wvmat.com

I'm telling you right now, it's a downright freaking shame that you were prohibiting parents from taking a clear photo of their wrestler on the podium... instead forcing them to buy a package or a digital emailed photo. The cheapest price being $20. This is PATHETIC!!! I know we didn't have to be suckered into this situation a the WVYWA state tournament last year. We were allowed to freely take our own pics. This is nothing but a rip off. And you wonder why people don't want to attend both tournaments. We came here to support both organizations... glad it's the last time we have to make that decision!

Pathetic indeed.

Look at their entries declining over last couple years. This is only one of the reasons why. Why everyone else can see this and they can't I'll never understand. This used to be a top notch event a few years ago.

We were allowed to take great pictures of our kids on the podium. We also ordered the biggest package available from the photographer. Not sure why you were not allowed to take pictures? I noticed many parents doing the same thing.

And the tournament was run very well, again, and has been a mainstay in WV wrestling for as long as I can remember. And I am not from Parkersburg...

Campion wrote:We were allowed to take great pictures of our kids on the podium. We also ordered the biggest package available from the photographer. Not sure why you were not allowed to take pictures? I noticed many parents doing the same thing.

And the tournament was run very well, again, and has been a mainstay in WV wrestling for as long as I can remember. And I am not from Parkersburg...

They made the parents from my son's and several others weight classes stand way in the back, having to take a pic from a side view... that is when the guys working there would get out of your way. Good for you for ordering the "biggest package" available. We were not allowed to walk up in front of the podium to take a good pic, so that's not accurate at all. Had no issues with the tournament other than this, so don't try to play this off as an anti-Parkersburg Jr. States issue.

If you bought a package (even the $20 package) you were allowed in to take pictures.

Wrestlingmom2011 wrote:If you bought a package (even the $20 package) you were allowed in to take pictures.

Parents shouldn't have to buy a picture package just to get a good spot to take their own photo of their own son.

Why the conflicting versions of what happened?

I took great pictures from the 22nd row!

This is the first year I have noticed them allowing you to take pics if you bought a package. I agree it is wrong, but same discussion every year. Tourney gives photographers the rights, what can you do?

Bearhugger wrote:Why the conflicting versions of what happened?

Not really any conflicting versions... Apparently, you could take your own picture of the podium if you purchased a package. This was the issue. You shouldn't have to pay to be allowed a good spot near the podium to take a photo of your kid's accomplishments. Not everyone has $20 bucks, at the very least, to blow when they can take a perfectly good photo with their own camera, iPhone etc... Simply put, it was a set up money making scheme.

Wrestlingmom2011 wrote:If you bought a package (even the $20 package) you were allowed in to take pictures.

I took pictures myself before even looking at the picture packages. That was not required. Not sure why some experiences were different but I can understand the frustration.

This is almost as bad as making mat maids pay to get in.

Does anyone have the contact information for the people who took the podium pics?

Britton Wasmer
FST Images (304) 488-4623
www.FSTimages.com

matcoach90 wrote:I'm telling you right now, it's a downright freaking shame that you were prohibiting parents from taking a clear photo of their wrestler on the podium... instead forcing them to buy a package or a digital emailed photo. The cheapest price being $20. This is PATHETIC!!! I know we didn't have to be suckered into this situation a the WVYWA state tournament last year. We were allowed to freely take our own pics. This is nothing but a rip off. And you wonder why people don't want to attend both tournaments. We came here to support both organizations... glad it's the last time we have to make that decision!

I believe the point of a business is to make money. The photographer is likely a local business owner trying to make a living. People crying about plaques and now you couldn't take a free picture. And why bash jr states? Did they check your bag coming in to make sure you weren't sneaking a drink or food in? They do at the Big Sandy so you're forced to buy the disgusting $6.00 burger , $3.50 slice of pizza or $5.00 fountain drink.

Diamond wrote:

matcoach90 wrote:I'm telling you right now, it's a downright freaking shame that you were prohibiting parents from taking a clear photo of their wrestler on the podium... instead forcing them to buy a package or a digital emailed photo. The cheapest price being $20. This is PATHETIC!!! I know we didn't have to be suckered into this situation a the WVYWA state tournament last year. We were allowed to freely take our own pics. This is nothing but a rip off. And you wonder why people don't want to attend both tournaments. We came here to support both organizations... glad it's the last time we have to make that decision!

I believe the point of a business is to make money. The photographer is likely a local business owner trying to make a living. People crying about plaques and now you couldn't take a free picture. And why bash jr states? Did they check your bag coming in to make sure you weren't sneaking a drink or food in? They do at the Big Sandy so you're forced to buy the disgusting $6.00 burger , $3.50 slice of pizza or $5.00 fountain drink.

If you can't see the problem with making it difficult for parents to take photos of their kids and their accomplishments, then you are part of the problem. Our kids and teams support both tournaments, so there goes your theory on that. And by the way, we don't approve of the bag checking for food and high priced concessions at Big Sandy either. So before you assume what the motives for my posts are, you might want pull back the reins a little. The simple fact is, parents and wrestlers shouldn't be price gouged at either tournament... whether it be a simple photo of their kid, or bringing in a bottle of water and a couple snacks for their own family and wrestler.

My son has attended Jr. States the last 3 years and I have always been able to get a picture with my phone while he was on the podium. And I was never told that I couldn't.

tknight wrote:My son has attended Jr. States the last 3 years and I have always been able to get a picture with my phone while he was on the podium. And I was never told that I couldn't.

I was there... The situation was touch and go. I personally witnessed those operating the photo business say you had to buy a package in order to get close to the podium to take your own pics. If you were lucky and those running the operation didn't get in your way, you could try and snap a pic from behind the area they had blocked off, and at an angle. When I tried, I was not permitted to cross the barrier... neither were other parents. Now, if that changed throughout the day, then fine. However, after reading several posts here, that wasn't the case for many others. The whole set up was obviously staged and blocked off for money making purposes. Fine... but don't make it difficult for families who can't afford to buy a package to get close enough for a nice photo of their own. And I'm not taking sides with Huntington or Parkersburg cause we go to both, but we had easy access to take pics of the podium there. Otherwise, we had no issues with the tournament.

I have yet to receive my $20 digital photo.

I received my digital photo today

matcoach90 wrote:

Diamond wrote:

matcoach90 wrote:I'm telling you right now, it's a downright freaking shame that you were prohibiting parents from taking a clear photo of their wrestler on the podium... instead forcing them to buy a package or a digital emailed photo. The cheapest price being $20. This is PATHETIC!!! I know we didn't have to be suckered into this situation a the WVYWA state tournament last year. We were allowed to freely take our own pics. This is nothing but a rip off. And you wonder why people don't want to attend both tournaments. We came here to support both organizations... glad it's the last time we have to make that decision!

I believe the point of a business is to make money. The photographer is likely a local business owner trying to make a living. People crying about plaques and now you couldn't take a free picture. And why bash jr states? Did they check your bag coming in to make sure you weren't sneaking a drink or food in? They do at the Big Sandy so you're forced to buy the disgusting $6.00 burger , $3.50 slice of pizza or $5.00 fountain drink.

If you can't see the problem with making it difficult for parents to take photos of their kids and their accomplishments, then you are part of the problem. Our kids and teams support both tournaments, so there goes your theory on that. And by the way, we don't approve of the bag checking for food and high priced concessions at Big Sandy either. So before you assume what the motives for my posts are, you might want pull back the reins a little. The simple fact is, parents and wrestlers shouldn't be price gouged at either tournament... whether it be a simple photo of their kid, or bringing in a bottle of water and a couple snacks for their own family and wrestler.

You can take all the pictures you want of your kids, just not for free on the podium while the photographer is working. Do you go into Picture People at the mall and say you wanna use all their props but you wanna take the photos yourself? For free? Doesn't work that way, sorry...Columbus TOC does the same thing. If this bothers you I'd suggest not venturing out to the national tourneys. As far as participating in both...you are fortunate you can. Last year, unless you lived in Wood Co., you had to choose. I wasn't saying anything about that. It does suck to get gouged on prices but I guess we have been doing it so long its normal.

Diamond wrote:

matcoach90 wrote:

Diamond wrote:
I believe the point of a business is to make money. The photographer is likely a local business owner trying to make a living. People crying about plaques and now you couldn't take a free picture. And why bash jr states? Did they check your bag coming in to make sure you weren't sneaking a drink or food in? They do at the Big Sandy so you're forced to buy the disgusting $6.00 burger , $3.50 slice of pizza or $5.00 fountain drink.

If you can't see the problem with making it difficult for parents to take photos of their kids and their accomplishments, then you are part of the problem. Our kids and teams support both tournaments, so there goes your theory on that. And by the way, we don't approve of the bag checking for food and high priced concessions at Big Sandy either. So before you assume what the motives for my posts are, you might want pull back the reins a little. The simple fact is, parents and wrestlers shouldn't be price gouged at either tournament... whether it be a simple photo of their kid, or bringing in a bottle of water and a couple snacks for their own family and wrestler.

You can take all the pictures you want of your kids, just not for free on the podium while the photographer is working. Do you go into Picture People at the mall and say you wanna use all their props but you wanna take the photos yourself? For free? Doesn't work that way, sorry...Columbus TOC does the same thing. If this bothers you I'd suggest not venturing out to the national tourneys. As far as participating in both...you are fortunate you can. Last year, unless you lived in Wood Co., you had to choose. I wasn't saying anything about that. It does suck to get gouged on prices but I guess we have been doing it so long its normal.

I have been involved with wrestling for around 40 years and have ventured all over the country wrestling and coaching... if you want to defend how it was set up, that's your right. But you know, as well as I, it was set up to encourage buying a packeage and making it more difficult for parents to take their own pictures. End of story.