| OHSAA STATE WRESTLING
TOURNAMENTS FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS FOR THE BEST WRESTLING COACHES IN THE NATION
| Q. |
When will tournament pairings be
announced and how can I obtain them? |
A.
|
Tournament pairings
will be available on Sunday, February 28, no later than 12:00 noon. They can be accessed through
the Ohio High School Athletic Association’s web page at www.ohsaa.org.
|
Q.
|
What if I notice that one of my
wrestler's names in the tournament pairings is misspelled or his record is incorrect? |
|
A. |
Send an
e-mail to the attention of Tim Stried, Director of Information
Services, immediately. He
may be reached at
[email protected].
|
Q.
|
Is there a dress code
for coaches? |
|
A. |
Coaches will be required to wear either
dress slacks or khakis, a collar shirt and appropriate footwear such
as sneakers, dress shoes, etc. Flip flops, sandals shorts and hats are examples
of inappropriate footwear. Coaches dressed inappropriately will not
be permitted on the arena floor beginning session 1.
|
| Q. |
How do my wrestler(s) and I gain
entry into the tournaments? |
| A. |
Coaches will
receive books of tickets, which they must use for entry into the
tournament, according to the following schedule: one qualifier � one
book; two to four qualifiers � two books; five to eight qualifiers — three books;
nine to 14 qualifiers � four books. Each participant will also
receive a book of tickets which must be used for entry into the
tournament. Coaches previously had the opportunity to purchase
all-session ticket books. Additional books of tickets for coaching
personnel may be purchased Thursday morning, March 3
outside the Coaches Packet Pick
Up Area in the Southwest Rotunda, located on the Southwest side of the Schottenstein
Center off of Fred Taylor Drive at 10 a.m. In addition, the
Schottenstein Center Ticket office opens daily at 8:00 a.m.
|
| Q. |
Where do my wrestler(s) and I
enter the Schottenstein Center? |
A.
|
You are strongly
encouraged to enter each session at the Southwest Rotunda Pass Gate. However, you can also
enter through any other gate. Keep your ticket stub. Use it to move through the arena for
Sessions 1 through 5.
|
| Q. |
Is there a
pre-tournament coaches meeting I need to attend prior to competition? |
A.
|
Yes. First, coaches
must pick up an informational packet, which contains tickets, parking passes and
tournament information, in the Auxiliary Gymnasium, located on the Southwest side of the
Schottenstein Center off of Fred Taylor Drive, beginning at 10 a.m. on Thursday,
March 3.
That will be followed by a mandatory coaches informational meeting at 11 a.m. in the main
arena of the Value City Arena in the Schottenstein Center.
|
| Q. |
When are weigh-ins? |
A.
|
Scales will
open Thursday, March 3 at 10 a.m. in the Auxiliary Gymnasium.
Wrestlers will be able to weigh-in unofficially from 10 a.m. to
11:05 a.m. on the same scale which he will weigh-in officially
beginning at his appointed time. Coaches are encouraged to utilize
this unofficial weigh-in. All wrestlers must report for official
weigh-ins in the Auxiliary Gymnasium, Thursday, March 3 from 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Specific weigh-in times are in
the packet. The
Division I, II and III Championship Semifinalists and Consolation Semifinalists may begin
weighing in Friday at 5:30 p.m. All wrestlers who qualify for Saturday's championship
finals and the consolation semifinals must report for weigh-ins during Session 3.
Championship semifinalist and consolation semifinalist wrestlers may weigh-in either
before or after wrestling Friday evening. Weigh-ins will conclude 30 minutes after the
last match is finished for Session 3. If any wrestler does not make weight during the the
weigh-in period during Session 3, there will be a final weigh-in period Saturday morning
(9 to 9:30 a.m.). Wrestlers will not weigh in Friday morning.
|
| Q. |
Are locker facilities available? |
A.
|
Lockers will not be available for
contestants. Showers will be available in rooms located behind press
row on the north side. A room located in the Auxiliary Gymnasium will be available to
"check" medical kits, equipment bags, etc. (similar to a coat check).
|
| Q. |
Where are the State Wrestling
Tournaments held and how do I get there? |
A.
|
The OHSAA State Wrestling
Tournaments are contested on the campus of The Ohio State University in Columbus at the
Value City Arena in the Jerome Schottenstein Center (corner of Lane Avenue and Olentangy
River Road). This year's tournaments will be March 3-5, 2016. Directions to the Schottenstein Center are available on the web page for the arena at: www.schottensteincenter.com
|
| Q. |
Where can I park once I’m at
the Schottenstein Center? |
A
|
Instructions for complimentary coaches parking will be in the
coaches packet. You will receive one parking pass if you have 1-4
wrestlers participating in the tournament; 2 parking passes if you
have 5-8 wrestlers, 3 passes if you have 9-12 wrestlers participating and 4
passes if you have 13-14 wrestlers. Park in the northwest lot/gray lot and enter through the
Southwest Rotunda to pick up packets.
|
| Q. |
What hotels might I call for
overnight accommodations? |
|
A. |
A list of hotels
around the campus of The Ohio State University, along with some other areas of Columbus,
is available on the OHSAA web page here:
http://www.ohsaa.org/FanGuide/hotels.htm
|
| Q. |
What are the times for the five
sessions when the three divisions will be wrestled? |
| A. |
Click here for
State Tournaments Time Schedule
|
| Q. |
How do I know when my wrestler is
competing? |
A.
|
A matchboard will be
used to schedule all matches. The computerized matchboards are suspended from the Value
City Arena ceiling. In addition, TV monitors, located in the concourse hallways and the
Auxiliary Gymnasium, can be viewed by wrestlers, coaches and spectators. Every match has been assigned a match number, and all match numbers are found
in the state tournaments program. Once you have found the match you are interested in the
program, match numbers will appear on the matchboard in the order in which they will be
wrestled. The scoreboard will list 10 consecutive mats.
The matchboard will indicate the following: WR-wrestling; OD-on deck (wrestlers positioned
behind the respective mat); BP-bullpen (wrestlers report to the east end of the arena),
and WU-warm-up (wrestlers should report to the bullpen in approximately 10 minutes). No
matches, other than those marked T.B.A. (to be assigned), will be announced over the
public address system.
|
| Q. |
Am I permitted to videotape or
take photos of my wrestler? |
A.
|
Yes, cameras will be
permitted in the bullpen and matside. No other personnel — both school-related and
fans/family — will be permitted in these areas. Fans may
videotape or shoot photos
from their assigned seat (no flash photography). |
| Q. |
How will someone not attending
the tournaments be able to obtain results of all the matches? |
|
A. |
As soon as possible after each session has
concluded, results for each session will be posted on the OHSAA web site.
|
Q.
|
Are my wrestler(s)
and I expected to participate in media interviews following a match? |
A.
|
Yes, it is strongly
encouraged. A "runner" will hand you a Media Interview Request slip, which
indicates the media wishes to interview you or your wrestler immediately following the
match. The Interview Room is located in the northeast corner of the arena. Please be
prompt for your interview. If you choose not to participate, please have the courtesy to
inform the "runner" of your intentions |
| Q. |
How does my local
media outlet receive credentials for the tournament? |
A.
|
Legitimate media
representatives should obtain a credential request form from the OHSAA web site
(www.ohsaa.org) Fax the request form to: Tim Stried, Director of
Information Services, OHSAA, at
614-267-1677. Credentials will be held at the Media Pass Gate. Deadline is Tuesday,
March 10. Media members will be required to show employee
identification cards upon entry to the tournaments. Those media outlets that do not issue
I.D. cards must write in advance and identify the person who will be assigned to cover the
tournaments for their outlet. Upon entry, that person will then be required to show some
form of photo I.D. before a credential is issued. Those persons, including coaches, who
are not performing a legitimate duty for a media outlet will not be admitted. |
Q.
|
Can anyone else affiliated with
our team obtain credentials to videotape or take photos of our participant(s)? |
| A |
No. Due to space
limitations, they must shoot photos (no flash photography) or videotape from their seats. |
| Q. |
How will my wrestler(s) and I be
reimbursed for expenses ? |
| A. |
The participating
schools do not complete or submit any forms to the OHSAA. Expenses for participants and
coaches are determined according to the county in which your school is located rather than
on a mileage basis. The expenses of a coach will be paid on the same basis as a wrestler.
The number of coaches to be reimbursed is as follows: one wrestler - one coach;
two-to-four wrestlers - two coaches; five or more wrestlers - three coaches. This expense
allowance does not apply to managers, trainers, etc. See the
OHSAA Wrestling Tournament regulations here. The school will not be reimbursed from the OHSAA until late July or
early August. The OHSAA annually sends one travel allowance reimbursement check to each
participating school for all regional and/or state tournaments in individual sports. |
|
