Need more meets w/just 1 division (Open)?

Lashon;wow knew he went but i didnt know it was that hard. they moving things that aint supposed to. Great Job Guys. Joel you need to holla at me somtime.i llove these videos. Do It Up BIGG DOGG..............................................Joel and robert yall be good. yall need to get mysrlf inthat kinda shape

Taking away all the age divisions would be great for the meet directors but how about to the guy who spent $90.00 to compete? The biggest division competitor-wise are the 198s and 220s. I've been to state meets where they had 20 in each of those divisions only to give out awards or recognition to the top 5. 15 got nothing but their lifts that they could have done in the gym. 15x90 is is a profit of $1350.00 just in one division for the director plus less paper work. How many of the bottom 10 would come back the next year? We can't have this just for the elite lifters. I think we have to be careful if we want powerlifting to continue to grow.
And no I'm not a trophy hunter. I'm just trying to keep an open mind on the sport for the newcomers and the old guys.

If everyone gets a trophy, they no longer mean anything. Here's an idea - trophies for first place only. Small medal for second and third. All lifters to get an official looking certificate with their lifts on it signed by the head ref - costs about $2. Best lifter gets big trophy and some goodies. If lifters won't come back because they didn't get a trophy, the chances are that they won't last 6 months in powerlifting anyway! This should result in lower entry fees also.

ummm... i would guess they get nothing... because they lost. These are supposed to be COMPETITIONS arent they?

competeting wouldnt cost $90 if meet directors
wouldnt have to give every warm body a "trophy"
I dont understand why a grown man would want
a trophy I most always donate mine back to the
meet director,

I too have given away over 30 "dust collectors" and would rather take last and have a pr than a trophy. I'm just not sure if that's the way to encourage more lifters to participate. Less trophies and lower fees, including sanction fees, would bring more into it. I'd like to see a federation do it [get rid of the age divisions] for a couple of years and then recheck their membership numbers to see if it works.

I'm in it for the iron, not a cheap piece of plastic. One division. Win or lose, at least I'm lifting.

I held some large powerlifting meets, several over 150 lifters, and I was determined at that time to give out decent trophies. When I added all the categories and places i would have to provide trophies for it came to over $1800 just for trophies. I guess the mindset back then or at least my belief was that everyone that competed and totaled would get a trophy.

Now i don't regret doing that but it became apparent that it was more fun and less risky to just compete rather than promote too. This resulted in less meets in my area and I find the total amount of powerlifters far lower than it was ten years ago.

I just got back into the sport after 20 years of being MIA. I want to compete for records. Both PRs and State, National and Worlds. I'm 48 now and having age divisions gives me that opportunity to do that. As for some one handing out hard ware, I'ld rather know I set a record. Records were made to be broken. They are goals for us as lifters. It's what lights the fire in you gut to do that last heavy set. To train when your sick. To push through the pain because you're lifting for something. PRs are great, but the others are greater and keeps me hungry. Keep the divisions and cut the the dust collecters is my vote. And if your one of the old that still is getting after it like one of the young, I'm with ya brother.