there. If there are rules everyone should meet them.

 

Heresyourstupidsign--you call me out for using a screen name? Is Heresyourstupidsign what your momma named you? Wow--talk about the pot calling the kettle black. And NO, refs are not paid the same. Look it up before you speak. I guess you can't spell heresyourstupidsign without stupid right?

 

And yes I've run paperless tournaments with more than one system. I DO understand how it works. I DO understand the Tulsa system and I also realize that suggestions for improvement DO help only if one listens and incorporates the suggestions.

 

Sommers--your opinion is so irrelevant to most on here, I won't even comment on your worthless drivel of a post.

 

Bosken--of course you didn't complain and therefore those at Team TN think its ok that they have subpar officials at a tournament. Don't tell me wins and losses don't matter!! Even at 3rd grade. When a referee takes a match from them because THEY DON'T Know the rules, even in 3rd grade don't you think that leaves a mark? How do you address that in your room? "I'm sorry guys, the leadership of our sport doesn't believe you are worth spending a little extra money for certified referees, they don't believe you will notice that this kid in leopard print pants officiating your matches really don't know the rules that you as a wrestler are expected to follow, you know, the rules you learned as a 1st grader."

 

Enlighten me here and explain WHY Team TN has such tight controls over everything right down to the font a tournament director can use on their flyer, but they can't get someone that knows the rules to officiate a match.

 

Prove me wrong.

[SAC]

Tennessee AAU has been a constant changing process so I am assuming that they know there are issues. Unfortunately getting on a message board and complaining about it isn't going to fix the problem. Looks like all the right people to contact and their emails are listed on the Team Tennessee website, maybe you should start with them... And being that you have run so many tournaments you would probably appreciate such actions! I have yet to attend the perfect tournament, but I have also yet to post on a message board my disdain for them. As you can see your efforts to revolutionize the Top 100 tournaments in such a manner hasn't gotten great reviews!