What's in HS wrestling's future?

CWF · 05-17-2008, 02:56 PM

With gas topping $4.00 gal and still climbing (While oil companies post record profits), how long will it be before high school wrestling is adversely affected?

Realigned leagues to cut down on travel?

Schools with incomplete teams dropping wrestling rather than transporting 5 wrestlers 40 miles and back to wrestle a team that also has only 5 wrestlers?

Some major tournaments cancelled for lack of participation?

More paid coaching cuts?

Are there bleak days ahead? And what will that do to the already dwindling college programs?

spartansd · 05-18-2008, 07:11 AM

The sky is not falling.

Youth wrestling is becoming larger than ever. As parents become more involved, they will drive the schools to support the sport. More money will result in more programs. More programs will create more success internationally...ect.

therick · 05-19-2008, 12:07 PM

I wouldn't be surprised if some teams eliminate trips to places like Iron Man, Clash, Beast, etc. in favor of local tournaments. For example, Ohio teams will simply go to IM and not beast......Eastern PA schools may simply go to Beast and skip IM. Not saying that it'll happen, but I wouldn't be surprised if we saw less travel by teams in the coming years.

I'll second what spartansd says and say that wrestling at the scholastic level is still growing and will continue to do so for some time now.

legridder155 · 05-19-2008, 01:30 PM

I personally can't see the top ranked teams not attending the major tourney's.

RD149-2 · 05-19-2008, 04:03 PM

Originally Posted by legridder155

I personally can't see the top ranked teams not attending the major tourney's.

Most of the "top ranked teams" are private schools or schools with an unbelievable budget and backing by there boosters. None of the top tier programs will be affected but I wouldn't doubt seeing average teams staying a lot more local.

therick · 05-19-2008, 06:25 PM

Originally Posted by RD149-2

Most of the "top ranked teams" are private schools or schools with an unbelievable budget and backing by there boosters. None of the top tier programs will be affected but I wouldn't doubt seeing average teams staying a lot more local.

My thoughts exactly. Some of the top tier programs here in Ohio have already taken steps to limit their travel, by not driving all the way to Delaware. There isn't much of an up side to traveling all the way out there for an Ohio team that can just as easily attend IM, and follow that up with Brecksville, or MIT and see a similar level of competition without leaving the state and in many cases, without traveling more than an hour.

IBKURLY22@yahoo.com · 05-29-2008, 01:10 PM

deep run will be the number 1 state in Va no doubt about it there lower weights are unstoppable and they will kill

washed up wrestler · 05-29-2008, 10:04 PM

Actually, the sky isn't falling but the costs are rising so it may meet somewhere in the middle. I definitely see this as a somewhat major impediment to a lot of kids.

It's nasty out there and if the choice of a parent is paying a bill or taking Johnny to a tournament 90 miles away-they will pay the bill. The rising price of gas and heating oil is a serious problem and it affects all aspects of life.

Ranger84 · 06-09-2008, 03:47 AM

Originally Posted by washed up wrestler

Actually, the sky isn't falling but the costs are rising so it may meet somewhere in the middle. I definitely see this as a somewhat major impediment to a lot of kids.

It's nasty out there and if the choice of a parent is paying a bill or taking Johnny to a tournament 90 miles away-they will pay the bill. The rising price of gas and heating oil is a serious problem and it affects all aspects of life.

That's kids club, and the numbers of kids wrestling in tourney's don't support that.

It'll be nice though when we get this "Oil man" out of the office and get someone and their administration in who aren't so closely linked with oil. Perhaps the greatest nation in the history of the world can solve this MINOR issue.

Throwby · 06-09-2008, 07:15 AM

Some programs do require kids (parents) to come up with money when traveling to events like The Clash so with rising costs it could certainly curtail their ability to travel. Public school programs here (at least in our District) are required to fund their own travel through fund raising throughout the year and fuel costs are going to impact their budget.

What's in HS wrestling's future?

High School Wrestling