Nice thoughts on providing more weight classes, but it is unrealistic. As coaches we have a tough enough time filling 14 weight classes let alone 16-18. Maybe some schools could fill that many, but most can�t. Also, keep in mind a couple of other things. Additional weight classes means additional money for already strained budgets. Additional weight classes also means more time. It might sound bad as a coach, but as a coaches we do need a little break on the weekends. If you add more weight classes imagine how much longer tournaments will last. I enjoy my sport, but I also enjoy my time with my family.
Fourteen weight classes is more than enough. We use to only have twelve and college only has ten. So, were pretty lucky to have what we have. I personally would like to go back to the 12 weight class format for number reasons alone. Nothing is stopping these big guys from coming out and plenty of undersized heavyweights have had success against heavier opponents. If you are familiar with wrestling the 285 lb. class was at one time called Unlimited. There were some really big boys out on the mat. I saw some that were in the upper 300 lb. range. I understand that more people would like to see their kids have the opportunity to wrestle on the varsity squad, but it is about competition and winning a spot the opportunity is already provided. I don�t think we will ever see the day when football goes to 15 players or basketball goes to 10. Again, it is just not realistic.
The weight classes have been adjusted several times over the years but they are never going to be adjusted to suit everyone. I think if you talk to most wrestling coaches you will find that it is not a lack of weight classes that is stopping these big boys from coming out for wrestling. Wrestling is a tough sport and probably takes more dedication than any other sport. Plain and simple people look for easier things to do and wrestling just doesn�t fall into the easy category. I know most people in the crowd don�t understand how tough this sport can be and my dad is one of them. I don�t know how many times over the years that I have said �Dad it isn�t that easy to do�. I guess before we think about adding more weight classes we need to first ascertain how much desire kids really have to wrestle. There are plenty of opportunities for kids to wrestle. Kids need to take the initiative to take advantge of those opportunities.
coach neil posted the above in the other topic as to why my proposal for adding weight classes would be unrealistic. It was a good reply and I want to respond to several points he made.
First on coach neil's comment that coaches don't have enough time for 16 weight classes (he suggests actually reducing the classes to 12) and that the coaches need a little break on weekends for time with their families. I don't disagree with this but there would probably just need to be some adjustments. My son's team has been in several tournaments this year with 20 to 30 teams. If this is a problem perhaps teams should limit themselves to more manageable tournaments with half the teams or in more dual type tournaments like quad team dual formats.
A second point coach neil makes is that it would add problems for already strained budgets. Honestly I do not know how to answer that since I am not familiar with the team's budget structure. I have no idea of knowing how much adding two more weight classes would add to the budget. I work with my own company's budget and often have to make adjustments when problems arise. But again I am unaware of the exact problem for the high school teams and this is probably a good argument on not adding classes. But even if you are forced to be at the same amount of weight classes due to the budget, I think they should be adjusted to lower the weight differential and percentage differences for the heavier wrestlers.
coach neil states that a smaller wrestler can have success against a bigger wrestler. Yes that is true but if they are relatively equal athletically and in wrestling skills there is just very little chance a 220 wrestler is going to have a great deal of success against an athletic and skilled 260 to 285 pound wrestler.
It is also about competitive opportunity, yes they can compete for that one spot or lose 15 to 25 pounds to try to get down to 215 but that is very little opportunity for several interested heavier wrestlers on the same team in comparison to all the classes between 119 and 152 where you have all these small weight and percentage differences between classes.
coach neil's commented that coaches will tell you it is not the lack of weight classes that is keeping the big boys from coming out for wrestling but has more to do with how difficult a sport it is and how much dedication it takes. I have to ask you coach why is that factor any different for the bigger boys? I am not saying that you are incorrect about wrestling being a difficult sport but I don't think this factor would discourage heavier wrestlers any more than lighter wrestlers.
I agree with coach neil that there are plenty of opportunities for kids to wrestle but there are a lot more opportunities for the lighter and middle weight wrestlers. In my opinion there is not enough opportunities for the heavier wrestlers.
