ikwf Senior numbers

[Anonymous Coward]

Just wanted to ask if this was a real trend, or just an anamoly(sp?) based upon the tournys I've been to this year. I understand that there is always a drop off between novice and senior, but at the tournaments I've been to there are significantly fewer senior wrestlers than in the past. Most recently, a site that had 150+ seniors in the past had less than 100 (96) this year. Is there a reason? Is IESA making inroads in the Middle Schools? Is it the economy? Just looking for ideas.

Thanks

AC

[Greenskin]

Originally Posted by Anonymous Coward

Just wanted to ask if this was a real trend, or just an anamoly(sp?) based upon the tournys I've been to this year. I understand that there is always a drop off between novice and senior, but at the tournaments I've been to there are significantly fewer senior wrestlers than in the past. Most recently, a site that had 150+ seniors in the past had less than 100 (96) this year. Is there a reason? Is IESA making inroads in the Middle Schools? Is it the economy? Just looking for ideas.

Thanks

AC

As I posted on another thread, I think the IESA has a lot to do with it. I also believe that because there seems to be a surge of kids getting in at a very young age that there is some burnout. Finally, I think that kids that have been in it for a while "can see the writing on the wall" and realize they are probably never going to beat the top kids and as a result drop out. If you look you will probably see that the state qualifiers and especially the medalists at Novice tend to return at Senior. A lot of the others disappear. Finally, the sport gets much harder as you get older. Weight cutting kicks in. More injuries occur. Opponents tend to "punish" you more. Hey, it's a tough sport and it takes a tough kid to compete in it.

[WrestleMamma]

I agree with Greenskin on the fact of kids who see they just aren't gona be good enough to cut it. I had three out of my four boys wrestling last year. This year, my oldest (he's almost 13) started out practicing. He came to me the first of December and said "Mom, I'm tired of being someones practice dummy. I like wrestling and I would like to keep wrestling. I'm just not that good. Would you be mad if I quit?" I'm sure this same thing has happened in many households.

[Anonymous Coward]

Per my original post: I realize we are going to lose some kids between novice and senior, my question is that numbers seem down year over year. greenskin you indicated that IESA might be cutting in, I was wondering if others felt that the numbers were down in spite of the typical loss between grade school and middle shcool.

Thanks

AC

[MERLIN]

The older the boys get, the more interest in girls....less time for sports.

[Old Demon]

Originally Posted by Anonymous Coward

Just wanted to ask if this was a real trend, or just an anamoly(sp?) based upon the tournys I've been to this year. I understand that there is always a drop off between novice and senior, but at the tournaments I've been to there are significantly fewer senior wrestlers than in the past. Most recently, a site that had 150+ seniors in the past had less than 100 (96) this year. Is there a reason? Is IESA making inroads in the Middle Schools? Is it the economy? Just looking for ideas.

Thanks

AC

These tournaments don't help!
Plus, attrition happens in every sport. Percentage wise i would not be suprised to see our sport retaining more than others.
The real problem is only 10,000(i think my town has more kids playing basketball alone) total kids participating in a sport that has a place for everyone, unlike other team sports.
Competing against basketball significantly hurts the number of young kids coming out for this sport.

[Paul89]

I am involved in our local baseball association, as well as an IKWF club, and we have experienced a drop in participation at a certain age as well.

In our area the number of boys playing baseball who would be 12 and 13 years old this summer is WAY down. 14's are down a little too.

At that age kids become old enough to "decide" whether or not they want to continue with a certain activity.

Like another guy intimated, wrestling isn't for everyone.

[Blonjuan44]

IESA has nothing to do with it! They are better for the sport than IKWF. My sons are are/were in IKWF and I was as a kid also, so I am fine with the IKWF but...if you compare it to basketball...basketball has so many levels that you can be competitive at, wrestling has no rec league VS travel league. My sons 4th wrestling match ever was against a Kid who just placed in a Vegas national touney. I won't run on but in my town alone here are the basketball levels:
1) Park district league (best kids in the league not good enough to start in 4 or 5)
2) Church league
3) Park district travel
4) Other travel teams
5) School teams

Only travel league in wrestling. I have posted on this before, but IKWF is not designed to get kids to want to wrestle later or like wrestling. You are taught to win and if you don't win or derive enough enjoyment from winning you will not want to be there. My kids have been at 3 large clubs so I've seen a lot of wrestling & I would estimate mandatory participation by the parents to be about 20%. Kids start to argue around 12 and that when many get out. I like the sport of wrestling but it is tough. I will leave it at that, I am trying to ween myself from posting at all...too much stuff to do...

[WGC]

Originally Posted by Blonjuan44

IESA has nothing to do with it! They are better for the sport than IKWF. My sons are are/were in IKWF and I was as a kid also, so I am fine with the IKWF but...if you compare it to basketball...basketball has so many levels that you can be competitive at, wrestling has no rec league VS travel league. My sons 4th wrestling match ever was against a Kid who just placed in a Vegas national touney. I won't run on but in my town alone here are the basketball levels:
1) Park district league (best kids in the league not good enough to start in 4 or 5)
2) Church league
3) Park district travel
4) Other travel teams
5) School teams

Only travel league in wrestling. I have posted on this before, but IKWF is not designed to get kids to want to wrestle later or like wrestling. You are taught to win and if you don't win or derive enough enjoyment from winning you will not want to be there. My kids have been at 3 large clubs so I've seen a lot of wrestling & I would estimate mandatory participation by the parents to be about 20%. Kids start to argue around 12 and that when many get out. I like the sport of wrestling but it is tough. I will leave it at that, I am trying to ween myself from posting at all...too much stuff to do...

I have to disagree about the "rec leauge vs travel"...coaches can create their own rec league type environment. No need to require kids to come to practice 3 or 4 days a week and wrestle on Sundays. I am not criticizing those that do because there is a need for that, but there is no reason a coach can't offer a once or twice a week practice, shorter time frame for practice, shorter length of the season and only hit one or two tournaments, or even just hit a few rookie type tournaments. It's all available through the IKWF. I admit I only know the IKWF so I can't comment on IESA or other Jr High programs.

I run a group of new/young kids aged mostly 5,6,7 and that is what we did this season. One day a week, one hour a practice, 9 practices. One tournament (and most I told them they were not ready so they did not participate). No one quit during the season! Granted we are not talking about older kids, but I think we shoot ourselves in the foot with participation numbers by being such demanding of the parents times...

[Blonjuan44]

Originally Posted by WGC

I run a group of new/young kids aged mostly 5,6,7 and that is what we did this season. One day a week, one hour a practice, 9 practices. One tournament (and most I told them they were not ready so they did not participate). No one quit during the season! Granted we are not talking about older kids, but I think we shoot ourselves in the foot with participation numbers by being such demanding of the parents times...

Thats a nice program, I have seen clubs changing to address issues. In the end its not the coaches job, its the parents job to create a program out of the program that works for their kid. I don't go to the closest program to our house, I got my son to give the close program another try for 1 day because it was more convenient, the militant coach kept telling the kids "they are not there to have fun"...thats fine for high school but there are not too many masochistic little kids...so we went back to the other club...that is just as good but with a friendlier attitude. I didn't say anything to the club, they can run practice anyway they want.