Why I Hate Wrestling
And no, I'm not talking about "pro wrestling,"either. I was standing near the gym, eyeballing three boys who were acting like knuckleheads, when along came "Pee-wee." He looked down in the mouth. Every week he asks if he can pass Checkpoint Cornelius where I guard the hallway and its bathrooms from dirty deeds so that he can go weigh-in to find out if he can eat lunch and drink some milk. Not when, not how much, but IF.
"Hey there, Pee-wee. How'd the weigh-in go?"
"It sucked! I'm five pounds over for the match this weekend! I haven't eaten since yesterday morning, either! And now I can't eat lunch!"
And off he walked, his head practically hanging down to his belt-buckle. Now this is a fit kid-- lean muscle, probably about 5'9" or so. But he's being expected to compete in a weight class that obviously does not match his body. Every day I watch him walk around (he's constantly moving) eating ONE mini-muffin.
This. Is. Not. Healthy.
There is no way he can safely lose 5 pounds in less than 72 hours. I am seriously afraid that he will hurt himself with this yo-yo dieting when he is not in any way out of shape, and is already on the skinny side for his height.
And that's why I hate wrestling.
posted by "Ms. Cornelius" @ 4:24 PM
23 Comments:
That's a shame - I hate wrestling too, then.
A very good friend of mine's brother developed a very serious eating disorder after being on both the track and wrestling teams in high school. He is married now and has a great life, but he is still struggling with this disorder. (And people think it only happens to girls.)
The only way this horror will end is if parents boycott the participaton of thier sons from wrestling.
If these were girls, we wouldn't tolerate it.
This type of behavior is sooo bad for them.
At my last school, the wrestling coach "officially" discouraged the not eating, wearing plastic wrap arounf the entire body while wearing a ton of layers of clothing and running 10 miles type of behavior but the word on the street was he actually EXPECTED the boys to do this behavior to make their weight. So very sad.
I also used to watch the boys "eat" their lunch in the cafeteria and then go "dispose of it" in the bathroom. I tried to talk to the coach about the behavior and was basically told to mind my own business. I went to the parents and was told the same thing. I felt bad for the school nurse because she's the one that tried to stop it and take care of the "problems" that would arise when the kids would crash.
Oh, that HS were not only state wrestling champs but also regional champs as well.
The thrill of victory . . . . .
If the eating thing wasn't bad enough, there immune system is compromised and they get sick pretty easily. All those body fluids...yuck. Got three boys and none of them ever wanted to try.
How awful for you to witness this everyday!
that is pretty bad. Makes TV wrestling that much more appealing.
I agree. I have been battling this obstacle for weeks now. It is sad to say that there is no one on my side, either. The wrestling coaches don't care or ignore it. The AP also ignores it. I have three young gentlemen who have struggled in my class all year long--because they are the type that have to work hard to get through--and now, with their nutrition out of whack it is useless to get them to focus and work.
Liz from I Speak of Dreams.
It's not necessary to boycott HS wrestling, it is just necessary to get the danged thing out of the 19th century.
Collegiate wrestling is on the way-- see this article from Atlantic Coaching Conference
In 1991, the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association adopted radical changes setting a minimum wrestling weight criteria. Following the deaths, the NCAA Wrestling Committee with guidance from the NCAA Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports Committee adopted significant rule changes to address weight loss behaviors in the sport of wrestling keeping in mind that weight is the competitive equity variable in the sport.
Three guiding principles were established to provide a foundation for the formulation of these rule changes.
1) Any and all weight control practice that could potentially risk the health of the participant should be eliminated from wrestling. To do this effectively, the incentives to attempt these practices must be minimized.
2) The focus in the sport should be on competition not weight control.
3) Recommendations should be practical, effective, and enforceable.
Maybe you could print out the article and give it to the wrestling coach.
Back when my son was 7 or 8 he was playing football. He was always tall for his age and tended to be right at the cut off for the maximum weight limit for his age. We didn't want him to move up because the kids were so much bigger than he was. Every Friday night before the Saturday game he endured hot showers to "sweat it out" of him and he always took one right before heading out to the park. He wanted to play so bad......Hubby and I managed to get through one season before we said no more. Luckily my little man had had enough too! I totally agree with you.
I couldn't agree more.
I don't have an account here but I'm a first year teacher who reads your blog often.
Anyway, here's a link you have to see:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/LAW/01/19/sex.ruse.ap/index.html
So my question is this: why don't the weight classes correspond to real boys' body types?
Why do these parents tolerate this? Because they think that only girls get eating disorders?
I'm not sure that the fact it concerns boys makes a difference. A sport like Judo has the same system of weight categories and girls go through the same struggles with weight management.
If wrestling is like Judo, there really is no easy answer to the weight dilemma. One thing is sure, you need to weigh in at the top of your category. If your natural bodyweight falls more or less a category limit, then you're lucky because you're either don't have to diet or only have a couple of pounds to loose. Now if unfortunately, yous natural bodyweight falls in between categories, you're in trouble. Either you compete in the upper category against people who are naturally heavier, thus stronger than you are, or you try and loose the weight.
I'm not sure the parents can really have their word. As a teenager, I competed in Judo and voluntarily subjected myself to not eating, not drinking, plastic wraps and stuff (And I was the only one pressuring myself). My parents warned me about it, talked to me about it, but since I had decided that it was what I was going to do, they didn't really have that much influence.
I cant' think of an easy answer to this problem. It does seem important to me that coaches follow carefully the growth of their athletes and give them sensible and responsible advice concerning the choice of their weight category. They should discourage all extreme weight control measures, even maybe going as far as refusing to let a boy compete in a category that is too low for his body type.
Again, if it's like Judo, the behavior is so ingrained in the sport tradition and myths that it will always be an uphill battle.
Well, I came to Judo as an adult, so that's a big difference-- and, I obviously compete in the very heaviest weight class-- I think it's called "lady mastodon."
But there was another weigh-in today. And there's no way I can protest-- our principal was a wrestler.
Is there any way to change the weight categories? If not, why not?
Aw man. I remember seeing that in high school - the guys eating even more pickily and even less than the "dieting" girls. (I think I remember one guy passing out in class from lack of food).
And I see it happening now in my Youth Group kids...they even refuse "healthy food" because they want to make that weight class. It's not right! I don't have a problem with them choosing not to eat a cookie or not to eat the chips with their dinner, but when they are even refusing salad, something's gone wrong.
The majority of wrestling coaches are sensible and educate their wrestlers on how to lose a few pounds the healthy way. There are also rules in all fifty states that regulate weight lose. They include pre-season weigh ins, hydration tests and body fat tests all of which must be supervised by a doctor. Wrestling is the only sport where so many steps are taken to monitor healthy habits.
It is a complex sport where athelets who are not the fastest, biggest, strongest can excel through hard work and study. It is also one of the few sports that teaches kids healthy, strategical aggression with an inherent respect for the opposition and his family, really.
Take a look at America's big sport, football, where players are encouraged to gain weight by any means possible. We live in an obese nation and this is seen as acceptable in public schools across a nation where science has proven that a lean diet and exercise prevents our biggest killer diseases.
Don't be narrow thinkers, please.
My son decided to try wrestling this year. I have discovered I absolutely detest this "sport". It just seems violent and the spectators make a nascar race look like a night at the symphony. I also had no idea about the weight loss issues. I don't want to discourage him from trying new things, but when this season is over he is done with this sport.
My boys both wrestle and so did I. My sons are 8 and 12 and the pressure isn't quite as bad as it is in HS. BUT I will never let them act like a moron to loose weight PERIOD. They can work hard and do the best they can to safely get lean and mean and that's it. If they are over they are over. Wrestling is a great sport because it's TOUGH. I don't think there is a tougher sport out there. Also, it's one on one. My favorite part about wrestling is that there can be no politics in the sport. If my son and the coaches son are the same weight and my son can beat him than he is going to be in that slot. That doesn't happen in baseball, football, basketball, or any other sport I can think of. The bottom line is that it's the parents' responsibility to make sure their kids aren't cutting weight irresponsibility. I stay involved and know the coaches. If a coach tries to pressure my kid to do something that can risk their livelihood there is going to be a huge problem. Again this isn't a reason to hate a sport that teaches discipline, determination,perseverance and gives the kid a great sense of accomplishment and self confidence.
As a former HS and now college wrestler, i have been making weight for some time now. Its the one part of the sport i hate more then anything else. But to be competitive, one must go through the process. 5 lbs in 3 days is not hard core weight loss. I have seen people (myself included) need to drop 12lbs or so in less then 24 hours.
Im a wrestler and i hate it. I hope the teachers will notice that we are trying to loss more weight then we can and no longer have the sport at our school.
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We've recently (past 3 mos) found out our son (17) has bulimia. We saw it all happen during wrestling season, but were not aware of what it was...neither was he at first. He got the flu, like the rest of the family. However, due to dehydration of weight cutting the flu lasted longer than normal and then became bulimia before our eyes... We were taking him to the doctor all the time, family doctor, specialist, etc. He even ended up in the hospital for two days. He was treated for potassium deficiency and given anti-anxiety meds as we all knew he was highly stressed. However, he only took the meds for a week, then stopped at the end of wrestling season (which didn't end well). He became very depressed for awhile, but his attitude has improved over the last week. However, I know he is still bingeing and purging. He claims he hasn't thrown up since he was in the hospital, even denying it when blood tests prove he has... We have had him continuing visits to an adolescent specialist doctor about every two weeks since his hospital visit, so we are keeping on top of his physical help. However, he still refuses he has a problem and won't talk to anyone about it. I feel like I am trying all the things I'm suppose to be doing, but not making any progress. I don't want this illness to continue, but don't know what else I can do to help. I'm afraid to let him go to college and try to continue to pursue his wrestling career and life in general... Any suggestions?
Dear anonymous:
Oh, my. I am so very distressed by the pain you are currently experiencing.
First, since your son refuses to admit that he has a problem, have you sought out a counselor, preferably someone who specializes in eating disorders?
What has been the coach's role during this entire crisis? Is your son the only wrestler displaying dangerous eating habits? If the coach is oblivious, have you contacted the athletic director?
Does your state have any sort of
Not to be presumptuous, but if his health is in danger, you could make allowing him to go to college conditional upon seeking out and cooperating with help for his very dangerous illness.
I do not know which state in which you live, but here is something from Oklahoma's Secondary School Athletics Association (found here-- http://www.ossaa.com/partners/ossaa/sports/wrestling/wr_manual.pdf):
OSSAA High School Weight Management Program – In compliance with NFHS wrestling rule 1-3-1 & 2 which states: Each individual state high school association shall develop and utilize a specified weight-control program which will discourage excessive weight reduction and/or wide variations in weight, because this may be harmful to the competitor. Such a program should be planned to involve the wrestler, as well as the parents/guardians, physician and coach in establishing the minimum certified weight class. An ideal program would be one where a medical professional would assist in establishing a minimum weight class through hydration testing, body fat assessment and a monitored descent plan. Minimum body fat should not be lower than seven percent for males or 12 percent for females. For health and safety reasons, the state’s weight control program shall require hydration testing with a specific gravity not greater than 1.025, which immediately precedes the body fat assessment. A minimum weight class will be determined by a body fat assessment. Any wrestler’s assessment that is below seven percent for males and 12 percent for females shall have a physician’s release to participate. This release shall not allow a wrestler to participate at a weight class below that for which the initial assessment allows. A program to monitor an average weight loss of 1.5 percent a week, with descent, may use the minimum weight determined by the body fat testing as the lowest weight class a wrestler may wrestle.
I would check to see if your state has something similar. Please contact me at head_apeAThotmailDOTcom. I am praying for you, anonymous, and your entire family.
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