Coaches,

See the attached article regarding a lawsuit. 

http://www.newsnet5.com/news/1222051/detail.html

Wrestlers don't have to cut weight to be the best! Please be careful with this issue.

As the National coach I am constantly encouraging my guys to move up a weight class, rather then move down. I've seen it all to often...A good wrestler is struggling at his current weight class because of the difficulty of making weight. Then finally... he moves up to the next weight class and voila...has great success.

Matt Lindland won a silver medal in the 2000 Sydney Olympics for our U.S. team at 167lbs.  Matt was cutting a lot of weight. Then, in his next year he went up to 187lbs. where he won a silver medal in the World Championships! It is what you know and how good you are that wins, not how much you cut.

Coaches should focus kids on learning the skills, tactics and strategies of the sport. Having fun in wrestling is the key to winning long term. And cutting a lot of weight is NOT fun! In fact, as we all know... it is pure agony!

Repetition and drilling is crucial in teaching the basic techniques. Establishing the correct muscle memory is vital for the wrestlers to be able to execute their techniques during the battle. Conditioning the body, and mind through tough physical and mental training is what makes champions. This is what is really important!

I encourage all coaches to take a hard look at what they are focusing on. If coaches are thinking too much about how good their team might be if only their kids could cut down a weight class... realize that there is great danger of destroying the team and worst yet, the kids attitude and  love for the sport of wrestling!

For what it's worth,

Coach Fraser