I'd like to hear back from other wrestling families, wrestlers and coaches.

My son's high school team does not allow any water breaks during practice and many kids have gotten physically sick. I am curious as to how acceptable this practice is? Are others doing this and what does it prove?

From an official's standpoint:

This is not within the rules of weight management...I bet KSHSAA would not want to hear about this practice.

From a coach's viewpoint:

They're setting themselves up for a lawsuit of catastrophic proportions!!! I know that FB coaches have been told by KSHSAA to allow for as much water as needed. We had a kid go down in practice due to heat/dehydration – horrible feeling I wouldn’t wish on any coach…the wrestling room can’t be any cooler than that of a football practice in late August.

I’d encourage you to meet with the coaches and voice your concern/objection and see if they can give you their logic. If not happy with that result, go to the administration. Chances are, the AD/Principal may not know this is happening. And I’d be surprised if they’d allow such a thing to happen in today’s litigious society.

Good Luck,

That is really an old practice started by older coaches (not of this generation) and I guess the logic behind it is to make the athlete more mentally tough through depravation. I don't know if it really works though. I've been on both ends and I can't say that it does or doesn't make a difference. I wouldn't worry too much about dehydration unless the athlete is wearing plastics (conditioning suit), which is a big no no anyway. If I remember correctly the body can take up to three days without water (everything being normal). I would imagine that most coaches that use this practice are trying to keep their athletes on the task at hand and not waste time with unneeded water breaks. It might sound a little brutal, but until you see how tough it is to keep kids focused for two hours in a wrestling room you probably wouldn't understand. Anyway, ask the coach about the practice of this I'm sure he would be happy to share the logic of it with you.

Most programs allow water breaks. I don't even understand the philosophy of no water breaks. During a match when there is blood time the other wrestler usually always goes over to talk to his coach and gets water while talking. At least we do. And we take water breaks during pratice also. Everyone has their own water bottle so if water is needed they can get water without an "official" break also. Sounds like this coach is just asking for a lawsuit and possible dehydration situations.

Coach I guess I still don't understand how taking a 5 minute water break can hurt or distract an athlete. I have been around many wrestling rooms and do realize that it can be tough to keep people focused but when kids are throwing-up I begin to question what is going on. My son, right or wrong told me that he asked for a water break and when told no, he said that he didn't try anymore at practice or just dogged it. As a coach I think I would have a bigger problem with that result then trying to get them used to going without water to keep them focused.

I have not talked to the coach yet. However I will. I suspect that the parents of kids who have thrown-up have not said anything to the coach since the policy has not changed. Who would be at fault if one of those kids passed out or worse had a heat stroke? My guess the coach would never coach again.

It's the classic case of a parent not wanting to upset the apple cart and potentially making things difficult for their son.

Water is for sissies. Water makes you weak.

Bull

Don't get me wrong, I don't practice the depravation of water thing. I was merely pointing out the possible thinking of a coach. But, please talk to the coach, there are usually two sides to the story. Kids can sometime embelish their stories a little and thats why you need to hear from both parties. As far as kids throwing up in practice that happens and I'm sure every coach has had that happen to them. Usually, when they throw up it is because they have drank too much water during the course of a practice. But, again check on it.

Aww...just give them a salt tablet and tell them to suck it up.

just kidding...


Kids are told to take a drink during the school day every time they pass a water fountain, whether they are cutting weight or not. During practice, we take one scheduled water break during the practice. Everybody runs and we send them to the fountain by classes starting with freshman up through seniors. The longer they "hang" on the fountain, they longer they run. When we round-robin wrestle, they can get a drink only having wrestled for at least six minutes and only when its not their turn to be in. Most kids don't even bother. If they're not back for their turn in time, they run extra. I, on the other hand, pretty much take a drink whenever I want.

My team allows water breaks but I never take one. I go the entire practice without a break and it doesn't bother me. It prepares your body to go an entire match without water, you don't always get blood time in a match. It may be true that someone that isn't in good enough shape might get sick from not having a water break, but they are usally also the kids that are sucking air by the second period.

My team lets us take water breaks at after doing about 2 live matches so we are not completely tired out. Its usually our choice when we get water breaks and such.

Bringing personal water bottles into the room is one way to save time. You can't take a chance on getting sued by parents. It only takes one kid getting sick to give our great sport a black eye. But, I think it's usually the whiney whiners whinning at home 95% of the time.

I watched that TV show about Ultimate fighting the other night. Its a competetion and anyways- They had a guy lose 20 pounds in 24 hours- just to make weight- ouch. Seems like he went though alot more then anyone I had seen and the doctor said he was fine and wasn't that bad in the dehydration department

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the goal is to try to loose weight if you over and if you drink water whats the point in practicing hard at practice we can get drinks but most of us dont because we try to loose weight

I guess some people didn't learn from all of those heat/dehydration related deaths in football.

Iowa is pushing hydration to the point that beginning next season we have to run periodic urine tests on kids, comparing the color to a color chart. If they don't pass, they can't practice until they do. You want to talk about fun!!!

Our managers make up six gallons of Gatorade and a like amount of water for every practice. We take at least two hydration breaks and it really doesn't seem to make a big difference as to weight control. The important thing is that we keep the athletes safe and healthy, not to make them prove their manhood.

And no dumb-dumb, the goal is not to lose weight; the goal is to become a better wrestler.

Marbla

That's the dumbest thing I've ever read. August heat in the high 90's, the sun, no wind, kids coming in out of shape (we wish they didn't but they do),and pads = wrestling room.

Having been on a staff that had a player die on the practice field, I can give you plenty of scenarios of how neither compare to not getting a drink at practice.

First off, you don't just drink water and ta-da, you're hydrated. I don't want to go into the science of it, read up on it for yourself. Second, not enough info was given. If a kid is throwing up, then something was in their stomach. That could have been too much lunch, water, or a stomach virus. I refuse to believe only one side of the story.

I've quite often cut kids from the fountain when I know that they are "thirsty" because they are winded or out of shape. There's a difference between being parched because you're gassed and because you're standing with 50 lbs. of gear on.

This is not to say that I don't give water breaks.

if u drink 8 0z. of gatorade u have to drink 16 oz. of water or u can get dehydrated real easy. cause my friend just drank gatorade got really sick n football. and the doctor told him the the sugar bulids up on the lining of ur stomach or sumting and u get dyhadrated cause the water cant get to the important places. i dink everytime i pass a water fountain. i usually always have water with me and i drink u 24 oz. bottles a night if its not the night before a match

Malay,
sorry I had to do it but Prant (the forum spelling sheriff) has been informed of your transgressions in the above post.

How old are you gibby? When was the last time that you've ever had a hard workout in a wrestling room (particularly the weeks before regionals and state). I don't know about your wrestling room, but on my former team, I'm fairly certain that the heat was nearing 90 - especially since we were constantly rubbing up on some other guy.


here are some links you might check out.

http://www.collegesportsscholarships.com/football-info-heat-death.htm
http://www.surviveoutdoors.com/reference/heatexhaustion.asp
http://www.healthchampion.co.uk/championhydrate.htm
http://sportsmedicine.about.com/cs/hydration/a/acsmfluid.htm