Sucking Down at the Youth Level

[leg2ride 0]

1. Cutting weight at the YOUTH level should not be tolerated. At the YOUTH level, you should wrestle what you weigh. Period. Forget the eating healthy propaganda. At the high school level, the kids are old enough to make their own weight decisions - unfortunately I have witneesed some parents and Coaches who are making this decision for their YOUTH wrestler. My favorite line on this is 'WE are cutting down'--no buddy, your KID is cutting down, you are WATCHING him do it.

2. At the YOUTH level, if you have a wrestler that wants to improve their position in bracket standings it should be with effort on the practice mat. Not in the kitchen, cafeteria, bathroom, or sauna.

3. At the YOUTH Level, parents/coaches that have their kids suck down are hijacking the sport from the parents/coaches that have realistic expectations with athletes at this age. Example: My kid wrestles what he weighs (as do the majority of YOUTH wrestlers). He is 1 lb over a weight bracket category. When you have your kid (who is 4lbs over) suck down to the next lowest level you have a weight advantage of up to 8lbs (could be more) over a kid that wrestles what they weigh. My wrestler was in this category all season. I have some very interesting pictures that highlight how big a difference this is in his weight class. I have had parents/coaches look at me funny when the physical difference are pointed out and inquire why I don’t get my son to “eat a little healthier”.

4. I believe that we have cutting weight issues at the YOUTH level because we have no active sanctioning body at the youth level, e.g. no hydration or body fat tests. At the Youth level, who is it? What are the policies with regard to weight? Don’t tell me there are no Coaches out there ‘suggesting’ little Johnny might be more competitive in a lower weight class…

5. I think the simplest/easiest solution is matside weigh-ins for every tournament.

6. Commitment to the sport should be measured at how hard you practice not how hard you work at sucking down.

I'm thinking of starting a "WRESTLE WHAT YOU WEIGH" club and selling T-shirts for $10-$15. I'm proud to have a wrestler that is OK with occasionally getting his butt kicked by a suck down kid because he knows he's not content with shortcuts.

[raider 7]

1. At the youth level we don't have set weight classes. Kids are bracketed with the eight kids closest to their weight. If kids cut there is no gaurentee that they will drop a weight class. They may go from the heaviest kid in the class to the lightest.

2. The season is over. The state tournament was about a month ago. What are you talking about?

[raidercoach 51]

What YOUTH tournaments are you attending where there are weight classes? As Raider mentioned, all of the YOUTH tournaments we attend do not utilize weight classes to prevent weight cutting at the YOUTH level. I would suggest attending these tournaments. Good luck selling your tee shirts.

1. Cutting weight at the YOUTH level should not be tolerated. At the YOUTH level, you should wrestle what you weigh. Period. Forget the eating healthy propaganda. At the high school level, the kids are old enough to make their own weight decisions - unfortunately I have witneesed some parents and Coaches who are making this decision for their YOUTH wrestler. My favorite line on this is 'WE are cutting down'--no buddy, your KID is cutting down, you are WATCHING him do it.

2. At the YOUTH level, if you have a wrestler that wants to improve their position in bracket standings it should be with effort on the practice mat. Not in the kitchen, cafeteria, bathroom, or sauna.

3. At the YOUTH Level, parents/coaches that have their kids suck down are hijacking the sport from the parents/coaches that have realistic expectations with athletes at this age. Example: My kid wrestles what he weighs (as do the majority of YOUTH wrestlers). He is 1 lb over a weight bracket category. When you have your kid (who is 4lbs over) suck down to the next lowest level you have a weight advantage of up to 8lbs (could be more) over a kid that wrestles what they weigh. My wrestler was in this category all season. I have some very interesting pictures that highlight how big a difference this is in his weight class. I have had parents/coaches look at me funny when the physical difference are pointed out and inquire why I don’t get my son to “eat a little healthier”.

4. I believe that we have cutting weight issues at the YOUTH level because we have no active sanctioning body at the youth level, e.g. no hydration or body fat tests. At the Youth level, who is it? What are the policies with regard to weight? Don’t tell me there are no Coaches out there ‘suggesting’ little Johnny might be more competitive in a lower weight class…

5. I think the simplest/easiest solution is matside weigh-ins for every tournament.

6. Commitment to the sport should be measured at how hard you practice not how hard you work at sucking down.

I'm thinking of starting a "WRESTLE WHAT YOU WEIGH" club and selling T-shirts for $10-$15. I'm proud to have a wrestler that is OK with occasionally getting his butt kicked by a suck down kid because he knows he's not content with shortcuts.

[eville dad 17]

I think cutting weight has struck a nerve with "leg".

But I'm on your side on this one just not for the same reasons, I dont want little Bobby missing out on the birthday cake to make weight either.

I think cutting weight is the most overated tactic in the sport. Usually doesnt help the kid at all, sure theres exceptions but mostly just makes them miserable and weaker. Now if a wrestler is fat and overweight they need to get into better shape. Usually involves weight loss thru hard work and healthy living.

I would like to see one of the T-Shirts before I place my order.

[Mike Calhoun 49]

To all who have commented so far. When you are speaking of "youth" are you also talking about middle school level kids? because there are definitely defined weight classes when it comes to the middle schoolers, and I have seen kids cut weight. But there is a big difference between a kid who eats junk all the time and tries to loose 8 lbs 3-4 days before a tourney, and a kid who is being taught how to maintaina healthy eating lifestyle and excercise regiment. Truth is, most of the better wrestlers are at or close to their ideal weight. If a child is overweight no he should not be wearing a sauna suit the day before and the day of weigh ins. But a child who is over a certain amount of weight in regards to what a doctor might consider ideal for his age and height should be taught about proper eating habits and excercise, not for wrestling but as for a healthy lifestyle in general. The good habits we help these children form at a young age will carry on into their older years, as will the bad habits. Also your season may be over but some of us are still wrestling. Just had a great time this past weekend in Columbus at the Ohio Tournament of Champions, over 2200 wrestlers, but unfortunately I think barely over 30 of these wrestlers were representing Kentucky and there were wrestlers from all across the country. Some examples I know of were PA, MI, MA, NY, OH, NE, NC, WV, NJ, IN, TN, IA, TX, NH, VA, IL, GA, MD, SC, FL, RI, MO, ME, AL, CT, DE, MN, WI. If we want to better the sport in KY we should all consider looking to extend our seasons in one way or the other, seems like some of these kids from other areas seem to practice year round.

[refdad 3]

leg2ride, sounds to be very uninformed and not firmiliar with healthy eating habits for himself and kid. My son eats what he wants withinh reason about 8 months out of the year. "within reason" meaning he dont have donuts and chocolate milk for breakfast every day. Sure he can indulge in a donut or candy bar from time to time but this is not normal eating habits for him even during the off season. Also soft drinks are allowed but he now chooses to maybe have one per day maybe, but does not have soft drinks durning the season. Nothing but empty calories with no nutritional value.

As far as cutting weight, that mostly depends on the kids weight as well as body type. Does he have extra weight to shed? Obviously 2lbs is not nearly as hard for a 80 lb kid to shed as a 45 lb kid. My son has always been about 7 8 percent body fat so in his case there has never been much extra weight to cut but he usually cut a 2 to 3 lbs during middle school. I would suggest having Jr. eat oatmeal for breakfast , then packing his lunch during the season, which would consist or a turkey sandwich, an apple or banana and maybe a yogurt. Everyone has their own opinion on this topic just like any other but it bothers me to listen to people suggest that someone allowing the 5-8th grade kid cutting 3 to 4 lbs is obsessive! My son is now a 9th grader and you would be hard pressed to find a happier kid. He was a 2 time elementry state cham as well as 2 time middle school state champs so I would say its worked pretty well for us

[grappler-of-old 44]

I agree that having an elementary kid loose wt. is over the top. Unless he/she is very obese.

Middle school kids would depend on maturity of the kid. I believe the middle school powers need to adopt the KHSAA form of wt. loss. Using skin fold/hydration tests. I would aslo be in favor of raising the percentage of minimum body fat of middle school kids from 8% (Which the high school team uses) to 10 or 11%.

refdad you are correct about teaching correct eating habits.

GOO Jr. dropped some wt. the last two years on high school. However I would not allow him to lose wt. in middle school. He was close to the next lower wt. class probably within 2 lbs a couple of times, and defeated the regional champ and runner up during the year in that lower wt. class. I wanted him to experience the love for wrestling and not the stress of loosing wt. He now is experiencing both and is probably better because of both experiences.

I would only add one thing. Parents (Dads mostly)need to allow there sons to have their own experinces. Not try to push them to be better than you were in high school. I know this from personal experience. Wt. loss usually comes from the parents in elementary and middle school. Allow them to wait until high school when they can make their own more mature decisions.

Once again.

This is the opinion of GOO nothing more nothing less.

GOO out.

[Zeus 117]

I respect everyone's opinion here but disagree with some. First off, weight cutting is often not defined correctly. For a wrestler, or any athlete that must compete within weight classes, there is a stark difference between "cutting weight" and "losing weight." Most outside the wrestling community, and many within it, do not know the difference. Like refdad mentioned, "does he/she have the extra weight to lose?" Take any high school, college, or even post-collegiate athlete. At the beginning of the season, when they've spent the whole spring and summer building muscle which constitutes eating more than normal if you're serious about it, most wrestlers want to lose about 10 or so pounds before the season starts or within the first couple of weeks. After that they may cut an additional 5-10 pounds, depending on the athlete and their desired weight class.

I have no problem at all with promoting a healthy lifestyle to children of any age, in fact I think it should be stressed to all children. If a child is obese I will stress that if they lose weight they will perform better. As someone who has coached many successful youth wrestlers and high school wrestlers I am not closed to the idea of a youth wrestler cutting a very small, minor amount of weight, but it's completely relative to the size of the child. Again like refdad said, "Obviously 2lbs is not nearly as hard for a 80 lb kid to shed as a 45 lb kid." If one of my youth wrestlers (notice I said wrestler and not wrestler's parent) wanted to cut a pound or two then I wouldn't have a problem with it as long as they follow my strict guidelines. Obviously plastics, saunas, extra running just to lose weight or any kind of dehydration technique would be forbidden. However for a Saturday or Sunday morning weigh in I would not be opposed to a youth wrestler eating a little more healthy than normal that week. This may include more salads, no pop, no fried foods, etc. In addition, and I know I'm going to get some flak for this, I am not opposed to a kid skipping dinner the night before a weigh-in. You have to realize that skipping one meal really isn't that big of a deal. I can remember several times when I was a child being sent to bed without eating dinner as a punishment. Physically there's no difference between that and a youth wrestler not eating dinner the night before a weigh in.

Everyone needs to remember two things: First if the wrestler doesn't want to cut the weight then they should not be forced to do it. The other thing is that it's different for each person. Not everyone thinks the same and under the same logic not everyone's body is the same. We should remember this when making these kinds of decisions.

[Mike Calhoun 49]

Also like to add the importance of hydration, many ppl dont realize that the body will actually retain water as a defense mechanism against dehydration.

[youthwrestling 0]

This is a touchy subject for me, but it should be everyone. I am a Registered Dietitian and a mom of a youth wrestler. I have been involved with high school wrestling for over 16 years helping our local team. There had been alot of cutting before I started helping and many poor eating habits pushed by coaches. That is why and how I got involved. A family member was wrestling and would eat little to nothing 2-3 days before a tournament. After involvement of education of coaches and wrestlers many changes happened. Wrestlers ended up stronger and had more endurance during matches. There is a reason for the body fat testing now. If it is done properly it does make a difference.

As far as Youth wrestling...even middle school students need nourishment. They are in their prime growing stage and needs calories for growth and brain development. It is funny to hear that "skipping a meal will not hurt anyone". Probably not, but you are limiting needed calories. Losing weight for wrestlers that are at an unhealthy weight is agreed, but that should be done over weeks. (by cutting out soft drinks and junk food and increasing fruits, vegetables, lean meat and fat free dairy). Weight loss at a young age of more than 1 pound a week should not be pushed without medical professionals involved. The majority of the youth wrestlers, (or should I say fathers) who I have noticed practicing cutting weight are not overweight wrestlers. They were usually a wrestler that were in the lower range of the weight group and the fathers were wanting their son in next weight group below. Our team DOES NOT CUT WEIGHT OR FOCUS ON THEIR WEIGHTS. They wrestle what they weight! We have went to tournamets in other states when at weigh ins I watched as a 5-6 year old child was running trying to lose 1 # to make weight. By the way, my son, who was in the lower range of that weight range beat that same child who was cutting weight(who was at the higher range) because that child lost needed energy for the tournament. Coaches and families need to get involved and educate their wrestlers and parents on healthy eating and healthy exercise. All year around. This does not mean a child can not have cake or candy occassionally.

Look at your older wrestlers in college and post college. Many are short stature. Stunted growth is the biggest side effect of cutting weight in youth. So go ahead and skip that meal, "it don't hurt anyone".