Back in early 90's, when I wrestled in high school, wrestlers were required to weigh in before every wrestling match. This was to secure eligibility at the desired weight break. Sometimes there would be hours between weigh-ins and the actual match. So athletes were able to basically starve themselves for the weigh-in, then gorge themselves so they would have their energy and few extra pounds to wrestle at.In an attempt to stop athletes to feel pressure to go to these drastic measures, the NJSIAA has implemented a system in which requires every athlete be certified at a certain weight break by the organization at the beginning of the season.
But many parents and officials are still critical of the NJSIAA and say these new testing measures are not enough. They are crying out that there still is plenty of room for kids to put themselves in danger.
To get a closer look at the effectiveness of this new system, we dove in to get an athletes first hand look a the testing. Mendham High School wrestling captain Brian Byrne gives us his experience with this system and his thoughts on its effectiveness. Here is what Byrne had to say:
The NJSIAA requires every wrestler to undergo a certification which permits a wrestler to compete in a certain weight class. At the start of the season, the team rides a bus to the testing site where each kid is asked to strip down and get in line to give a urine sample, which is supposed to demonstrate hydration. Then, another line later, the wrestler waits to have his (or her) height and weight taken. These numbers are used to calculate body fat. If a wrestler has more then 7% body fat, then he is allowed to lose weight until he drops to 7%. If the wrestler has less than 7% body fat, he can’t cut more weight.
The certification process is a great idea. Cutting too much weight can impact performance and health. In fact, wrestlers have died from trying to lose weight pre-season.
The certification process is a great idea. Cutting too much weight can impact performance and health. In fact, wrestlers have died from trying to lose weight pre-season.
But this process isn’t working. The problem is that a guy who’s been working hard off-season isn’t going to give up on wrestling his weight class easily. Some guys add toilet water to their urine cups. Some guys add their own spit and some guys use eye drop bottles filled with water to add to the cup. One year, I even had a couple of guys ask to use my urine for the test.
Wrestlers even cheat on the height test. If you wear baggy sweat pants, you can bend your knees and appear shorter. This means more body fat, which means more weight you’re allowed to lose.
I didn’t cheat. Not that I’m not any more moral than the next guy, I’m just naturally skinny and usually trying to gain weight, not lose it. But even without cheating, the process doesn’t work. I am 6’2’’, 189 pounds. During certification, these numbers were plugged into a scale which said I had 18% body fat—meaning I was allowed to wrestle at 171.
Wrestlers even cheat on the height test. If you wear baggy sweat pants, you can bend your knees and appear shorter. This means more body fat, which means more weight you’re allowed to lose.
I didn’t cheat. Not that I’m not any more moral than the next guy, I’m just naturally skinny and usually trying to gain weight, not lose it. But even without cheating, the process doesn’t work. I am 6’2’’, 189 pounds. During certification, these numbers were plugged into a scale which said I had 18% body fat—meaning I was allowed to wrestle at 171. If I lost that much weight, I couldn’t walk, forget wrestle. A few days later, my high school trainer used a pinching calibrator and estimated my body fat to be 6%. If I tried to lose weight to wrestle at 171, I could’ve been in serious trouble.
I think the certification process needs to be changed. There needs to be better supervision and better equipment. New Jersey wrestlers are losing too much weight and putting themselves in too much danger.
Brian Byrne - Mendham Wrestling
I think the certification process needs to be changed. There needs to be better supervision and better equipment. New Jersey wrestlers are losing too much weight and putting themselves in too much danger.
Brian Byrne - Mendham Wrestling
Will we have to wait for more kids to die from losing weight before the NJSIAA comes up with a better certification process? Can the NJSIAA come up with a better way to protect high school athletes? What can schools do to help this process? It seems their are too many question marks surrounding this topic and not enough answers.
6 comments:
Brian,
Thanks for the insight, it is always good to hear from the current athletes instead of just the washed up old farts like me and 'Rules.
In my (very) brief years wrestling I would say this new system is an improvement over the old one such as 'Rules described, which I also participated in.
From my armchair analysis as you dexcribe the situation it sound like the flaw is with the body fat estimation method, not necessarily with the system. How did the NJSIAA do it? Taping is widely regarded as the least accurate, caliper next most accurate, and water displacement the most accurate and most expensive. Taping is generally accepted to have an error range of +/- 4% BF. That means one person could tape you at 18% and Water displacement on same day could have you at 14%.
...but WOW! 6% is a big difference from 18%.
There is no way he is 18% body fat. He is very lean.
For sure. The methodology needs to be revisited. They should also allow individually funded certified water-displacement as an override option.
Vally Halla, the problem goes back to money. What state funded program will want to get the more expensive (even if it is more accurate) system?
I think a possible solution is to screw the weight breaks and just have one big battle royal match. And who ever is the last man standing is the winner.
Just kidding, their really doesnt seem to be any good solution for this.
go cheap for publicy funded (tape) and allow an override for individual/private funds (calipers/displacement) for those who don't like the publicly funded results and have the motivation and or means for alternative methods.
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