As a parent of a Middle Schooler who does not wrestle for his Middle School, our choice is about mat time, choosing the more structured environment and competition/training partners. Not every Middle School is lucky enough to have coaches who condition and drill. It's not about NOT supporting our school but about choosing the option which is a better avenue to success.

It's laughable to suggest that kids that wrestle club in Middle School are NOT supporting their schools yet those same parents who bag on our decision will send their kids off to a high school that recruits wrestlers in order to have a more successful high school team! In two years, when other high schools are poaching my son's teammates, he'll be wrestling for his hometown high school, still supporting his school.