Sectionals added To State tournament

[WrestlinFan]

Anyone have any insight or inside knowledge on numbers and how this is going to be setup?

[JSamson7]

For individuals or duals?

[WrestlinFan]

Individuals on 2/19

 

https://cms-files.tssaa.org/documents/tssaa/2021-22/sports-calendar/2021WrCalendar.pdf

 

[JSamson7]

2 hours ago, WrestlinFan said:

Individuals on 2/19

 

https://cms-files.tssaa.org/documents/tssaa/2021-22/sports-calendar/2021WrCalendar.pdf

 

Region tournament will still place top 4, then an additional weekend (sectionals) will have the top 4 from their respective regions match up against their predetermined region partners (R1 v R2, R3 v R4, R5 v R6, R7 v R8). So an 8 wrestler sectional with the top 4 advancing to a 16 wrestler bracket at State.

[noonesfool]

13 hours ago, JSamson7 said:

Region tournament will still place top 4, then an additional weekend (sectionals) will have the top 4 from their respective regions match up against their predetermined region partners (R1 v R2, R3 v R4, R5 v R6, R7 v R8). So an 8 wrestler sectional with the top 4 advancing to a 16 wrestler bracket at State.

Actually, I like it!

[mat73557]

I still don't like it.   Reducing the number of kids who go to state is not growing wrestling, wrestling interest, or wrestling popularity.

DII now gets their own tournament with no change in bracket size.  Go figure. 

In years past, a DII kid at state could go 2-2 and still get a state medal.  Now, in AA, you will have a lot of coaches who will rarely ever be able to get a state qualifier.

None of this makes any sense to me.  Why change anything if DII gets their own tournament? 

Edited September 20, 2021 by mat73557

[PUMMELKING]

One of the Biggest Blunders I think the TSSAA could make.  All these years Finally getting the Large School to a True Double Elimination Format and Full 32 man Bracket, to now drop it to 16.

Makes no sense in the world to grow the Sport but limit the numbers. Other sports have more State Qualifiers and Opportunities why cut Wrestling Short?????

Since the Private D2 Schools are not going to be attending the State with everyone else, it should go back to a 32 Man Tourny, 

Do something right for Once and for the kids TSSAA.............

[sx1234]

I couldn't disagree with you guys more on it being a bad thing.

For coaches trying to grow their program, they convince a kid in the hallway that comes from nothing to come out and join the wrestling team.  Even though he's a first year kid, he's varsity because he's the only kid in his weight class.  Then he wrestles in the region tournament and places top 4 because he won 1 match or in some regions- he places top 4 just by making weight.

 

Then his parents have to spend money thy don't have to pay for 2 nights at a hotel in Franklin or Chattanooga  because their son qualified for the State Tournament.  He has no business being in the tournament, so he gets pinned quick twice and is eliminated Thursday night.  Yes some programs are fortunate enough to be in a position where they pay for the cost, but I would bet that there's less than 25 public schools in the state that don't have to rely on parents paying.

 

That same kid then tells his coach, who's only trying to build a program and grow the sport of wrestling, his parents said he can't wrestle next year because they can't afford it.

 

This sectional now will sort those scenarios out to where the parents and coaches won't have as many unnecessary costs in building their programs and will really help grow the sport in schools and communities that aren't known for wrestling.

[cbg]

16 hours ago, mat73557 said:

I still don't like it.   Reducing the number of kids who go to state is not growing wrestling, wrestling interest, or wrestling popularity.

DII now gets their own tournament with no change in bracket size.  Go figure. 

In years past, a DII kid at state could go 2-2 and still get a state medal.  Now, in AA, you will have a lot of coaches who will rarely ever be able to get a state qualifier.

None of this makes any sense to me.  Why change anything if DII gets their own tournament? 

I also don't like having sectionals.  Why don't we have a real state tournament and use the following criteria for the individual tournament:  Everyone is back together, 16 districts across the state and a wrestler must place in the top 4 to advance to one of the 4 regional tournaments.  At the region a wrestler must place in the top 4 to advance to the state tournament which is a 16 man bracket.  

Everyone knows that Tennessee does not have the population base to justify having 3 individual state wrestling tournament.  California has 1 tournament, New Jersey has 1 tournament and even in PA they only have 2 tournaments.  Let's put the prestige back into even getting to the state tournament.

[mat73557]

1 hour ago, sx1234 said:

I couldn't disagree with you guys more on it being a bad thing.

For coaches trying to grow their program, they convince a kid in the hallway that comes from nothing to come out and join the wrestling team.  Even though he's a first year kid, he's varsity because he's the only kid in his weight class.  Then he wrestles in the region tournament and places top 4 because he won 1 match or in some regions- he places top 4 just by making weight.

 

Then his parents have to spend money thy don't have to pay for 2 nights at a hotel in Franklin or Chattanooga  because their son qualified for the State Tournament.  He has no business being in the tournament, so he gets pinned quick twice and is eliminated Thursday night.  Yes some programs are fortunate enough to be in a position where they pay for the cost, but I would bet that there's less than 25 public schools in the state that don't have to rely on parents paying.

 

That same kid then tells his coach, who's only trying to build a program and grow the sport of wrestling, his parents said he can't wrestle next year because they can't afford it.

 

This sectional now will sort those scenarios out to where the parents and coaches won't have as many unnecessary costs in building their programs and will really help grow the sport in schools and communities that aren't known for wrestling.

Sorry, but this doesnt make any sense to me.  A coach who is trying to grow his program recruits a kid and the kid ends up being a state qualifier.  That is bad for his program because the kid isn't one of the top kids in the state, gets put out early, and his parents are probably poor?  Do I have that right?

Most coaches I know would love to be able to recruit more kids from their hallways.

"Come wrestle for me.  None of my kids will ever go to state, but man you're gonna have a lot of fun." 

I am sure that pitch is going to have the kids coming out in droves.

[sx1234]

20 minutes ago, mat73557 said:

Sorry, but this doesnt make any sense to me.  A coach who is trying to grow his program recruits a kid and the kid ends up being a state qualifier.  That is bad for his program because the kid isn't one of the top kids in the state, gets put out early, and his parents are probably poor?  Do I have that right?

Most coaches I know would love to be able to recruit more kids from their hallways.

"Come wrestle for me.  None of my kids will ever go to state, but man you're gonna have a lot of fun." 

I am sure that pitch is going to have the kids coming out in droves.

Comical attempt to try and twist words to build rhetoric there. However, sadly ,the universe in under no obligation to make sense to you.  Reality exists whether you understand it or not.

[dbradford]

My personal opinion is that we seem to be undervaluing the significance of what being a state qualifier may mean to some kids, that is the goal  in many instances and I think that's just fine and keeps them involved in the sport. I  am on my 3rd son wrestling and I can say without hesitation that  I would be as equally or more excited about my youngest son qualifying for the State Tournament as my older son winning it.  They are different kids with different skill levels and different goals , that's perfectly ok. I don't think the ask is to water down the Tournament to the point where a State Champ feels like it was not an accomplishment but what would it hurt to keep some of the low hanging fruit in play  for those kids trying to just qualify  for the tournament as the  goal, doesn't keeping more kids engaged ultimately grow the sport? I think the 32 man Bracket did just that IMO.