Weigh-ins!!!

[walkenvol]

Silent - enforcement of the existing rules that prohibit those types of unhealthy weight loss practices and education of healthy diets / exercise make more sense to me. I doubt anyone practicing such foolish weight control measures enjoys very much success on the mat, so ultimately the rules enforce themselves. i.e. younger wrestlers follow the example of the older more successful wrestlers who are following healthy/quality weight control programs. If the sport wants to downplay weight control, putting it on public display as part of the match process seems to be going in the wrong direction.

[cbg]

The reason that mat side weighins are on the way is two part.

1. Image: The wrestling community wants the general public to beleive that wrestlers have stoped cutting weight. Wrestling has a black eye due to the fact that a few wrestlers have lost their life due to weight loss. Wrestling does not need this type of image.

 

2. Money: The techonology is in place to certify wrestlers as to how much weight they may drop safely. The NCCAA requires wrestlers to certify while hydrated. Very few high schools have the $$$$$ and expertise to administer this type of plan.

 

My opinion is that the National Federation will require mat side wighins within a short period of time.

[Edited by cbg on 2-28-03 12:34P]

 

[dblXface]

Certification will also be affected. Many of you have seen the new body mass scales you can get. They send an electric pulse (you have to be barefoot) through your body and a reading will display body fat %. The water displacement method is prohibitive as far as expense. We may see a combination of using electronic scales and manual caliper testing if you don't have access to a body mass scale. Athletes will only be able to certify within an acceptable range of their body mass reading at the beginning of the season.

[SilentJohn]

Walkenvol,

 

I agree with you, I just hate to see that in this day in age there still is the mentailty out there that glamorizes weight cutting as some kind of badge of courage. I wish we knew back in the 80's what they do now about nutrition and wellness. I guess the truth is that a lot of things were known then but ignored. I mean, when I think back to some of the things I saw kids do to try and cut a half pound of fluid out of their systems, its really disturbing.

I hope things are different now for these kids. As for the matside weigh-in, I don't have a dog in the hunt, and like you, I hope the rules are being enforced. The thing is that you can't watch kids 24 hours a day and if they get it in their heads that cutting is a means to finding an edge some of them will do things behind your back, no matter how hard you preach to them. Maybee I'm overreacting because of my own experiences and I haven't been around the sport for a while. I hope so.

[walkenvol]

cpg - don't you think that the image of wrestlers dieting themselves to death is invalid? I recall a few years back when the young man from Michigan and I think another college wrestler died in the span of a few weeks. Can you recall it happening another time? If so, it is probably extremely rare. How about ever in Tennessee? Young men die every year in football practice from either injury or heat stroke, yet we don't have the image of football as a death sport. Just like title 9 is an overreaction of a good intention, so too is this ongoing infatuation to prevent wrestlers from weight control. What about gymnastics, that's a whole sport geared toward anorexia. Where's the reform there? How many wrestlers did you see this year that had below the reccomended 5% body fat? I didn't see any anemic looking state finalists, I saw a bunch of highly conditioned, extremely healthy athletes. You don't develop that type of body with a program of abuse.

[cmmndalum]

silentjohn, I never mentioned in my post any of the things u described in your post heatly weight loss and taking Xlacks are two very different things. But if you try and deny that the weight loss side of wrestling has been a huge part of the sport for as long as it has been around then you never had to cut weight to wrestle. I am not saying that kids should "sleep in saunas" but I know I always felt like i acomplished someting every time i steped on that scale a half pound under, then stepped off and went and ate my sandwich.

[CoachBruce]

will someone that actually knows the Full Plan for these matside Weigh-ins lay it out here for me? the Idea definitely intrigues me, but I want to know more.

 

what would the weight classes be? or would there be set weight classes at all?

 

how would it work for individual Tourneys?

[luchador]

There is no set plan. There should be no need to adjust weight classes. NCAA tried ti adjust weight classes by adding 7 pounds. All they did was have kids cut to different weight classes.

USAWrestling did a test at Fargo a couple of years ago. It weighed in contestants for 2 days before matches. Scales were set up next to the mat and weights were recorded (the opponent wasn't allowed to see since all had made weight at weigh-ins earlier in the day). It found that most wrestlers gained aroud the same percentage of weight after weigh ins.

The way it could work is you check in at the table ready to wrestle, approach the scale, if you make weight wrestle the match, if you don;t you forfeit. I think it is more practical in dual meets than in tournaments. I am not crazy about the number of forfeits that could be created due to this. Dual meets would be more manageable.

Imagine that Mom and Dad come see little Johnny wrestle but his kneepads are wet after a teammate spills his Gatorade on them. He has to use his kneepads due to prior knee injuries or Osgood-Schlatters. He is overweight .1 due to the moisture in his kneepads. He has to forfeit and Mom and Dad feel their son was victimized by the system Is this scenario beneficial for wrestling?

[PUMMELKING]

The test study was also beneficial as the point of showing the guys who keep on wrestling on an average only put on 5 pounds with the week of wrestling. The one weigh-in showed how those who do well and place are the ones who keep thier weight under control and not way out of balance.

The good quality wrestlers already know how to do thing the right way and as long as they continue that routine their hard work and effort will show.

[SilentJohn]

cmmndalum ,

 

This is obviously a touchy subject with me, the reason being I have a very good friend from high school do a lot of damage to himself doing some stupid things to make weight. I guess even 15 years later I still get mad because there wasn't an adult there to intervene for my friend.

 

But in any case, if I read into your post things which were not implied by you, and it appears I have, then I apologize.

Like I said, this is a touchy subject for me.

[Guest henryaardvark]

I don't have any great ideas either. I've talked this over with many coaches over the last 13 years. I believe allowing 2 or 3 pounds more half way through the season only contributes to more wrestlers deciding to go as low as they can go early in the season. They realize that they don't have to hold the weight until mid-February, but just until early January.

 

Any additional weight allowed late in a tournament or late in aseason just encourages early and heavy weight cutting.

[Guest cornpop]

Your post surprizes me! During weigh ins all I heard from Kenwood guys, was how much weight they had to cut and that you tell them what weight they will wrestle. Rohally talked about quitting. By the way he did not make weight NE.