I am the high school coach at Gardner Edgerton, and I have been working with the GEWC for the last four years to improve wrestling in our community. We are trying to appease our more advanced wrestlers. One of the ways our kid's club wanted to accomplish this was by holding an open tournament. The only date that the school facility was available was March 9. They expressed concern to me about that being the same date as the Mill Valley tournament. However, they told me they were trying to give our older kids one last chance to wrestle in front of their home crowd as a member of the GE kid's club. If our kid's club was worried about the money aspect, wouldn't they express the same concern as the MV kid's club of not having very many wrestlers due to another tournament being held the same day? At no point were they trying to backstab the Mill Valley club.
Those people attacking the Gardner Edgerton kid's club and directors seem to be caught up on the only reason people host tournaments is for the money. Step back and look at it from other clubs' perspective. Options on where to wrestle are always nice.
It bothers me to see our kid's club cancel a tournament to appease other clubs that are "bad mouthing" them across the whole state. They have put a lot of time and effort into hosting their tournamnet. But our kid's club director and staff are quality individuals and it shows when they appease people that call them "greedy".
Good luck to all wrestlers as they approach the state tournament. May you reach your goals.
Coach Yeamans
P.S.-I constantly have fundraising companies contacting me. If some clubs would like me to forward some of those calls to them, let me know. It may help solve some of the financial arguments going on.
