Middle School Conference Tournament Weight Classes

tyben · April 10, 2017, 12:53:40 PM

I was looking around at MS Conference Tournaments and noticed differences in weight classes. Some look like they don't have set weight classes, ran like a regular weekend tournament where the weights classes are determined the day of, and some have pre set weight classes. The weight classes for the CWWC tournament in Merrill follows the School Boys weights of 70,77,84,91,98,105,112,120,128,136,142,152,160,175,190,210,285.

I like the idea of weight classes, although I don't see the logic of so many weight classes in the heavier weight classes for kids in 6-8th grade.

What are your thoughts?

Jimmy · April 10, 2017, 01:26:59 PM

70.75.80.85.90.95.100.105.110.115.120.125.130.135.140.145.155.165.185.285

bigoil · April 10, 2017, 01:50:21 PM

Here is what the NorthEastern Valley Conference uses, 17 weights.

70,75,80,85,90,95,100,105,112,119,126,133,140,148,160,185,245

aarons23 · April 10, 2017, 01:51:21 PM

The logic in the middle school should be to get those heavy kids involved as much as possible so that they continue to wrestle High School. Having two classes from 185 to 285 is a great way to discouraged kids and lose them for high school.

littleguy301 · April 10, 2017, 02:27:22 PM

Quote from: aarons23 on April 10, 2017, 01:51:21 PM
The logic in the middle school should be to get those heavy kids involved as much as possible so that they continue to wrestle High School. Having two classes from 185 to 285 is a great way to discouraged kids and lose them for high school.

well then what do you suggest should happen in those areas?

The meet I have our kids involved with is more of the

Quote from: Jimmy on April 10, 2017, 01:26:59 PM
70.75.80.85.90.95.100.105.110.115.120.125.130.135.140.145.155.165.185.285

When you get that heavy in middle school the numbers drop off alot though I can totally understand adding in a 220 pound class is there is a numbers for it.

bigoil · April 10, 2017, 03:01:40 PM

Quote from: aarons23 on April 10, 2017, 01:51:21 PM
The logic in the middle school should be to get those heavy kids involved as much as possible so that they continue to wrestle High School. Having two classes from 185 to 285 is a great way to discouraged kids and lose them for high school.

We used 245 and there were 10 kids over 240 that wrestled in the entire WWF series in 4 birth years ('02-'05).

aarons23 · April 10, 2017, 05:53:48 PM

Quote from: bigoil on April 10, 2017, 03:01:40 PM
Quote from: aarons23 on April 10, 2017, 01:51:21 PM
The logic in the middle school should be to get those heavy kids involved as much as possible so that they continue to wrestle High School. Having two classes from 185 to 285 is a great way to discouraged kids and lose them for high school.

We used 245 and there were 10 kids over 240 that wrestled in the entire WWF series in 4 birth years ('02-'05).

I understand that...we dont want to loose the ones we have. Making a 187# kid wrestle a 225# kid in middle school isnt promoting the big Kids. The weight classes should be there and let the coaches decide if they bump their kids up or not to get matches. If the weight classes are there teams will work harder to fill them.

Handles II · April 11, 2017, 09:56:12 AM

Amazing how there is zero unity in our middle school wrestling, be it start dates, weights, etc.
JHI, simple, effective and gets everyone rowing the same direction at the same time.

Barou · April 11, 2017, 10:37:16 AM

Quote from: Handles II on April 11, 2017, 09:56:12 AM
Amazing how there is zero unity in our middle school wrestling, be it start dates, weights, etc.
JHI, simple, effective and gets everyone rowing the same direction at the same time.

It's amazing to me how we don't have unanimous support for JHI in Wisconsin. The naysayers and skeptics get proven wrong over and over again. It's literally evidence based. Not like we're breaking new ground here. I can't even blame the WIAA for this one. It's our own coaches/AD's that either don't understand how it works, don't want to understand how it works, or are think they are smarter than all the other JHI states with their concerns.

padre · April 12, 2017, 08:48:14 AM

Quote from: aarons23 on April 10, 2017, 05:53:48 PM
Quote from: bigoil on April 10, 2017, 03:01:40 PM
Quote from: aarons23 on April 10, 2017, 01:51:21 PM
The logic in the middle school should be to get those heavy kids involved as much as possible so that they continue to wrestle High School. Having two classes from 185 to 285 is a great way to discouraged kids and lose them for high school.

We used 245 and there were 10 kids over 240 that wrestled in the entire WWF series in 4 birth years ('02-'05).

I understand that...we dont want to loose the ones we have. Making a 187# kid wrestle a 225# kid in middle school isnt promoting the big Kids. The weight classes should be there and let the coaches decide if they bump their kids up or not to get matches. If the weight classes are there teams will work harder to fill them.

While I totally get your concept I think most of us as coaches use more time looking for ANY big kids to fill these weights compared to any of the small/middle weight classes. I ended up having a couple kids that filled these weights(both missed conference due to injury) but both also only had one win for the season and very up in the air if they will continue in the sport. I wish we had some way to get these bigger kids out but it seems a trend that there is very little interest across the board. Why? I am not sure. Basically I just hope our middle weight kids will grow into those big weights at some point in high school.

Not a rip on the heavier weights in high school but I try to tell kids they don't have to have wrestled their whole lives to compete well in those weight classes....I use the same strategy as the smaller kids putting the carrot of wrestling in the Kohl Center some day but to little success.

On a side note...neither of these kids wanted to wrestle in a singlet, so the shorts/compression shirt at least did help in getting them out.

Sudden Death · April 12, 2017, 11:51:10 AM

Another thing to improve Middle School wrestling is to have the entire state have their season at the same time.

Sudden Death · April 12, 2017, 11:54:46 AM

Here are the weights that I would suggest that would be good

74, 78, 84, 90, 96, 102, 108, 114, 120, 126, 132, 138, 146, 154, 164, 176, 209, 249

wrastle63 · April 12, 2017, 12:01:36 PM

Quote from: Sudden Death on April 12, 2017, 11:51:10 AM
Another thing to improve Middle School wrestling is to have the entire state have their season at the same time.

Big time agree. Some start in Nov, some in Jan, and some in Feb or March. Hard to schedule tournaments and matches when it is so spread out.

padre · April 12, 2017, 12:44:59 PM

Quote from: Sudden Death on April 12, 2017, 11:51:10 AM
Another thing to improve Middle School wrestling is to have the entire state have their season at the same time.

Agreed. Unsure why exactly the seasons for both wrestling and basketball are different in different schools. Seems the schools in our area are pretty split on when they hold their season. I know we have no choice.

I do like the later season better as you take Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years out of the equation. Most of the kids do club couple times a week during those months and then the junior high season takes you right to the post season tournaments.

Jimmy · April 12, 2017, 02:04:12 PM

A split season with bb before Christmas and wrestling after is about as anti wrestling situation you can get. Kids on the fence try bb first and either like it and then do traveling bb after or are tired and want a break. When we did that baloney we had five kids in ten yrs. that did both. Went back to starting the ms season nov. first and numbers went up significantly. A few yrs. later the state titles started coming.