Wrestling tourney a big expense

For prep wrestlers the road to the state tournament is long and hard.

This year it will not only be long and hard for the local grapplers, but expensive for the schools.

In late December 2002, the Alaska School Activities Association approved a bid for Ketchikan High School to host the 2003 4A state wrestling tournament.

Because of the decision, local schools were forced to dig deep into their pocket books to find the funds necessary to send their wrestlers to Ketchikan.

The trip will cost Colony, Palmer and Wasilla more than $20,000 in plane fare alone.

"It's going to hurt," Wasilla athletic director Doug Bean said. "We are going to need to host a lot of steak feeds."

Wasilla, sent a region-high 18 wrestlers to the state tourney, was forced to spend nearly $13,000. Nearly $10,000 came from the school's general athletics budget and the Wasilla High wrestling booster club picked up the tab for about $2,500 worth of plane tickets.

"The important thing is the kids are not cheated," Bean said. "It would be hard to tell them that they can not go to state because of where it held. Those kids earned the right to go.

"With the money crunch the schools are facing, this hurts everyone," Bean added. "But do you want to punish the kids? The kids shouldn't be short changed."

Colony and Palmer each spent about $4,000 on plane fare. The Knights and the Moose each advanced five wrestlers to the tournament.

Another problem presented to the schools was guessing how many tickets they needed. The schools had to secure reservations midway through the season. At that point, they only had a general idea who may advance to the state tourney.

According to Bean, when Wasilla ordered the tickets they had to secure the reservations under the names of the wrestlers they thought may qualify for the state tourney. Following the region tournament, Bean had to rush to change the names on the tickets to coincide with the names of the wrestlers who advanced to the state tournament.

Each name change will cost the schools another $50.

The costs calculated are just for plane fare.

"Luckily the booster club is covering the lodging," Bean said. "That is another $68 a pop."

Bean is also concerned with the fact that Wasilla could not obtain direct flights for all of their athletes. Some will have to fly through Seattle to get to Ketchikan.

"It's a scheduling nightmare," Bean said.

According to ASAA executive director Gary Matthews, Alaska Airlines had agreed to offer the schools a rebate on the plane fare. According to both Bean and Palmer High athletic director Jim Simmons, the schools were not offered a rebate and paid standard prices for the tickets.

According to Matthews, Ketchikan was the only school that put in a complete bid on time. Two other schools, Kodiak and Anchorage Christian School, also put in bids, but they missed the deadline.

The ASAA determined that ACS does not have the facilities to support the tournament, and Kodiak submitted an incomplete bid.

In the past the state tournament has been held at neutral sites such as the Sullivan Arena in Anchorage and the UAF Patty Center and Carlson Center in Fairbanks.

According to Matthews even when the tournament is held at a neutral site, a school still has to take on the responsibility of securing the site and that should be included in the bid.

The 2003 4A state wrestling tournament will mark the first time in nearly two decades that a school from Southeast Alaska has earned the right to host a state tournament.

"Don't forget that the southeast has gone 22 years without a state tourney," Matthews said.

Despite the cost to local schools, Ketchikan and the ASAA each have things to gain from this. Ketchikan High School, as well as the city of Ketchikan, will receive great exposure and the ASAA will receive a guaranteed $7,000 for giving Ketchikan the right to host the tourney.

According to Simmons, there is one positive to be gained from the travel.

"The only positive is the kids get to go to Ketchikan," Simmons said. "Seeing new places is part of the experience of being a high school athlete."

According to Bean and Simmons, another negative is the fact that most parents will not have the opportunity to see their children compete in the most important tournament of the season.

"It is taxing enough for a parent to have children involved in high school athletics," Simmons said.

"I feel terrible for the parents," Bean said. "All year long they support us. The only reason we are able to function is because of the parents.

"Sports are expensive enough," Bean added. "Some parents may say heck with it. Most people just can't afford it."

With 18 wrestlers, six of whom are region champions, Wasilla may be in line to win the state crown.

"It would be the most expensive state championship ever earned," Bean said.