I need a few replies to use in my essay for school. I would appreciate if any of you would give your opinion on it.
some people take it too far. like not eating a day or two before matches.
My opinion on the weight loss is kind of like this. It allows the best kids on the team to seperate and make varsity. The other great thing about it is, it is not a rule or anything so if you want to do it, do it. If you don't want to then you don't have to.
Weight loss in wrestling is an integral part of the wrestling tradition, part of the sacrifice. But, it should be done sensibly, not by complete deprivation.
Tradition and sacrifice aside, weight cutting is not necessarily an intregal part of the sport. It actually is the most overrated part.
The three state qualifiers I had at Immaculata last year cut a NET of 3 pounds. 103-pounder Ronnie Hawthorne weighed 99 pounds all season, 145-pounder Brian Keeley cut from 148 and 160-pounder Danny Myer cut from 164.
Technique, conditioning, mental toughness, determination and strength — those are intregal parts of wrestling. You can be a great wrestler with all of those without ever cutting a pound.
I agree with the Imac coach. I think that a few pounds are enough. Cutting weight takes the enjoyment out of the sport and impacts the attitudes of all wrestlers cutting weight. It is good in the respect that if you have two good wrestlers at the same weight, one may cut or move up. I have seen some very good wrestlers suffer from burn-out mainly because extreme weight loss. Most coaches do not encourage it but some do. If done properly, (watching calories) it developes good discipline. However, most kids cut up to 10,12 even 15 pounds a week which leads to dehydration and poor nutrition. I'm in favor of mat side weigh ins with singlet and shoes on. I don't think weigh-ins the morning of competition discourages weight loss and an even playing field for the wrestlers. It would be fun to random weigh a few wrestlers at the competition and see how much they gain in a day. You would be surprised! I think you would see some kids weighing at least 10 over. Good luck with your report.
I think im going to have to take the side of those that think cutting weight is important, becuase quite frankly it is! WHen your younger and in kids wrestling and middle school wrestling its not really that important. But once you get into high school it is an absolute must. Granted there are a few exception where a wrestler will excel in any weight class he/she is in but it is not the norm. The big factor in weight loss is not individuals it is a team thing. The objective is to get the best wrestlers in the best weight classes they can be at. That is how you win team state championships. Show me one team in the state that has won state with no one in their lineup not lossing any weight, it just doesn't happen. THe IMAC coach makes some good points, yeah Technique, conditioning, mental toughness, determination and strength are big parts, but lets see a wrestler who doesn't cut any weight beat someone of equal talent who has cut a marginal amount of weight (10-15 pounds), it won't happen very often. Im definatly not in favor of mat side weigh ins with clothes on and stuff of that nature becuase that just compounds the problem. Why you may ask? Well basically then wrestlers will be wrestling totally dehydrated and possibly sick. The reason being that they want to make varsity so they will continue to cut weight. One other arguement I must bring up. How many kids do we as coaches know, now have body problems due to their weight loss during their wrestling days. I personally don't know of any including myself who cut on average 20 pounds every season. Its not like cutting 15 pounds for 3 months is going to hurt you for the rest of your life, in fact with American nutrition the way it is many high schoolers need to lose 10-15 pounds to fit into the "non-obese" category set forth by the US Drug & Food Administration.
Nigel:
If all we were talking about is a weight loss of 15 pounds over three months, that would be one thing. But we all know it is not.
What gives weight-cutting a bad name are the kids who cut 15 pounds in two weeks to start the year, make weight, then bounce up 10 pounds in two days. That wrestler has to turn around and cut that weight all over again. By the time you go through the entire season, that 15 pounds has multiplied itself over and over.
Yes, every kid can probably afford to cut a little weight, but no one should be cutting more than 10 percent of their starting weight, ever. I have yet to ever sign a waiver, and doubt that I ever will. And I don't let kids' weight yo-yo; making a weight is one thing — holding it is another.
If you can make a weight and hold it — in a healthy manner — the rest of the season, that's a good weight for you. But if you are constantly starving and dehydrating yourself for two days before a meet, then bouncing back up right after, you need to change your thinking.
My opinion ... is there is a huge difference, as others have suggested, between weight-loss and weight-cutting!
I remember the words of an Olympic Champion, who said, "I was on the wrestling team, not the weight cutting team."
When an athlete spends too much time thinking about "making weight", then perhaps they are sacrifing another phase of their training.
Randy
Well said, Randy. I've given out a lot of team awards over the years, but never one for weight-cutting.
i think weight cutting is important most of the good wrestlers cutt 10 to 15 pounds up and down from week to week its all about how bad u want it.
Tkdwn42 you said that much better than I did and I enjoyed both Nigel and your comments. And Nigel, I would bet that if you have a good wrestler that cuts 15 pounds and a good wrestler that cuts a few pounds, and have a mat side weigh-in, the wrestler cutting a few stands a better chance. And to say there are no long term effects is inaccurate also. There have been young wrestlers who have died from dehydration, developed eating disorders and just plain quit because they were tired of it. I know alot of good young athletes who do not go out because they did not like the cutting weight part of wrestling. I have to tell 103 kid a little story about one of our wrestlers. During his freshman year he cut to 103. Several pounds. Towards regionals he was struggling big time to hold it and looked like walking death. He stood a good chance at winning it at 103 because everyone thought it was easier. He ended up moving up to 112,(against some bad advice)and I believe pinned his way through winning his first of four state championships. C-ya all in the future!
Kirk:
I'm glad you mentioned that about kids not wrestling because of weight-cutting.
In my previous position at Immaculata and now at Maur Hill, numberous kids who might have been pretty good wrestlers were scared off because other people told them they had to cut weight to wrestle. Sometimes I've been able to get those kids turned around. Sometimes not. And that is sad.
We need to be out there promoting what is great about the sport of wrestling: Technique, conditioning, mental toughness, determination and strength. Weight-cutting isn't on the list, and it never should be.
Weight cutting has always been the "black eye" of wrestling. It creates more negativity and controversy than anything else in the sport. As with any sport, I think the idea is to reduce you body fat as low as possible without compromising any muscle. (Weight control)This is to try to reach optimal performance. An exception might be for an athlete to make a spot on the team. However, most of the weight classes in high school wrestling are only 5-8 pounds apart. If you deprive your body of water or food then you are taking away the fuel your body needs to perform. Your body will be forced take the only souce it can find which is usually muscle. There is no way you can perform at an optimal level by doing this. If you lose muscle by cutting weight than you have really negated the reason for losing weight in the first place. The idea should be to become a good enough wrestler though skill and conditioning, that you can win regardless of weight class.
I think changing the weight classes and keeping some of the middle weight spread out will help reduce dangerous weight cutting practices. Even with that approach kids will still cut.
An example of a HS weight classes I would prefer to see would look something like this;
100,107,114,121,128,135,142,149,157,165,175,190,
215,hwt.
That's crazy!! That would make kids cut even more weight,kids would cut cut 7lbs. instead of 5lbs. to get down to the next spot!!!
look at some of the 103lbers. they almost kill themselves to make 103lbs. instead of 112 because of the huge gap!
I agree, BigPin!
There will be weight-cutting issues no matter what the classes are. The way to combat the problems with weight control is to quit trying to convince kids that it is a key way to be successful in the sport. Once we do that, most of the problems will go away.
In the last few years my two sons have faced the reality of weight control in high school wrestling. It is all about getting the edge on your opponent. Look at swimmers and divers they look like they cut more weight then wrestlers....and they shave their bodies to add an extra edge.
I know that if my son went into a match with someone who weighs more then there is a mental thing going on. Wrestlers are some of the most competitve people in the world an by human nature they will sacrifice plenty to win.
Big Pin, you are right, some kids will even cut more weight, some won't. No matter what the weight classes are kids will always cut. But now it's much easier for kids to go down 2or 3 weight classes then if the weights would be spread out more. For example, a kid wrestling 135 drop to 125 by dropping 10 pounds. If the weight classes were more spread out a kid may have to drop 14 or 15 pounds to go down 2 weight classes.
I also think that between 125 to 145 the weights are too close together anyways and more kids are willing to drop to the lower weight because "it's only 5 pounds".
The weight classes we have are just fine.
Cutting weight most of the time is a great way to get all of your good wrestlers in the line up. Its part of the sport and will always be. When I look back i realize how hard i worked and how much i wanted to win. It makes me love the sport even more becuase of the hard work and self-disipline it takes to be the best. Coaches shouldnt endorce lossing weight, but it should be the wrestlers understanding how he can help the team.
i think cutting weight is an intergal part of wrestling. grant it some wrestlers take it too far and cause injury or even death, but i blame that purely on the coach. it is the coaches job to make sure his wrestlers are cutting weight properly and are not cutting so much they endager themselves. we all can tell some when someone cuts to much weight, thats when the coach needs to step in and say hey you are not wrestling at that weight, even if it effects his team. when wrestlers are down to 5 or 6% body fat if not higher coaches need to say hey thats enough no more cutting or you won't wrestle. I think that as long as coaches do their job i think this shouldn't be an issue. i may be wrong just my view.
This is a great topic and it is important that both sides of the issue are discussed. Personally I cut as much as 22 lbs in 2 weeks many many years ago in High School because I thought I would be quicker and stronger. The truth was that the weight loss (and the way I did it)hurt me at the end of the year. My son has lost as much as 15 pounds but was worried about not making weight and disappointing the coach more than concentrating on his matches. This was even worse on those two day tournaments. The problem as I see it after reflecting back on my experience and watching my son, is that many wrestlers loose and maintain the weight in the wrong manner. Many cut by not eating or drinking then binging on the weekends. This is the killer because the kids don't realize that they have to start all over again every week. Wrestling is a sport of discipline and the wrestlers need to maintain over the weekend. By the time Districts come around their bodies would have adjusted and they would have the energy and stamina to compete without being worried about the weight. The amount of weight a wrestler should loose is a descision that should be made with imput from the Parents and Coach (I know many of the mothers are against any weight loss). Anyway that my two cents for what it's worth.
I agree that weight cutting is a part of wrestling. I'm sure any tough kid who thought it would give them and edge would not object to cutting a few pounds. There is a difference, however, in a small kid cutting a few pounds as opposed to a big kid doing the same. Sometimes your lighter weights have a number of kids who are still growing... and they certainly don't need to jeopardize their health. On the other hand, a heavyweight might be healthier if he DID drop a few. The most profound issue is at both ends of the spectrum. It's tough to watch a true 95-pounder wrestle at 103 against a kid who has cut 10-15 pounds to get to 103. Assuming their skills match up, the small kid hasn't got much of a chance. By the same token, in heavyweight the same thing occurs when two equally skilled wrestlers square off with a 30+ pound gap. Don't know if matside weigh-ins are the answer either...it just might give the macho maniacs more fuel to add to their "if you're tough you can do it" fire. I think the most important factor in the entire issue is the integrity and intent of those resposible for the wrestlers...the parents and coaches. You've got to hope they'll always guide their wrestlers to do what's right and safe.
Tkdown 42
I was just visiting your site and saw the roster you posted for the up coming year. I noticed several of your kids are listed at weights quite of a bit lighter than the football weight on the program.
I know football weights can be off a little but 35 pounds? Whats up???
Fanatic;
To be honest, I haven't looked at the football roster that closely for exactly the reason you mentioned: As a 5-10, 155-pound sophomore, I was listed at 6-3, 190.
As for what is listed on our roster, that was based off of what the kids wrote on the questionaires I made available at our first meeting. As it so often happens, the truth will come out Nov. 18 when they step on the scale the first time.
Weight cutting is not an integral part wrestling. Many good wrestlers went their entire high school careers without cutting weight. I cut 3 pounds last year and took third in the nation. How much you cut does not determine how bad you want it. How you work out in practice and wrestle on the mat does.
Jared Vogel
Some football teams weigh in/measure up with their shoes and clothes on...don't take them too seriously.