OK, now I have to get on my "small man" soap box so please bear with me.....
1. Wrestling is one of the very few sports left for kids of all shapes and sizes. Especially for smaller kids. Cutting a lower weight class just further decreases the number of kids that can participate. Even if we don't have full weight classes at the lower weights, it still provides an opportunity for those of us who aren't blessed with average to above average size genetics.
2. I understand about the need potentially for an additional heavier weight but the bottomline is that a lot of the kids that size are on a course where they will ultimately have to make a choice between football and wrestling. I agree 100% with 24/7. Cutting a weight class limits potential participation in a sport that already has limited numbers.
Here's an idea of how they do it in Montana for the big schools....
Each high school can enter up to 2 full teams into the state qualifying tournaments. There are 2 divisional qualifying tournaments. The top 8 from each weight class qualifies for state the following week. At the state tournament the team points count just the same for every wrestler that qualifies.
At first, I didn't like this but having coached in that system for a few years I realized there were a lot of advantages to it. Here are the advantages from my perspective...
1. The true team champion is determined by who has the best overall program. The best programs end up qualifying 20-25 kids and thus usually score a lot more points at the state tournament.
As a coach, it requires you to build depth in your wrestling room.
2. It is a great advantage for the kids. If you have 2 studs at a weight you don't have to force one to wrestle up or down a weight. There has been times when one school has had 2 wrestlers in the championship. This is a good thing for the kids because the get to become state placers without having to cut weight just to try and fit into the line up or not get a chance because they can't make the weight.
3. This proces also promotes the total team concept among the wrestlers. Kids get more interested in helping their "back ups" vice just trying to make varsity.
4. It actually increases participation and the number of kids in the wrestling room. For example, if you have a group of state qualifiers or really good wrestlers, kids that aren't that good still come out for wrestling because they know they still have a chance.
I think these are very positive for a sport that has trouble increasing its number of participants in high school and college.
BLUF: We need to look at ways to increase the participation in the sport of wrestling, not limit opportunities.
Shawn Budke
