Market our sport!

• knightflyer150

  I've been considering posting this for years, but I'm going to do it.
  
  As coaches...heck, as fans...how can we expect anyone to watch our sport or care if we don't provide a packaged product that is interesting to the average person? It is our job to do this in any way possible. No one is just going to show up.
  
  IMO, two relatively straightforward things need to take place to build fan base.
  
  1) The program needs to be competitive. Not great. Maybe not even good, but in a position to get dual meet wins.
  
  2) It needs to be fun. If you need minor league baseball gimicks, then whatever. Do it. Just get some asses in the seats. And as a coach or athlete, YOU NEED TO SELL IT. Use social media, posters, announcements, school news, local news, word or mouth.
  
  
  If not, it will continue to be a collection of family and a few girlfriends. The work our guys put in deserves way more than this. Some of you might say, "we don't need fans....we're wrestling." To that I say BS. Everyone likes to be recognized for their work. It also shows your administration that your program is a viable money earner, and in response, shows that you care about the big picture.
  
  Thoughts?
• cruiser_96

  

  I think part of it is having a student-body willing to get behind a program.
  
  In some cases, if we sell and sell and sell our team; (put up posters, make announcements, do give-aways, etc.) and STILL no one shows up, it's almost as if we are pushing a giant bolder up a hill just to have it fall back down.
  
  And the worst is when you take 3 to 5 years to build a base level of tradition in your wrestling room - which is not even in the high school - and have kids use it as target practice in gym class. And worse yet, they run all over the mats with their street shoes and leave flakes of doggie bombs where they've trod. ...or so I've heard. Hypothetical, of course!
  
  Or - since we are dealing in principle and nothing factual or documented - that same set of coaches run 3 to 5 tournaments a year, for 3 straight years, in an effort to raise money for a new mat (or two), do their best to bring in $5 to $7 grand a year, just to be told, "How much is a new mat!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!." Meanwhile it appears certain other activities have new uniforms and equipment every two years!
  
  It is rumored that - if the above coaches really did exist - that they would have a LONG standing belief that you only ask for that which you need. To date, I'm pretty sure it has consisted of headgear (35 maybe) and a set of singlets??? Roughly. Over a 7 year period. Now granted, they did have to get to and fro the meets and those things do cost money, but...
  
  Anywho, that's just a scenario I heard once.
  
  But I readja knightflyer.
• legman1

  cruiser, can you please send division 1 polls to the dispatch? Not sure they have your info, so they keep emailing me. Division 2 and 3 have been submitted.
  
  Thanks.
• cruiser_96

  

  I did. Had to send it to sportsfan or sportsman or sports4. Anywho, the other guy just let me know he was taking some time off. ps: teams and individuals!!!
  
  And just to clarify, any similarities between my above scenarios and true people, programs, situations, etc. is PURELY coincidental.
  
  LA Tech just scored. I'm not a fan of Mark May. We need exposure within ourindividual schools, and rivalries established between schools. I have to think that'll help.
• maddog140

  You know my former AD had a great idea that he always brought up but never put in motion. How about a dual meet during school hours??? Many school districts have more then one H.S. now a days and for those that don't the neighboring city would work just as well. Not sure if your H.S. has a "Friendly" basketball game between teachers and the boys BB team like ours did, but it would work kind of the same. Towards the end of the school day you give the students the option to go and watch a dual meet between your school and a rival or stay in class and work on home work. I would be willing to bet MOST of the students would choose to go watch the dual. That would be a great opportunity for kids/students that otherwise would never think to go watch a wrestling meet get exposed to the sport. I loved this idea and told my AD who is now a principle"Let’s do it!”, unfortunately it never happened.
• cruiser_96

  

  ...principal. But love the idea. I shall attempt.
• knightflyer150

  Central Crossing or Franklin Hts did this years ago and it was great. I have been close to selling it for a while, but to no avail. Most people call it an "in school match".
• Underrated

  Buckeye Valley and Highland did this last year. I wasn't there but heard it was very successful.
  
  
  Another idea would be to hold a Middle School dual prior to a High School dual. Preferably against a natural rival. This would get more people in the gym and create more excitement.
• Bitterrunner-up

  knightflyer150;1023499 wrote:...Some of you might say, "we don't need fans....we're wrestling." To that I say BS...

  Should I comment, since you've already said "BS" to me?
• Dad4Sports

  Underrated;1025123 wrote:Buckeye Valley and Highland did this last year. I wasn't there but heard it was very successful.
  
  
  Another idea would be to hold a Middle School dual prior to a High School dual. Preferably against a natural rival. This would get more people in the gym and create more excitement.

  That's what the MSL Buckeye Division does......2 mats....MS on one and Varsity on the other. You're correct...it more than doubles the attendance.
• 1prouddad

  Dad4Sports;1025197 wrote:That's what the MSL Buckeye Division does......2 mats....MS on one and Varsity on the other. You're correct...it more than doubles the attendance.

  We do this in the MSL Ohio as well. The middle schools dual(s) are always done before the varsity and most middle school parents and wrestlers stick around and watch the rest of the varsity matches.
  
  FOr quites some time, the MSL Ohio Championship came down to the last dual of the year - Licking Valley vs Newark Catholic. This happened for a few years in a row. The gym would be packed and it was pandemonium!
  
  Unfortunately this year the MSL Ohio Championship will be decided by a one day MSL-Ohio tournament. I guess that has some advantages to it, but it will be mostly family and a few girlfriends as nightflyer said in his original post.
  
  As a parent and avid fan I loved having the MSL Ohio duals and tris - for 4 weeks (3 Tris and a dual vs Newark Catholic) we got to watch some wrestling on weeknights to help hold us over until the weekend tournament rolled around. Now once Saturday is over, it's another long week before we get to see some wrestling again.
• Knight rider

  At Ready I believe wrestling is the only self funded sport.
• said_aouita

  

  The Beauty and Beast competition is a brilliant idea, combining gymnastics and wrestling.
  I think combining other winter sports may help.
  A basketball game following a dual meet keeps popping into my head, which I'm sure has been done already.