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Times Leader Tournament Now Keystone Games Invitational At PSU
The former Times Leader tournament is now the Keystone Games Invitational.
The tournament will be held on Saturday and Sunday, December 16 & 17, at Penn State University’s Rec. Hall.
The Keystone Games will be sponsoring and managing the tournament. The
Keystone Games managed the tournament for the first time last
year while it was still under the sponsorship of Times Leader.
The Times Leader newspaper had to discontinue its sponsorship this year due to financial reasons.
I would like to thank the Times Leader for all that it has done in
sponsoring and promoting this excellent wrestling tournament in the
past. They are to be highly commended for their past efforts in
building a highly reputable wrestling tournament in the backyard of District
2.
Currently, the Keystone Games is looking for a major tournament sponsor so we may have a new name for the tournament if one is acquired.
Last year I was openly critical of the move to have the Keystone Games manage the Times Leader tournament.
This was, for the most part, due to the many complaints people had with the way they ran their summer wrestling tournament of the overall Keystone Games.
Fortunately I ended up being very wrong as the Keystone Games, by virtually all accounts, did an absolutely wonderful job at managing the Times Leader tournament last year.
My hat’s off to the Keystone Games and I hope their success in running this tournament continues.
I was asked for my opinion of the tournament now being held out at Penn State.
I have 2 opinions with one being personal and the other being a larger view of
wrestling in our area.
My first opinion, on a personal side, is that I don’t care where the tournament is held.
My family travels all over God’s creation in the off-season for the sport of wrestling, so it makes no difference to me how far I have to drive or if I have to get a hotel.
Certainly this opinion of mine is not shared by all where distance and
economics are both major factors.
My second opinion, on a larger view of wrestling in our
area, is that the move to Penn State is a big blow to District 2 wrestling.
From its inception, the Times Leader tournament was a “District 2 wrestling tournament.”
I remember when there were only around a dozen teams or so but the tournament just kept growing to 20 teams, 30 teams, 40 teams, and up.
District 2 wrestling had a huge tournament with huge prestige slip away from its grasp due to huge financial considerations.
Approximately 60 teams have been invited to attend the Keystone Games Invitational wrestling tournament.
We may not know for quite some time what the exact number of teams will be in attendance.
There may be some problems for several area teams.
Existing & Potential Problems
* Believe it or not, not every head coach at every area high school even knew of the change in location with it now being at Penn State.
There are probably several internal as well as external reasons for this, but it did happen.
* Budgets for high school athletics are done in the same time frame as a business – well ahead of a July 1 fiscal year.
If you budgeted to attend the Dallas area and now find out you have a much longer drive
and must reserve hotel rooms in order to attend at Penn State, then it just may not be financially possible to attend for budgetary reasons. * Sunday competition. While Sunday competition is no stranger to any wrestler or the wrestling
community, there are school districts that restrict Sunday competitions, with some only allowing it in case of weather postponements, etc.
* Not every high school wrestling program is able to obtain the internal support mechanisms (people) to conduct successful fundraising so that such trips can be funded outside of the school budget
process
Potential For More Success
* I believe the move to Penn State can mean even further success for this tournament.
Central Pennsylvania may be more of a hotbed for fan attendance than District 2.
This is one we will just have to wait and see what happens.
* Any dip in team attendance for this year as previously noted, may simply be a one year occurrence.
Teams can plan and budget for 2007. If team attendance is lower this year than last, my best guess is that you will see a different story in 2007.
* Team attendance can grow at Penn State. There were severe space limitations at College Misericordia that won’t exist at Penn State Rec. Hall. The Wachovia Arena was nice, size-wise, the year the tournament was held there but it was a lot of bucks for everyone involved with the tournament (management and fans alike).
* Wouldn’t it be cool if more teams from out-of-state (Ohio, New Jersey, New York, Virginia, etc.) could get invited for future years?
The sky could be the limit if the tournament is held at Penn State.
Berwick Wrestling has the bases covered. We’ll be there.
Heck, it’s a lot closer than Alexandria, Virginia, which we will also be at again this year.
We already have hotel rooms being booked for Penn Manor, State College, and
Alexandria, Virginia. Fundraising at Berwick is 12 months a year, and
for a very good reason.
Berwick Wrestling wants to seek out the best competition we can get for the buck.
The last several seasons have witnessed Berwick Wrestling compete against Upper Perkiomen (3 times), Connellsville (2 times), Great Bridge, VA, and Blair Academy.
There are no illusions of grandeur when we compete against these nationally ranked teams.
There is only one purpose – to become the best you must wrestle the best.
The Berwick Wrestling team win/loss record is of no consideration at these
wrestling events. It’s all about getting the kids the best competition we can afford (and
the Berwick MatBackers work their tails off).
There are even times I feel like the Jerry Lewis of wrestling. But if
you expect the kids to work hard, then the support mechanisms have to be in place
with dedicated people working just has hard for the kids. Good luck to everyone at the Keystone Games Invitational!
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