Problems in NJ High School Wrestling

[whiz wit]

https://www.nj.com/highschoolsports/202 ... ouble.html

[Richb-3]

I don't see a problem. because you posted to an article behind a pay wall.

I already pay for Pennlive. Should not need to pay for LVlive and NJLive

[whiz wit]

I don't see a problem. because you posted to an article behind a pay wall.

I already pay for Pennlive. Should not need to pay for LVlive and NJLive

Sorry about that. Still haven't figured this stuff out.

The gist of the article is that NJ wrestling paricipation is going down, that there are probably too many weight classes, that there's a big gap between the good teams whose wrestlers are in clubs and those who aren't, and that all this is resulting in lots of lopsided scores and forfeits in dual meets.

[Richb-3]

Pretty much the same as Pa, but at least we have gone to 13 weights.

Really I think the biggest difference is coaching, the second problem is School Boards opposed to academics, athletics and Taxes.

Still some incredible turns around. Frazier's program was founded because they had Thayer Lawrence (and His Brother.) this year they got to the wrestle-ins of state duals, basically top 20 AA

West Perry was noted for a huge squad run like a country club. Now back to back trips yo Hershey

Just a couple years ago Tulpehocken was fielding 3-4 wrestlers. This year a top 10 AA team in District 3 (34 schools).

Most amazingly United, District 6 AA champs (26 teams) 2 years ago hey had 2 kids.

[oldhawk2]

I am not sure reducing weight classes does anything other than reduce the number of forfeits. It definitely doesn't provide any more opportunities for kids to get in a line up. Especially moving up the lowest weight every few years. Perfect example is our world team. Every time they move the lowest weight class up, you may take away an opportunity for one of our best wrestlers to flourish and compete because they are too small.

Gilman: 103 as Freshman
Gross: 103 as Freshman
Diakomihalis: 99 in 8th Grade, 113 as Freshman
Retherford: 103 as Freshman
Dake: 96 as Freshman
Taylor: 103 as Freshman
Zillmer: 103 as Freshman

The NFHS and state organizations are basing the weight class changes on the sizes of average kids not the sizes of kids who actually compete in the sport of wrestling in efforts to get more kids involved. Wrestling is a sport that you can be successful in any shape and size with the right amount of work. But imo weight classes have nothing to do with numbers dropping. Wrestling is a hard sport where you either lose a lot or train a lot to get better. Sports like football are "easy" and "fun" but do not take as much time, dedication and training to be considered "good" as most high school football teams just compete locally and do not have to compete against national level competition like you could stumble upon at almost any high school wrestling match in PA and NJ.

[Richb-3]

Pennsylvania did not drop a lower weight, although National rules bumped the bottom up 1 pound..

Pa retuned to the former Six weights above 145, down from Seven weights, although they changed 170 to 172, which made sense. -- 145 has always been a weight class in Pa. Federation decided to change it to144 for 14 weights.

Yes, going to 13 weights from 14 does not guarantee fewer forfeits in every case, but it does decrease that ugly side some.

Going to 13 weights (or 15) does mean that there are a lot less obscure tiebreakers. Just unsportsmanlike and number of wins (unless there are an odd number of double forfeits, double defaults, double DQs)