New rules tip scales toward healthy competition

~ MSHSAA takes steps to control the cutting of weight by competitors.

Making and maintaining a certain weight is a responsibility that separates high school wrestling from most high school athletics.

Due to that requirement, wrestling has been stereotyped at times by the unconventional methods sometimes used by wrestlers to maintain weight. Some of those methods, such as poor diets, have led many states associations to issue guidelines to keep wrestlers safe and healthy.

The Missouri State High School Activities Association stepped up its safety efforts in the offseason, instituting new guidelines regarding weight loss and weight classifications. These new rules include mandatory hydration tests and body-fat tests before the season to set a minimum weight class for each wrestler. The minimum weight class is based on a minimum of seven percent body-fat for boys.

"I'm sure for the national federation the major concern is safety for the kids," Jackson coach Steve Wachter said. "I'd say that's the No. 1 thing behind this."

Central coach Josh Crowell was part of the panel that came up with the new guidelines. Along with a minimum weight class, wrestlers are restricted to an average weight loss of no more than 1.5 percent of their total weight per week.

"I'm glad that I was [on the panel]," Crowell said. "It did give me some insight into how all the rules were set up and how we govern them. It helped me on the philosophical side to know why we're doing this and the nature of the rules. For me personally, it helped being part of the creation of this."

So far, the new regulations have not seemed to cause any real problems for the two area coaches. Both the Indians and Tigers have competed in several dual meets and tournaments to this point.

"To be honest with you, it's made a pretty smooth transition," Wachter said "Most of the wrestlers on the body-fat test were at the same weight we planned to wrestle them at."

One major change with the new rules is a hefty amount of paperwork. Each wrestler must be certified at a certain weight class, and coaches must have this information with them at each meet.

"One thing it has done, it's made the coaches be more academic," Crowell said. "You really have to follow the letter of things to a 'T' or you can have a kid DQ'd for the season."

Added Wachter: "There's a lot of paperwork involved. All the coaches have a big folder they have to carry around."

The new guidelines are set up to deter large drops in weight and weight classes. While both Crowell and Wachter agree problems with weight dropping have not been readily apparent in the area, the perception of wrestlers starving themselves to make or cut weight is one that has stuck around the sport.

With the new rules, weight-loss parameters have been set to make sure wrestlers drop weight in a healthy manner.

"There's always somebody, no matter what sport, there's always a horror story involved," Crowell said. "With wrestling being the kind of sport it is, it tends to breed those stories more often and it just hurts the sport. The intent [of the rules] is to help out the perception of weight loss in wrestling, and to make sure kids' body fat doesn't drop too low."