The Death of High School Wrestling

[BigWoof31]

Interesting story. My high school recently dropped the " rasslin' " team due to lack of participants and lack of money. Traditionally, the south has never been a huge haven for Wrestling. The state of Georgia has traditional powerhouses like Parkview or Collins Hill and they still are going strong.

However, alot of those programs are having to send their JV and Freshman teams out of state 4 times a year instead of participating in weekly "duals" with schools from the region. Programs are dying and the sport is losing traction.


I know Ohio has a damn fine HS wrestling tradition. However, football and winter sports are more popular than ever in the midwest. Has there been a similar exodus from the sport up in your neck of the woods?

 

[Buckeyeskickbuttocks]

Don't follow wrestling, but it seems to me that it's becoming an off season thing for guys to do to hone their footwork, balance, and speed for other "mainstream" sports. I'm thinking defensive linemen, mostly.

Don't get me wrong, I'm also sure there are still many guys out there who have little interest in other sports and truly excel in wrestling for the purpose of being an excellent wrestler.

 

[SparkyOSU]

Kids are too busy swinging Wii controllers and complaining about how hard life is now to go out and commit to the hardest sport known to man.

My old High School, Madison Comp is seeing it fall because of 'pay to play', 'title IX' and laziness.

 

[IronBuckI]

I'm going to guess that the gay stigma has something to do with it too.

 

[BigWoof31]

commit to the hardest sport known to man.

This is 100% true. I remember when I played hoops in high school - our wrestling practice facility was above the gym. So basketball and wrestling would both begin practice at 3:30. Hoops would finish up at 5:30 and maybe we'd spend 35-45 minutes lifting weights afterwards.

When we'd leave around 6:00 - 6:15 the wrestling team would still be going full speed. Working on new moves, general conditioning, pushups, stretches....it was INTENSE.

 

[Dryden]

I'm going to guess that the gay stigma has something to do with it too.

I'm thinking the metrosexual tweens today care less about the stigma of guys in tights and are more concerned about getting blood on their Abercrombie t-shirt and living the rest of their life with cauliflower ear.

 

[Buckeyeskickbuttocks]

Besides, if you can't use folding chairs and jump off ropes... are you really wrestling?

 

[gemsweater]

Well, it will lessen the spread of ring worm--that's one plus.

 

[Dryden]

Besides, if you can't use folding chairs and jump off ropes... are you really wrestling?

Exactly! First time I saw a high school wrestling match I was stunned there were no turnbuckles, and the winner didn't get a post-match interview in Piper's Pit.

Besides, watching wrestling really isn't the same without play-by-play from Mean Gene Okerlund.

 

[Oh8ch]

Don't follow wrestling, but it seems to me that it's becoming an off season thing for guys to do to hone their footwork, balance, and speed for other "mainstream" sports. I'm thinking defensive linemen, mostly.

40 years ago it was the same way. Most of our wrestlers were athletes in other sports.

We had a kid who was state champ at around 108 or 112 pounds. Used to walk laps around the gym on his hands. He also started for the football team - on the DL.

 

[TresselForPrez]

Kids are too busy swinging Wii controllers and complaining about how hard life is now to go out and commit to the hardest sport known to man.

You hit the nail on the head.

 

[cincibuck]

Interesting story. My high school recently dropped the " rasslin' " team due to lack of participants and lack of money. Traditionally, the south has never been a huge haven for Wrestling. The state of Georgia has traditional powerhouses like Parkview or Collins Hill and they still are going strong.

However, alot of those programs are having to send their JV and Freshman teams out of state 4 times a year instead of participating in weekly "duals" with schools from the region. Programs are dying and the sport is losing traction.


I know Ohio has a damn fine HS wrestling tradition. However, football and winter sports are more popular than ever in the midwest. Has there been a similar exodus from the sport up in your neck of the woods?

The Cincinnati area, actually all of Southwest Ohio, was slow to get the wrestling bug. Coach Murphy of St. X was one of the early pioneers. Jeff Gaier of Moeller has produced one of the best programs in the state in the last ten years. The Cleveland Area, especially St. Ed's, still dominates with other great programs at Olmstead, Mentor...

My observation is that it is one of the fastest growing sports in the state along with hockey, volleyball and La Cross. The later has put a huge dent in track programs much to my disgust.

 

[SparkyOSU]

You hit the nail on the head.

Our swung the virtual hammer with my Wii remote to drive the virtural nail in Nintendo's newest game "Wii Mexicans".

 

[ORD_Buckeye]

Can't imagine why.

 

[MililaniBuckeye]

Don't get me wrong, I'm also sure there are still many guys out there who have little interest in other sports and truly excel in wrestling for the purpose of being a future homo.

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