Why kids quit wrestling.

[Roo]

  No other HS sport has to give up so many Saturdays/weekends

You keep banging that drum,  there is no magic bullet for that other than for that team to participate in less tournaments - that's left to that school (kind of like states rights - leave that to that school to find the balance)  I understand eating up a Saturday isn't ideal, but our JV does maybe 5-6 Saturdays over 3 1/2 months - I don't think it drives participation either way.  I believe on JV it's understood that some can skip some of those 5 or 6 if they have to.

Also - just a FYI - our Cross country schedule has 9 Saturdays through sectionals,  participation in our CC both boys and girls has never been higher.   Just sayin...

As I mentioned in another post, there is a very successful program here in the State where the coach does Friday quad duals instead of weekend tournaments....because he had too many kids quitting.  At the State Tournament there were several coaches from around the State all in agreement about this, the problem is trying to get more teams to buy in to the concept.  The one Team that does do it is close to Minnesota, so has that to draw from.

Giving up weekends is the number one reason kids don't go out, or quit in High School according to my unofficial research.  I can point to over 20 kids, from 1/2 dozen schools that I know personally who "claim" that is the reason they stopped.

[DocWrestling]

Oneshot,
I appreciate the feedback.  I do believe it is the quality of tournament that keeps teams coming back and makes it worth while to coaches and athletes to give up an entire Saturday.

The morning is a chaotic mess.  Mainly because we wait until the last minute to create all brackets so we can eliminate all scratches and prevent forfeits in both varsity and JV.  It will be different this year in some ways because the WIAA now mandates that every wrestler must weigh in on every competition day.  Thus we will have to weigh in the JV's and that will take some time and slow things down even if we have them pre-bracketed.  It will make the day a little longer.  In the past the coaches have not wanted to wait until after coaches meeting to start wrestling because it ends up being an hour there with no wrestling going on.  Usually leads to more wasted time.  We have always tried to give a quality wrestling experience without keeping teams there any later than they need to as many have very long bus rides home on Saturday night.

In the past we have started wrestling at 8:15am.  This year we may not be able to start wrestling until 9am.

As far as using the small gym for two mats, that has been discussed at length multiple years with our tournament committee, coaches, and officials but never implemented due to difficulties in communication and other issues.  Basically the problems created outweighed the benefits

So because you feel yours is a great tournament none of your suggestions apply to you.....just to everyone elses tournaments? And thats going to fix wrestling?

I am obviously proud of the Marty Loy.  But yes my opinion is that not all Saturday tournaments have great value and coaches go to some because they feel they have to go to the maximum.  Many tourneys have fewer teams with less quality matches.  I think you could easily run 8-10 team tournaments on weekday nights if they use an 8-man bracket and enough mats.

[aarons23]

Oneshot,
I appreciate the feedback.  I do believe it is the quality of tournament that keeps teams coming back and makes it worth while to coaches and athletes to give up an entire Saturday.

The morning is a chaotic mess.  Mainly because we wait until the last minute to create all brackets so we can eliminate all scratches and prevent forfeits in both varsity and JV.  It will be different this year in some ways because the WIAA now mandates that every wrestler must weigh in on every competition day.  Thus we will have to weigh in the JV's and that will take some time and slow things down even if we have them pre-bracketed.  It will make the day a little longer.  In the past the coaches have not wanted to wait until after coaches meeting to start wrestling because it ends up being an hour there with no wrestling going on.  Usually leads to more wasted time.  We have always tried to give a quality wrestling experience without keeping teams there any later than they need to as many have very long bus rides home on Saturday night.

In the past we have started wrestling at 8:15am.  This year we may not be able to start wrestling until 9am.

As far as using the small gym for two mats, that has been discussed at length multiple years with our tournament committee, coaches, and officials but never implemented due to difficulties in communication and other issues.  Basically the problems created outweighed the benefits

So because you feel yours is a great tournament none of your suggestions apply to you.....just to everyone elses tournaments? And thats going to fix wrestling?

I am obviously proud of the Marty Loy.  But yes my opinion is that not all Saturday tournaments have great value and coaches go to some because they feel they have to go to the maximum.  Many tourneys have fewer teams with less quality matches.  I think you could easily run 8-10 team tournaments on weekday nights if they use an 8-man bracket and enough mats.

its hard to take your suggestions seriously when you refuse to implement them on your own tourney.  Don't you think almost every tourney director out there feels the same way as you about there tournament....maybe for different reasons?

[leg turk]

I hear over and over again from kids, that they don't want to wear those skin tight spandex uniforms, that shows their stuff.

[Andersonman1234]

I think one of the topics to vote from should be the weight cut. Especially after high school people don't on because of the strain it took on there body.

[ramjet]

Weight cut nobody I know of forces weight cutting that's a personal choice and in most cases because of the skin fold it is a healthy weight cut less fat you live longer. Just saying.

Weight cutting added

[Say-Say]

I don't know.  I love wrestling and all it has brought my kids.  Each sport is unique and offers a different opportunity to the kids that participate in them.  Kids quit all different sports.  They just do.  Mine put everything aside for wrestling, so I'd say wrestling is doing something right.  (Maybe) more focus on that instead of always worrying about what's (supposedly) wrong.  It's not for everyone.  If it was, it wouldn't be the great sport that it is.

[Barou]

I hear over and over again from kids, that they don't want to wear those skin tight spandex uniforms, that shows their stuff.

Are they the same kids walking around with pants half way down their butt?

[ramjet]

I hear over and over again from kids, that they don't want to wear those skin tight spandex uniforms, that shows their stuff.

Are they the same kids walking around with pants half way down their butt?

That got a belly laugh from me ................ awesome! 

[Dale Einerson]

Weight cut nobody I know of forces weight cutting that's a personal choice and in most cases because of the slain fold it a healthy weight cut less fat you live longer. Just saying.

Weight cutting added

Not entirely true that weight cutting is a personal choice.  I believe if you look at the very competitive teams, there are some choices made that can be very difficult on some of the competitors.  Personal, sure, but not entirely.

[ramjet]

Weight cut nobody I know of forces weight cutting that's a personal choice and in most cases because of the slain fold it a healthy weight cut less fat you live longer. Just saying.

Weight cutting added

Not entirely true that weight cutting is a personal choice.  I believe if you look at the very competitive teams, there are some choices made that can be very difficult on some of the competitors.  Personal, sure, but not entirely.

Do those wrestlers have choice to belong or participate in that sort of program?

Are they being told to cut weight against thier will?

If this is the case and you are aware of it then you should by all means go to the proper authorities to get this corrected.

[Oldtimer]

Weight cut nobody I know of forces weight cutting that's a personal choice and in most cases because of the slain fold it a healthy weight cut less fat you live longer. Just saying.

Weight cutting added

Not entirely true that weight cutting is a personal choice.  I believe if you look at the very competitive teams, there are some choices made that can be very difficult on some of the competitors.  Personal, sure, but not entirely.

Do those wrestlers have choice to belong or participate in that sort of program?

Are they being told to cut weight against thier will?

If this is the case and you are aware of it then you should by all means go to the proper authorities to get this corrected.

True Bob story of cutting weight... My junior year I naturally weighed 119 and chose not to cut to 112 because our 112 was way better than me.  We had to certify a weight back then so I certified to 119.  A few weeks into the season the 112 had a season ending injury so the JV 112 was inserted.  I could blow the doors off this kid and he lost nearly every varsity match.  Could've been my shot but my decision to stay 119 cost me.  Off to Senior year.  Natural weight 145.  No way to compete that high, 138 pounder was a state place winner, 132 pounder was a state place winner, 126 had a style I couldn't get through.  Chose to cut to 119 and won the varsity spot... for 7 matches before I got beat out in wrestle off.  Wrestled JV 119 the rest of the year.  Point is that it was MY decision where to wrestle and to cut or not cut weight to make the team.  But I still absolutely loved wrestling with my career varsity record of 3-3-1.  I would expect this scenario happens a lot (the cutting, not the record).

[Dale Einerson]

Weight cut nobody I know of forces weight cutting that's a personal choice and in most cases because of the slain fold it a healthy weight cut less fat you live longer. Just saying.

Weight cutting added

Not entirely true that weight cutting is a personal choice.  I believe if you look at the very competitive teams, there are some choices made that can be very difficult on some of the competitors.  Personal, sure, but not entirely.

Do those wrestlers have choice to belong or participate in that sort of program?

Are they being told to cut weight against thier will?

If this is the case and you are aware of it then you should by all means go to the proper authorities to get this corrected.

I am a little surprised by some of your response, but I think I understand where you are coming from overall.

I believe the point that I am not making very well up to this point, when you have teams, like Freedom, like L-C, like Stoughton, like Kaukauna, like Rapids...you likely have my point, there is an individual perspective, but the team perspective is substantially raised  In order to progress as far as a team can in Conference and State there are likely sacrifices made, whether personal or from a team perspective that can make the sport far less attractive to the wrestlers making the sacrifices.  It isn't about going to authorities, it may be a personal choice, but it makes the sport less attractive, whether over a short term or long term perspective for participants and parents. 

You can try to talk me out of this, but I think it is fair to say that we have different experiences based on where our kids wrestled. 

[Handles II]

Dale,
You had kids competing in two different and solid programs (to say the least).  In your humble opinion, was there more internal or external pressure to make a certain weight class between the two teams?

Granted each team is made up of different individuals, talents, situations, etc as well as your son's each having different personalities and drives. But curious about your take on it.

As a coach I look at it more like when i'm coaching a team sport. I want players to be in a position (or weight) where they are the most effective for themselves and the team. If they aren't effective in that spot, then we need to find an alternate solution. It seems to make sense to my wrestlers, so I really haven't had to do much asking of a kid to make a weight class. If there is an injury or illness, usually they will come to me with their solution. Granted, we aren't even sniffing the tailwind of quality teams yet, and success can change things sometimes for the worse, but it seems there is progress being made.

[leg turk]

I hear over and over again from kids, that they don't want to wear those skin tight spandex uniforms, that shows their stuff.

Are they the same kids walking around with pants half way down their butt?

No, they are not.