My son will make his fourth trip to the state tournament, and wants to have all his family and friends with him,
Attending state competition at the elite Pepsi Center in Denver is no cheap affair.
The 2-1/2 day state tournament is broken into several sessions costing $9-13 apiece, or $55 for the entire event. Also, you have food, gas and lodging expenses.
In comparison, the Colorado Springs Olympic Center held a three-day wrestling tournament and several world renowned medalists competed. The cost: $5 per session or $15 for all. That was cheaper than typical high schools charge for tournaments - $6 to $7 per adult.
Eads High School hosted the most reasonable tournament at $3 per person. The Las Animas dual was even better – a donor contributed funds so everyone could get in free.
I don’t understand how families can be expected to pay these extravagant costs! If a family of four were to attend state, it would cost $220 in entry fees alone!
I told Harry Waterman, Assistant Commissioner for the Colorado High School Activities Association about my concerns. He stated that the state tournament was “the most spectacular event that the CHSAA offers” because they can get 2A through 6A school districts into one building. He cited record attendance each year and an abundance of positive feedback about the location.
The positive feedback is probably from those from Denver and Colorado Springs who live closer to the Pepsi Center and don’t have added travel and lodging expenses.
I encourage anyone who agrees with me to write Harry Waterman as he does not foresee changing the venue in the near future. E-mail: hwaterman@CHSAA.org or call him at 303-344-5050. I can’t believe that next year’s tournament couldn’t be held at a lower cost site.
Sincerely,
Nancy Goldsberry
Las Animas, Colo.
