troubleenuf
Blue Belt
So is it just the upper midwest or are tournaments drying up all over the country? We used to get invites to tournaments for every weekend in the spring... this year, so far one...
Tournaments drying up?!
- Thread starter troubleenuf
- Start date
SahBumNimRush
Master of Arts
We are seeing the same thing in our area (mid atlantic). Unfortunately that approach is a double edged sword. If you only go to the large ones because the small ones are getting smaller, then you are helping to put a nail in the coffin of the smaller ones. We just had our association's 38th Annual U.S. Open Martial Arts Championship, I can remember when Canadian and Mexican schools and schools from all over the U.S. came to our competition. Now, it's only Mid-Atlantic schools that show up.
Our KJN has said he just wants to make it to 40 years in a row, then he'll probably stop hosting it. I hope we continue to host it, because it is one of the few traditional point tournaments still running.
miguksaram
Master of Arts
I know in sport karate scene it is very skimpy amongst the tournaments. Our AKA org used to have 10 a year now we are looking at 5 or 6 this whole season. Money is still tight.
troubleenuf
Blue Belt
I think the location of Nationals will be a huge issue this year. If its not in a good location parents are not going to fork over the money to attend. This is something that AAU and USAT are going to have to recognize in the future. Nationals have to and should be easy to get to and in an area that families can vacation afterwards. I am finding that many of my parents are already deciding that Ausitn is not a go for this year. Makes it hard for me to keep people on the team when they dont have the focus of attending Nationals.
d1jinx
Master Black Belt
September in San Antonio... see ya there.
The problem is that fewer and fewer cities and venues want to have USAT come to their location. USAT has been burning bridges to most of the desirable locations for national events.
Please send me the info so I can put it on the calender, thanks
ATC
Senior Master
Nationals will be in San Jose, CA. not Austin.
troubleenuf
Blue Belt
andyjeffries
Senior Master
Didn't it suck before he came to power?
I can't remember when your last elections were but I'm sure the world was in a bad economic way when he was inaugurated.
granfire
Sr. Grandmaster
yeah, it has been in the toilet long before Obama...
USTU had national events in California. The problem was that people could not drive to the venue and had to fly, which discouraged people from showing up. As a result, USTU always tried to keep national events east of the Rockies, where the majority of the US population lives. The one exception was US Open. People are willing to fly for that one.
USAT uses San Jose because the USOC has a good relationship with the city. USOC hosts events there like Titan Games and uses it as its staging area for Summer Olympic Games. Everyone meets there and gets their Olympic packet before flying off to Sydney or Beijing for example. This time it will probably be a city on the east coast for that, given the 2012 Games are in London. So USAT is using the last of the goodwill available to them, which is the USOC's goodwill with San Jose.
d1jinx
Master Black Belt
Maybe in some peoples world, But mine was just fine prior to 'bama. Now its a world of ****.
I and a junior team of four students went to a small annual tournament in St. Louis today that was well attended. There were about 200 competitors compared to about 150 last year. Opening ceremonies included an exhibition of the dreaded Taekwondo dance, by a team from a hot chocolate belt factory in Chicago.
All in all, though, it was a nice event, especially for kids with limited tournament experience. That included my six year old son, a Blue Belt, 5th Gup, who'd never competed in a tournament. He took first place in forms and placed 2nd in sparring after taking a heavy beating from a 1st Gup. It was a good wake up call for the boy, but it was painful to watch.
I will take a senior team to the AAU Ozark district championship here in St. Louis on April 16, and I am told the number of participants is expected to be significantly higher than last year.
