The wrestlers are preparing for the future. Ounces will matter in high school and these wrestlers will have to make weight twice for two day events like state. A few comments on what I have read:
1) Friday weigh ins. You cannot do this. With gas approaching the $4 per gallon mark it is not in the best interest to make parents drive to a venue twice. It might be the difference in participating or not participating. If we eliminate even one wrestler because of this then we have damaged the sport.
2) If you allow wrestlers to move up a weight class you will be causing a huge nightmare! Parents/wrestlers will enter at a lower weight class knowing that they might not be able to make weight so there is no risk. We had 12 wrestlers out of 598 entered not make weight this past weekend at Distict 1 South sub. Some of these wrestlers weighed MORE on Saturday morning than they did when they left on Friday night!! I know I just said that we shouldn't eliminate participants but since weight is what is used to determine how the kids are to be divided we have to be strict in this area. Be safe and don't push it. For goodness sakes, Kansas already makes it easy by having so many weight classes (every three pounds instead of five) just move up a class when you sign up.
3) A Saturday morning seeding meeting would really delay things. We should however, move back the deadline to entry to one week instead of 10 days. We can make it midnight the Saturday night before the Sunday seeding meeting. The meeting could be held at two. If we go with 6 man round robins there will be very little seeding conducted and the next Saturday there will be LOTS of wrestling. With the use of Trackwrestling this is all very feasible.
4) One of my favorite things about wrestling is the discipline that it requires! You have to manage your weight, work hard, give up junk food, keep your mind sharp, etc. Make weight or go home!
The way things are today (less than 50% of our card holders signed up to participate in sub districts) we are in need of some major changes but I don't think getting rid of the ounces is one of them.
