maj

Title ix is the problem. I guess we can get caught up in the semantics of interpretation but the fact is title ix has KILLED hundreds of successful wrestling programs around the country. Swimming and gymnastics are close behind. I have daughters too and I like them to have opportunity but there is no excuse to kill men's programs when woman have the opportunity and choose not to participate. There are tons of slots going unfilled on the women's teams and to fall in line with the proportionality provision, men's programs are cut. The entire male to female ratio of students trying to match the ratio of male to female athletes is grossly unfair. It is well known many women's interest in sports ends in high school. Seems ridiculess to punish the mens programs but this is what happens.

With the stroke of a pen this problem could easily and forever go away. The solution would satisfy all but the most militant feminsts who hate all men's sports and wrestling in particular anyway so there is no sense in trying to appease them.

( maybe they can occupy their time campaigning for Hillary and leave us alone )

Here it is : SIMPLY EXEMPT FOOTBALL FROM THE RATIOS. That's it. There is no female equivilant that draws the same number of competitors as football. In many schools football funds most of the other programs anyway. The title ix has forced schools to choose between keeping a football team or getting rid of 5 or 6 smaller mens sports. If you think most schools keep football , take a seat at the front of the class. Without the huge football numbers loading up the men's side of the ratio most colleges could easily attract female athletes on a one to one ratio with the men.

Figure out who your congressional representitive is and start writing. Let him know wrestlng parents vote and are getting fed up.

I deal with primarily club and middle school ages so much if this is likely not applicable at the high school level. More of my problems have been with the mothers screwing up practices.

It starts with some mom walking across the mat in her high heel shoes which makes me crazy, then when little Johnny is in about his second lap around a 30 foot practice mat she holds out his water or juice ( sometimes coke) bottle. Incessant banter with some of the other like minded mothers drowns out instruction , god forbid her darling gets a split lip or bloody nose , rather than wipe it or cover it she will take over the treatment telling him to take a rest before he has even broken a sweat. You will have to pry yourself away from her as she corners a coach to give him every detail of any ailment the budding wrestler has ever had , hangnails to hemrhoids , and then go on to tell you how strong and stocky he is ( read obese )... ahh the list goes on but you get the idea.

Knuckle dragging dads show up now and again. If he wasn't a wrester he has no idea why his stocky kid ( read obese ) is getting tossed by some beanpole but he will yell at the kid until he finds out. His kid headlocked some other clod on the playground a couple years ago and now dear old dad thinks he has another Gable on his hands , if he can only get the right coaching of course. I digress.

Thanks for letting me vent. You parents who let the coaches coach , respect the mats , support your kids and do the mundane task associated with keeping a club viable, and those who have coaching abilty and can do so in a manner that supports the recognized coach are a gift from the gods. Keep up the good work !

With Bush back , and several more senators and congressmen in the conservative column now is the time to start writing legislators about the perverse interpretation of title ix that threatens to wipe out college wrestling. It has been widely quoted wrestling is the fastest growing highschool sport in the country but it is in danger of dying at the next level. College bound highschool wrestlers are going to be hard pressed to continue their sport if the present trends continue.

THAT'S HIS ONLY HOPE!!

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Who's genes are you talking about overcoming ? If you are talking about Dunning you are way off base. That guy is a stud.