AFN to air DoDDs wrestling, cheerleading and basketball championships Published March 16, 2012 AFN EUROPE -- AFN Europe is dedicating a weekend to DoDDs High School athletes, airing the DoDDs High School Wrestling and Cheerleading championships on March 31, and the DoDDs High School Basketball championships April 1 on the Pentagon Channel. "Over the last few years, hundreds of student athletes, parents and relatives have asked to see a wide variety of school sport championship games on TV and this year we're very pleased to be able to offer the Wrestling and Cheerleading competitions for the first time ever," said AFN Europe Commander Colonel Bill Bigelow. "We are proud to provide a venue that helps our DoDDs Europe athletes share their talents with a deployed parent and relatives around the world." AFN Europe has aired the DoDDs High School basketball and football championships for three years. Bigelow said while the AFN would like to broadcast every DoDDs High School sporting championship, the network doesn't have the people, equipment or funds to do all of them. Live sporting event coverage takes 40-50 people, and additional funds. AFN Europe, unlike major Stateside networks, only has one live satellite production vehicle and no dedicated mobile production team. And, every month, AFN has to consider other requests for live coverage of town hall meetings, concerts, welcome home ceremonies and other high profile events. AFN Europe was able to record the Wrestling and Cheerleading competitions for playback because both events took place at the same location, the Wiesbaden Army Airfield Fitness Center, and on or close enough to the date of the Basketball Championships, February 25. You can watch wrestlers in 14 weight classes battle it out in the DoDDS Europe Wrestling Championships March 31 at noon Central European Time, with the DoDDS Europe Cheerleading Championship starting directly afterward at 2 p.m.. The Cheerleading coverage includes commentary by cheerleading experts. AFN Europe rebroadcasts all six DoDDS Europe Basketball Championship games April 1, from noon-7:45 p.m. Central European Time.