Interesting topic.
Our club has nearly tripled in size this season, but the majority are novice wrestlers who simply are not prepared for the competitive level they might meet in subs/state. Most of the HS wrestlers are beginning baseball and a large part of our newest additions were 6u. Only 1/3 of our wrestlers will be in attendance @ subs and only 1/2 of our little ones will be at 6u state.
We are a dedicated wrestling family and actually enjoy the long season as it offers a chance to see great improvements in many wrestlers. However, we have seen the effects of the long season on several great wrestlers - even earlier this evening at practice the burnout is obvious through tears.
I have heard some moans and groans from a few new parents, but there are also several kids who want to continue coming to practice even though they will not be a part of subs. It is great to see the love of the sport which is something that cannot be taught.
That being said, wrestling is a full contact sport which requires exceptional mental and physical ability - something you cannot acquire while sitting in front of a Wii. There are several other sports that you can find year-round such as cheer, baseball/fall ball, gymnastics, soccer, martial arts - it all depends on what you are looking for and how much time you are willing to invest. We are involved in several sports, none of which interfere with wrestling.
There could be several reasons for the drop in numbers, it cannot simply be attributed to the long season (increased illness, gas $, other sports/activities). The season is only as long as you want it to be and those truly committed to the great sport really tough it out. So maybe the "loooooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnggggggggggg season" does the sport a favor by weeding out those who treat subs just like another weekend...
