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This is idiotic. It amazes me people think wrestling prepares a player for football more than basketball. You don't even run in wrestling. Basketball is the sport with the most change of directions there is. It is the epitomy of athleticism in sports. Hand eye coordination, explosiveness, speed, power, etc etc. Wrestling may make you a better tackler, but that's it. Roddy White is in the NFL not because he wrestled, but because he's a world class athlete. Don't get it twisted.

Guarding someone in basketball WILL prepare you for football.
Playing basketball will develop you're lateral agility much more than wrestling.
Wrestling is a sport that requires little motion in terms of space.

In more complex terms..
Wrestling is a sport that needs to recruit slow-twitch muscle fibers, endurace, and slow muscular strength.
Basketball is a sport that recruits fast-twitch fibers, explosiveness, quickness, agility, overall flexibility and range of motion.
Football is a sport that requires both of these things, but a heck of a lot more from fast-twitch (especially if you are a skill position) as it is performed in 4-8 second periods of full force and on a 100 yard field, not a 10 square foot mat.

The only good things wrestling bring to football is tackling form, mental toughness, and a little bit of strenght (that can be gained more easily in weight training).

It should be noticed my stance on high school wrestling is split. I love the sport, and see it do wonders for some kids. However, I also see it lead all sports in suicides due to the immense pressure put on one individual, leave kids with stunted growth and abnormalities from malnutrition (especially at the middle school level) and leave some kids with a slight state of depression. I have not scientifically researched this, but it is what I've personally observed ONLY. My honest opinion is one should wrestle only once he has achieved full growth. (I realize this would essentially eliminate the sport in PA and will never happen) It would take VERY smart nutritionists and dieticians to make sure wrestlers lost weight the right way and from gradeschool up to change this. Otherwise, these kids are surely going to harm themselves at some point for an opportunity to wrestle a lighter weight. My son will not be wrestling any time soon.

Lakers,

Nice post. Agree with what you say at the bottom. I don't feel that "wrestling" is responsible for the depression of young adults. I feel it is our society.
I have seen wrestling do wonders for young adults. Not only the wrestling studs, but also the "bench warmers" who participate.

As far as conditioning, I know at PC...the kids play basketball so they don't have to run as much as the wrestling team. You should see the training in Cresson. It is INTENSE!
Also, wrestling for 10 minutes I bet would be as much as a workout for a player who plays 60mins of basketball. I would love to see some sport science on that.
You need to be conditioned for wrestling. You think 3 minute periods are nothing until you experience it.

I'm a HUGE fan of wrestling so my opinion is bias but I feel wrestling IS a great sports for football players.
For lineman you learn how to use your hands.
It builds excellent balance and body awareness. It also does 10000% more for the brain that basketball.
Mental toughness is a MUST for wrestlers.

I only preach that a students participate in a winter sport. I don't care if it is wrestling, basketball or whatever else. Just as long as the kid is staying active!

Yes, the 10 mins of wrestling is MUCH more physically exhausting than a full basketbal game. But that's not the question.. a kid should never experience that same level of exhaustion in football. The only thing that is comparable to is cross country. Football, like basketball, is a sport where you go hard, and have an amount of time to recover and reload. As far as the depression statement, like I said it's just what I observed, not real backing behind it. I'm sure many wrestlers have became fine men and same goes with tennis or volleyball or basketball. As for the brain, its very debatable. Basketball is a sport where anything can happen. Every night you must compete or a lesser opponent can beat you. This is the fundamental of competitiveness. A good wrestler knows the matches he can toy with a kid and the matches he must be at his best. In basketball, any team can beat any other team disregarding extreme circumstances. I agree it builds great mental toughness and work ethic above anything else. As for balance, sure. But as much as basketball? I don't think so. Maybe we should consider moving one of the sports to spring in PA, then we can REALLY develop our football players!

usatf oldguy wrote:How about the name carlton hasselrig.Prime example !

For every Carlton Haselrig there is a Sam Clancy!

El-Moldo wrote:There is way more to wrestling than being strong or tough. Scott would have MORE choices after high school if he would have wrestled. B-ball did him NO good, as far as football was concerned.

What choices would he get? he wasn't denied at some schools because he didn't wrestle, it came down to size. Unless wrestling stretches you to be 2 inches taller, I dont see what it would have done.

You guys who pooh-pooh wrestling are probably the same ones who don't think cheering is a sport. Watch it sometime. See what happens. Talk to someone who's been through the practice sessions. Maybe you'll understand what wrestling can do for football players.

11 kids play football, five play basketball. If you're not good enough to play basketball and can't skate, wrestling is an option.

I think wrestling can really help develop a football player. Hand fighting is key to a linemens success on both sides of the ball. Wrestling teaches you how to use your body in the box on the line of scrimmage and can help you improve your open field tackling, it also can help improve your mental toughness. I also think that football can help develop better wrestlers for the same reason. Look at Duplin, Rizzo, and Morris I think they would tell you the two sports go hand in hand.

I would invite you to tell one of those guys that wrestling is gay. LOL