according to this article wrestling has decr 44% in 10 yrs

[Blonjuan44]

I found this surprising since wrestling seems pretty healthy in Illiinois...

...Other sports that are growing in popularity: basketball, tennis, and rugby. There are nearly twice as many hoops players as there are baseball players in the United States. In fact, participation in baseball fell more than 8% over the decade. Wrestling tumbled a whopping 44% over the same time period.(in popularity)
from...
http://shine.yahoo.com/team-mom/lacr...203700673.html

[bigvern77]

So, they say that results vary from study to study, but when talking about wrestling they only quote one of the studies. I would like to see the results from the other studies. In certain states, I believe that wrestling is down. In Illinois I do not believe that it is down at all. On the contrary, I believe that wrestling is thriving. There are a few states where wrestling is growing. The problem is that the states where it is declining have a further decline than the states that have growth are growing. Obviously, the loss of all of the college teams isn't helping!

[FoxesFan]

This article looks like it was written by a rookie journalist, and a poor one at that. Check this quote: "but for kids under the age of 13, the most popular sport is gymnastics." Yea right, I've seen all those new gymnastics programs springing up in the inner city and the rural south. LOL.

As for the facts, I believe that USA Wrestling has maintained strong numbers of card carrying athletes and High School programs, while maybe down, are not down 44%.

Perhaps they were quoting that US census data. 'Nuff said.

And, to finish off my review, I clicked on the author's name [Mike Krumboltz]which lead me to his previous articles which are, in reverse chronological order:

Paula Deen's English Pea Recipe Mocked Online
The Scoop on Children's Vitamins
Earth Day's History
Botox Celebrates an Anniversary
Hidden Valley Ranch Wants to Slather Your Fries
Daughter of Wanda Holloway Speaks Out

. . . and . . . you can't make this up . . . Baby Chun Chun Weighs in at 15.5 Pounds [Which may be the closest that Mr. Krumboltz has come to a wrestling article since it has an emphasis on weight]

I wouldn't worry too much about the 'Sports' article

[Blonjuan44]

Originally Posted by FoxesFan

This article looks like it was written by a rookie journalist, and a poor one at that. Check this quote: "but for kids under the age of 13, the most popular sport is gymnastics." Yea right, I've seen all those new gymnastics programs springing up in the inner city and the rural south. LOL.

As for the facts, I believe that USA Wrestling has maintained strong numbers of card carrying athletes and High School programs, while maybe down, are not down 44%.

Perhaps they were quoting that US census data. 'Nuff said.

And, to finish off my review, I clicked on the author's name [Mike Krumboltz]which lead me to his previous articles which are, in reverse chronological order:

Paula Deen's English Pea Recipe Mocked Online
The Scoop on Children's Vitamins
Earth Day's History
Botox Celebrates an Anniversary
Hidden Valley Ranch Wants to Slather Your Fries
Daughter of Wanda Holloway Speaks Out

. . . and . . . you can't make this up . . . Baby Chun Chun Weighs in at 15.5 Pounds [Which may be the closest that Mr. Krumboltz has come to a wrestling article since it has an emphasis on weight]

I wouldn't worry too much about the 'Sports' article

I could believe the gymnastics statistic. I would guess most parents of girls also put their children in sports & I bet most have tried gymnastics...& if they have a brother they usually end up doing a class...

I think the nature and number of sports will be changing due to the increasing tendency to specialize in 1 sport by soph/junior year of high school. - Most coaches require camps etc - at the big schools they say if you can't do the camp don't go out for the team...- unless your one the best athletes in the school.

[bigvern77]

Originally Posted by FoxesFan

This article looks like it was written by a rookie journalist, and a poor one at that. Check this quote: "but for kids under the age of 13, the most popular sport is gymnastics." Yea right, I've seen all those new gymnastics programs springing up in the inner city and the rural south. LOL.

As for the facts, I believe that USA Wrestling has maintained strong numbers of card carrying athletes and High School programs, while maybe down, are not down 44%.

Perhaps they were quoting that US census data. 'Nuff said.

And, to finish off my review, I clicked on the author's name [Mike Krumboltz]which lead me to his previous articles which are, in reverse chronological order:

Paula Deen's English Pea Recipe Mocked Online
The Scoop on Children's Vitamins
Earth Day's History
Botox Celebrates an Anniversary
Hidden Valley Ranch Wants to Slather Your Fries
Daughter of Wanda Holloway Speaks Out

. . . and . . . you can't make this up . . . Baby Chun Chun Weighs in at 15.5 Pounds [Which may be the closest that Mr. Krumboltz has come to a wrestling article since it has an emphasis on weight]

I wouldn't worry too much about the 'Sports' article

GREAT investigative reporting Foxes! This author sounds like a bozo! I didn't believe what he wrote when I read it. After your post, I will totally disregard this boob! Who is paying this guy to write these stories? He is stealing a paycheck!!

[promartinez]

I was listening to radio on the way home last night.
Awesome ad for a cell phone and service.

Talks all about a wrestler being a State Champ and that his parents missed the Ivy League Coaches email wanting him as a 133lber.

If I hear it again I will post what I find (service provider).
I hope they youtube it.

[Blonjuan44]

I think I read that they got their data from a/the sports manufacturers association...-IL is a top wrestling state...its hard to say how its doing across the us...it could be the numbers are the same but some wrestlers are grappling...ie switching into bjj, which seems to be semi-popular - but probably more a post high school thing...

[Jaguar]

Funny thing: there is a thread on the USA Wrestling message board about wrestling participation being up. Someone posted the stats kept by the NFHS going back 40+ years, and it appears to be the case. The NFHS stats are here. I note, however, that the population has risen over the past 40+ years as well, so the percentage participation compared to the population has likely gone down. Of course, that may be true in many sports with the increasing emphasis on year round sports. There are fewer kids playing mulitple sports.

[Blonjuan44]

Originally Posted by Jaguar

Funny thing: there is a thread on the USA Wrestling message board about wrestling participation being up. Someone posted the stats kept by the NFHS going back 40+ years, and it appears to be the case. The NFHS stats are here. I note, however, that the population has risen over the past 40+ years as well, so the percentage participation compared to the population has likely gone down. Of course, that may be true in many sports with the increasing emphasis on year round sports. There are fewer kids playing mulitple sports.

according to that the number that went up was the # of High Schools offering wrestling, not the number of wrestlers...-college numbers are probabably down from title ix. Grade school, Illinois is doing fine who knows elsewhere...the year round wrestling issue is probably creating better wrestlers but possibly less...- I would assume my freshman would have to wrestle/juo year round at least partially to make the starting line-up a junior or senior...which I can't see happening...but who knows...

football might have some legal/numbers trouble down the road with the concussion/trama issue which I would assume drive more people into wrestling..