The IHSAA State Finals is supposed to be the greatest weekend of a high school wrestler's life.
These kids have spent years grinding for this moment. They've sweated through thousands of hours of practice. They've cut weight. They've wrestled through injuries. They've given up Friday nights, holidays, and social lives. They've earned the right to stand on the biggest stage in Indiana high school wrestling.
This weekend at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, that stage was taken from them.
This is supposed to be about the kids. It wasn't.
What Happened
Wrestlers who qualified for State — the best in Indiana — were no longer allowed in the tunnel area unless they were literally next up to wrestle. Instead, they were sent to a designated section on the 5th floor. The nosebleeds. It was cold up there, and the only way to get there was hauling their bags up the stairs or riding a freight elevator.
These are state qualifiers. They were treated like they didn't belong in the building.
Once up there, Gainbridge staff told the kids they weren't allowed to walk around the general public areas because they didn't have tickets. Even kids who DID have tickets were given a hard time. They couldn't walk freely in a building that only had an event that weekend because of THEM.
They couldn't even go see their parents.
Let that sink in. A 15-year-old kid, at the most pressure-packed competition of his life, couldn't go find his mom and dad in the stands.
Down in the tunnel where wrestlers lined up before their matches, there was a staff member yelling at kids and coaches, herding them into a confined area like they were a problem to be managed. Not welcomed. Not celebrated. Managed.
There were TVs in the tunnel area so coaches and wrestlers could watch the matches in progress — matches that might involve their own teammates. Those TVs were shut off. The reason? They didn't want coaches standing around watching them. They cited fire hazard concerns, but let's be honest — that wasn't the real reason.
Coaches and wrestlers who wanted to actually watch their teammates compete from a decent seat had to buy a ticket like everyone else. You qualify for State, you can't even watch your teammate wrestle from the floor. You either sit in the 500 section or you pay out of pocket.
Then Saturday morning — Day 2 of the State Finals — wrestlers had to weigh in at 8 a.m. Most teams showed up at 7 a.m. to get in, get settled, and prepare. Gainbridge made them stand outside in the cold until 7:30. Kids who are cutting weight, who are focused and locked in for the biggest day of their season, standing outside a locked door in February.
Throughout all of this, the message from Gainbridge was the same:
“You are guests here. Respect our rules.”
Who Are the Guests?
Let me be clear about something.
The wrestlers are not guests at Gainbridge Fieldhouse during the State Finals. The State Finals IS the event. The wrestlers ARE the show. Without them, Gainbridge is an empty building with the lights off.
Every ticket sold that weekend, every parking spot filled, every concession purchased — all of it exists because these kids earned their way to State. The venue should be serving THEM. Not the other way around.
When a venue tells a state qualifier that he can't walk through the building, can't see his parents, can't watch his teammate wrestle, and needs to haul his bags to the nosebleeds and sit in the cold — that venue has forgotten why it exists that weekend.
What This Should Be
The State Finals should be the reward. After a season of sacrifice, these kids should walk into that building and feel like it's THEIR weekend. They should feel the energy. They should be able to watch their teammates compete. They should be able to find their families. They should be treated like what they are — the best wrestlers in the state of Indiana.
Instead, they were told to stay out of the way.
What Needs to Change
I've been coaching wrestling for over 30 years. I've been to more State Finals than I can count. This was the worst experience I've seen — not because of the wrestling, but because of how the kids and coaches were treated by the venue.
Here's what needs to happen:
Wrestler and coach access must be a priority, not an afterthought.
If a kid qualifies for State, he should have full access to the areas that matter — warm-up space, viewing areas, and the freedom to move through the building without being treated like an intruder.
Wrestlers should be able to watch their teammates compete.
Shutting off TVs and restricting access so kids can't support their own team is the opposite of what high school sports should be about.
Families should be accessible.
No kid should be blocked from seeing his parents at a high school sporting event. Period.
The venue needs to work for the event, not against it.
If Gainbridge Fieldhouse can't accommodate the needs of the athletes and coaches who ARE the event, then maybe State Finals needs a venue that will.
No more standing outside in the cold.
Open the doors at a reasonable time on weigh-in day. These kids are preparing for competition, not waiting in line for concert tickets.
To the Wrestling Community
I know I'm not the only coach who feels this way. I've talked to coaches, parents, and wrestlers all weekend, and the frustration is everywhere. If this experience bothered you — if you watched your kid get treated like an inconvenience at what should have been the highlight of their career — say something.
Share this post. Talk to your athletic directors. Contact the IHSAA. Let them know that the current setup at Gainbridge is failing the kids it's supposed to celebrate.
This isn't about being difficult. This isn't about coaches wanting special treatment. This is about making sure that when a kid earns his spot at the State Finals, the experience matches the achievement.
These kids deserve better. This is supposed to be THEIR weekend.