Wrestle offs and weight limitations

• Dsmith

  Just curious on how you coaches handle wrestle offs with kids that are cutting weight?
  
  When I wrestled back in the day - we didn't have to maintain a certain weight for wrestle-offs, we did not want our kids having to constantly cut weight just to deal with a wrestle off.
  
  Example - after a tourney we liked to eat the next day and would gain some weight. with wrestle offs usually on Tuesdays that means I would have had to keep cutting weight just to defend my spot because the coach wanted to impose a 2-5 pound limit. In my day I would cut 7-10 pounds a week to make weight for Saturday.
  
  I know there are mixed feelings about this topic so I would love to hear what the coaches are doing these days in regards to this matter.
• Con_Alma

  Bouncing weight isn't good...for anybody. If a kid is bouncing, we are doing a disservice to him by affording him the ability to do so.
  
  A kid may "like to eat" but if it means he will have to slam weigt to wrestle again at his weight class, it's simply not good for him.
  
  The right way to cut weight is slowly, over an extended period of time. Chemically your body stays more in balance and you reduce the risk of dehydrating the muscles and brain.
  
  If a wrestler isn't within the hydration test weight reduction guidline's MWW at the time of the wrestle-off then he doesn't wrestle-off for that respective weight class. That means if he's more than 1 & 1/2 percent per week before the next event above the weight class, he doesn't wrestle off. Its better for him and for the team. Maintaining weight and managing it is simply healthier than cutting every week. A healthy athlete is a better performing athlete.
• Dsmith

  Thanks for your reply Con_Alma:
  while I agree with your assessment, I feel if an athlete weighs 136 after his tourney but is wrestling 32, now come wrestle-offs he has to be down to 34 instead of gradually getting to 32 throughout the week, just for a wrestle-off. After Xmas it then wont matter because they can then weigh 134. I think cramming off the pounds immediately after a tourney can be more damaging and more emotionally burdensome than losing 4 pounds throughout the week which can be done in a healthy and safe manner.
  
  In my opinion imposing a 2 pound restriction for wrestle-offs will lead to more and more kids taking to laxatives, practicing un-safe diet behaviors just so they don't lose their varsity spot.
• Con_Alma

  While I don't necessarily disagree with your assessment I believe that a coaching staff and a progrm that functions with the expectation at all times that cutting weight quickley will not be tolerated is most important. How that's carried out is really dependent on what is happening and what has happened in the past in that program.
  
  If ever even a whimmer of a kid taking laxatives came to light a quick and significant response by the coaching staff should be had with the team. If a kid isn't willing or can't stay within your 2 pound rule without slamming weight before wrestle-offs he get's a 1 time warnin. After that he should not be permited agina t wretle off at that weight.
  
  It's the spirit of intent and a unified coaching staff supporting that intent that's most important in my view. Obviously 1&1/2percent variance is a little more dificult to adhere to at the lower weights than the middle and upper. You know your kids and if they are weighing in everyday you know who is doing it the rightway and who is slamming weight. It just should not be permitted. Your own team rules should reflect that. Those rules might even change from year to year or even in mid-season if kids are starting to find loopholes in your rule.
  
  If the program has a history of kids bouncing from competition date to mid-week then the rules should be difficult and have little room for being overlooked until the culture of the program changes. Then it can get more lenient.
• Blast82.5

  Long time ago (30 years) ... I think we had a 3-lb. allowance, and the wrestle-offs were about Tues./Weds. We did not have almost any guys cutting a ton, at least not bouncing up and down each week. Most guys were pretty disciplined to not bounce up 10 lbs (or whatever) after a meet, and that approach (not bouncing) was certainly stressed / supported by the coaching staff.
  
  I'd say a 3 - 4 lb. allowance is reasonable. 2 lbs. before an early-week practice might be a bit tough ... you'd be under by the end of practice ...
• Dsmith

  Blast I agree. Most of our boys that are cutting this year I know are only cutting the equivalent of 1 weight class. 145/138, 138/132, 132/126 etc... That 2 pound rule is going to be problematic for many kids on our team this year. I know there is no one on the team who would have to cut more than 5 pounds maximum until the christmas pound present, and 2 pound rule just puts added pressure on our kids.
• Con_Alma

  Blast82.5;1320909 wrote:Long time ago (30 years) ... I think we had a 3-lb. allowance, and the wrestle-offs were about Tues./Weds. We did not have almost any guys cutting a ton, at least not bouncing up and down each week. Most guys were pretty disciplined to not bounce up 10 lbs (or whatever) after a meet, and that approach (not bouncing) was certainly stressed / supported by the coaching staff.
  
  I'd say a 3 - 4 lb. allowance is reasonable. 2 lbs. before an early-week practice might be a bit tough ... you'd be under by the end of practice ...

  That's an indication of a program that has a culture of managing weight in a healthy manner.
  
  I don't think Dsmith's 5 pound potential limit is unreasonable but again it's a lot more give for the upper weights and seems to me like too much room for the lower. I'm sure Dsmith knowing his kids will put the right solution in pace for his team.
• Jmar25

  We had 5lbs if wrestle off was on Monday for a weekend tourney. If a weds/thurs dual was in that week then it was 3. It isn't as scientific as Con's but it never really hurt anyone. There were exceptions here and there.
• nykc

  

  2 pounds is reasonable if wrestle offs are on Wed/Thursdays and all kids are weighing in. I think our school is 4 pounds, at least last year is how we did it and wrestle offs were early, so it was expected you would be at your 2 pounds by Wed/Thur so you are killing yourself trying to do 4 pound cuts on Friday.