Can wrestling have an effect on character development?

 

Success factors in sports, or anything for that matter, are part God-given (i.e. height and size) and part acquired (i.e. endurance). Success in wrestling depends most on acquired factors, and unlike most other sports, wrestling does not favor athletes of any particular height, size, weight, muscle type*, race or social class, and does not rely on superior vision or hearing.

 

Wrestlers learn, by the nature of the sport, that long-term success has much more to do with the investment made than the “natural” gifts one is given. Wrestlers learn the value of preparation and hard work, and the role it plays in achieving one’s goals. Wrestling provides real-life experiences that build and strengthen the following character traits:

 

	Self Reliance
	Mental Toughness
	Work Ethic
	Competitive Spirit
	Responsibility
	Self Discipline
	Goal Orientation
	Confidence

 

In order to keep this in perspective, one must realize that character development is a slow process, driven by a variety of positive and negative influences with varying degrees of impact. Sports can play a significant role in character development, but other influences may have an even greater impact. Wrestling, in itself, is not a character development solution, but years of participation can provide positive influences. A person’s overall character includes many other dimensions, such as integrity and compassion, that may have little if anything to do with sports.

 

Would my child be required or expected to lose weight?

 

NO! There’s no weight cutting in youth wrestling programs. It’s true that weight cutting does exist at the high school and collegiate levels, but there are quite a few public misconceptions.

 

Some parents automatically associate wrestling with excessive, out-of-control weight loss, akin to anorexia and bulimia. In reality, the opposite is true — wrestlers gain control of their body weight and body composition, and are able to set and achieve reasonable goals with respect to muscle mass, fat percentage and body weight.

 

This form of weight control is more of a factor in later years, when competing at high school or collegiate levels, but coaches and wrestlers at that level are well aware of health and safety factors, and not likely to engage in unhealthy or risky forms of weight loss. Furthermore, state and national governing bodies, such as USA Wrestling, now prohibit any form of rapid or unsafe weight loss.

 

To some, the practice of any sort of weight control for the purpose of competing in a sport may still seem extreme and unnecessary, however, at the appropriate age, with proper education, planning and discipline, weight control can be a good thing that caries into other sports and can be an asset in maintaining one’s health later in life. Proper weight control results in optimum body composition, allowing athletes to compete in peak physical condition, with the greatest ratio of strength, energy and power to body weight. These are factors in virtually every sport at the Olympic level.

 

With young wrestlers, it is only appropriate to discuss concepts. It can be a good time to explain how healthy eating can have an impact on performance, or to discuss the difference between healthy foods and “junk foods”. Virtually all kids can learn and benefit from this information, even at a young age.