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PIAA voted on a provision to change the number of weight classes. Thoughts?
https://www.pennlive.com/highschoolsports/wrestling/2019/05/piaa-board-of-directors-passes-provision-to-reduce-number-of-wrestling-weight-classes.html

SportsFan96 wrote:PIAA voted on a provision to change the number of weight classes. Thoughts?
https://www.pennlive.com/highschoolsports/wrestling/2019/05/piaa-board-of-directors-passes-provision-to-reduce-number-of-wrestling-weight-classes.html

Absolutely hate this proposal.  I do not want to see any reduction in the number of classes.  If you want to move around the weights, that's one thing, but don't take away opportunities from kids that are part of good programs.  All this is doing is penalizing the good programs in the state by giving the programs that don't work as hard a chance to compete.

This is only going to make the good programs better.

Long overdue. Wrestlers travel in search of competition. This creates competition. Wrestling was booming in the 80’s and earlier and there was only ever 12 weights then. I’d like to see them closer to college weights but it’s a good step for the health of the sport

Why are some of you grumpy and resistant to chabge

If kids are getting bigger, stronger and faster, then why no weight classes between 215 and 285??? If bumping up the weights discourages kids from the unhealthy practice of 'cutting weight', then I'm all for it. But I doubt that will change.

Before the 215 class was added, the last two weight classes were 189 and 275. Those who were at 220 were never going to move down, so they wrestled HWT. That's the way it was.

Many really good local wrestlers were in that 215-220 range and had medal success @ states.

Ugh, I don't think this is a good move by the board to reduce number of weights. Considering just as recent as last year the participation finally stopped bleeding after a 6 year skid in decreasing participation. I know its big in central Pennsylvania and some other locations, but for everywhere across the state, we know opinions differ. Any rule changes that limits the number of participants to compete is only going to reduce the number of players that go out.

What would happen to Football is there were suddenly only 9 positions vs 11? I think we would see a drop in athletes going out for the team. Just my thoughts, less athletes out, less competition.

I hope they keep it at 14, because lets be honest, its about kids having an activity where they can compete, and not be limited by numbers.

I'd vote no.

https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/F ... categories



TEN MOST POPULAR BOYS PROGRAMS

Participants
1. Football - 11-player, 1,035,942
2. Track and Field - Outdoor, 600,097
3. Basketball, 551,373
4. Baseball, 487,097
5. Soccer, 456,362
6. Cross Country, 270,095
7. Wrestling, 245,564
8. Tennis, 158,151
9. Golf, 144,024
10. Swimming and Diving, 138,935

It doesn’t reduce participation.. there used to be a thing called a JV team that’s available. Participation is reduced by attitude and entitlement.
Every sport in front of wrestling except track requires less than 14 to field a team