Wrestling should move to 10 weight classes

[footballguy99]

All I see in the paper is forfeit after forfeit! There should be 10 weight classes in high school wrestling and maybe 14 in junior high. Spread the weights out a little and have less classes.

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[localyocal]

not a bad idea. would benefit the lesser teams and low number teams. the strong programs would have some good guys on the bench.

[Chiefwapum]

I think that may be the avenue in the future. All these small schools are doing is shooting themselves in the foot with all the sports they
offer and continue to pick up. Add that in with the lazy one's who only want to sit around on their rumps playing X-box and you have a perfect equation for the closing
of many different sporting programs. These school boards&administrations keep you guessing on what the next sport added to their school will be. I am guessing bad mitten and organized tidily winks with the outside chance of girls and boys jacks will be next up. I

[Manfred]

Or they could just go to the nearby school and absorb a half dozen or so of their wrestlers. You know who I mean.

[footballguy99]

I think that may be the avenue in the future. All these small schools are doing is shooting themselves in the foot with all the sports they
offer and continue to pick up. Add that in with the lazy one's who only want to sit around on their rumps playing X-box and you have a perfect equation for the closing
of many different sporting programs. These school boards&administrations keep you guessing on what the next sport added to their school will be. I am guessing bad mitten and organized tidily winks with the outside chance of girls and boys jacks will be next up. I

I agree but what winter sports are being added? In the fall schools have recently added cross country, golf, and soccer but what is being added in the winter? Fall sports also have to contend with fall baseball travel teams.

Anyway, 10 weight classes would make for better wrestling all around. Better kids on the bench is ok. Have some competition within your own small school like you do in AAA and AAAA basketball/football programs.

[localyocal]

winter sport additions....indoor track, indoor soccer, rifle team

[pas2326100]

Although I agree with you in theory, as a coach in today's wrestling i do not believe it would make our sport better but just make less kids wrestle. In today's day and age with as physically and mentally demanding as wrestling practices are... The attitude that you generally see is if I do not start I quit. Either that or they run to basketball "no offence " but its easier .wrestling takes a rare breed of athlete who is willing to pay the price it takes to be successful . if anyone out there says wrestling practice because its fun , then I will show u a team or program that is probably not very good. Now they can definitely go to practice because they love it ... And there is a difference... And I will show you a champion " win or lose" ... Those kids have a burning passion , a desire, a dedication and a work ethic that is 2nd to none.. Unfortunately these kids are becoming harder and harder to find in today's day and age. You top end is getting better and better because of all the top end clubs, training and year round ccommitment and your others are not. Basically creating 2 classes in wrestling... " the haves and the have nots"

[pas2326100]

Although I agree with you in theory, as a coach in today's wrestling i do not believe it would make our sport better but just make less kids wrestle. In today's day and age with as physically and mentally demanding as wrestling practices are... The attitude that you generally see is if I do not start I quit. Either that or they run to basketball "no offence " but its easier .wrestling takes a rare breed of athlete who is willing to pay the price it takes to be successful . if anyone out there says they go to wrestling practice because its fun , then I will show u a team or program that is probably not very good. Now they can definitely go to practice because they love it ... And there is a difference... And I will show you a champion " win or lose" ... Those kids have a burning passion , a desire, a dedication and a work ethic that is 2nd to none.. Unfortunately these kids are becoming harder and harder to find in today's day and age. You top end is getting better and better because of all the top end clubs, training and year round ccommitment and your others are not. Basically creating 2 classes in wrestling... " the haves and the have nots"

[Eaglealum]

not a bad idea. would benefit the lesser teams and low number teams. the strong programs would have some good guys on the bench.

Part of the problem, IMO . Years ago I remember guys wrestling JV all year, and after all the weight drops or moving around for districts, someone breaking into a lineup and making post season noise. Heck in the mid 80's Kerry Cowher spent most of the year as JV HWT, and ended up 6th at Hershey.
Kids now a day quit if they can't be a star, let alone a starter. Sign of the depressing times.
To finish my thought. It's a good idea in theory, but it would just cause a few more transfers or kids to quit. Todays sports are all about enabling and cauddling . Saddest part is , if you held an 8 team tourney, you'd only give out about 3 8th place medals (everyone gets awards)

[LionDad]

Junior High definitely needs to eliminate some weight classes. Half the actual dual is nothing but forfeits for both teams, I also think some coaches need to grow some cajones and move kids around and let them wrestle instead of taking forfeits to try to win a dual that doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things.

There are several things you can point the decline in area wrestling. Population is a very big one. I think burnout is another, I see 4 years olds at some of these youth tournaments. By the time kids hit 4th or 5th grade they are done. Our pussified society is another reason, no offense to non-wrestling folks but its a hard sport and kids today don't want to work for anything. I can speak for United as a prime example last season there were 8 boys on the junior high wrestling team and 41 on the junior high basketball team. 3/4s of the parents bitched and moaned because kids didnt play or they didn't play enough. Probably 5-6 of those kids wrestled in the past and would've been a big help to the team, but yet they chose hoops.

I love mat clubs and what they do for our sport. Now to play devil's advocate it is harder than ever for the average kid who only goes to school practices to compete. Most of those kids excel and the kids who don't are average, now before anyone tries to prove me wrong I'm not saying ALL but I'd say the majority. Kids get their butts kicked enough they lose interest instead of working harder.