How many of our Kentucky Ranked and Non Ranked wrestlers participate year around? I'm trying to see the difference year round wrestling can have VS NON year around? Or if wrestlers should take a break to play other sports like Baseball or Football? As a coach would you prefer your team go multi athlete and play Other sports? Or year around wrestler like camps and tourneys and practice all during the off season? Can you be HAMMER only wrestling during the season? Thoughts?

You should wrestle year round.  Over the summer you can get 30+ matches.  That is an entire season on the mat.  You can try things that you may have been to scared to or improve your talents and learn more about your style of wrestling.

If a student-athlete wants to play a different sport go for it.  I firmly believe wrestling will make you a better athlete at any other sport.

As a coach I want my kids to have fun and try things.  Obviously I'd prefer if all they did was wrestle, but I want them to make their own decisions.  Maybe wrestling will allow them to compete at the next level in a different sport, ie football.

Off season is a time to regroup and start practice.  You have spent a season on learning the basics.  It is time to go to the next level in teaching and competition.  Tournaments and camps are  great way to do that.  You just need to find one that can benefit your team.

Just my thoughts on the matter.  Wrestling can be a year round sport, so why not take advantage of that.  I have had kids do this and their high school/post high school careers have improved.

     Man this is right in my wheelhouse.    I have been against the one sport wonders for a long time now.  Unfortunately coaches are pushing their athletes to be this.  Basketball, Football, Soccer, Baseball, and yes Wrestling coaches.  

     Do the kids who make it through and not burn out become the elite? Of course they do.  There are exceptions to every rule but for the most part yes.  As with anything you compete/practice more at something you become better.  Those that go year round will most likely be the ones that we talk about as the best in their weight class. 

     However this can possible be the downfall of our and other sports.  As more and more kids become one sport wonders the numbers of sports participation will decline.  It will only be those that are the elite or soon to be elite competing in the sport.  I'm not sure that wrestling can afford those type of numbers. 

37 minutes ago, That's two points said:

How many of our Kentucky Ranked and Non Ranked wrestlers participate year around? I'm trying to see the difference year round wrestling can have VS NON year around? Or if wrestlers should take a break to play other sports like Baseball or Football? As a coach would you prefer your team go multi athlete and play Other sports? Or year around wrestler like camps and tourneys and practice all during the off season? Can you be HAMMER only wrestling during the season? Thoughts?

You can be a hammer and not wrestle year round Blanton from Johnson central is all state in football, HAS A STATE TITLE IN WRESTLING, and is playing D1 Baseball next year at Marshall.

Thats definitely a athlete! 

I encourage my kids to play other sports in hopes that the other sports will do the same. I ask our kids to at least go to a camp or two and a few open mats and play something to stay in better shape if not wrestling.

Wrestle all year and play other sports .

Depends on the kid. We have a 195 pound kid who could win State this year and was a Virginia Beach runner up last summer. First football scrimmage of the year he gets chop blocked and gets his leg broke. Sucks really bad and we love the kid like he's family. Watching him lose the mat rust each time he wrestles is great! My son wrestles year round. But he's 5'4" and wants to wrestle in college so that's his path. 

Problem with wrestling all year is psychos who diet their kids all year it will stunt their growth ,Dieting a few months out of the year will not and may actually be good for health and growth .

I actually know an Ohio very high State placer who wrestled and dieted his kid all year and went to a growth specialist /endocrinologist and had his ultra dieted down kid put on Human Growth Hormone as a grade schooler and thereafter ,That's insane .

35 minutes ago, Kronos said:

Problem with wrestling all year is psychos who diet their kids all year it will stunt their growth ,Dieting a few months out of the year will not and may actually be good for health and growth .

I actually know an Ohio very high State placer who wrestled and dieted his kid all year and went to a growth specialist /endocrinologist and had his ultra dieted down kid put on Human Growth Hormone as a grade schooler and thereafter ,That's insane .

Haven't had that problem here. Of course, you know there's a right way and a wrong way to diet. You can look around at any given tournament and determine who's cutting too much or cutting the wrong way - or when you see a kid arrive at weigh-ins so dehydrated and lethargic he practically has to be carried in. That's wrong. And no, thank God  my son doesn't constantly diet in the off season or I'd kill him lol. He will, however, make the appropriate weight for a significant tournament the right way through eating healthy and exercise. I also know of a KY kid that was placed on a growth hormone and won state and wrestles in college now. He's doing pretty decent despite the occasional injury here and there. 

That's Nuts .I'm sure it's rampant in college you see guys jumping weight classes and staying lean when the most you can gain naturally is 12 lbs a year for an adult maybe a little more for a younger male who has not reached full maturity.So if you see guys coming out of the blue gaining 30 lbs and ripped in one year you might know what's up.

The act of actually dieting a kid for years then taking him to a Dr and getting him prescribed HGH to stimulate growth is incomprehensible parents and Dr's should be thrown in the slammer .

I see both sides of the argument. As athletes are increasingly forced to become specialized, I think it becomes essential to wrestle year around to remain competitive at a high level. Obviously, there are certain athletes that can maintain a high level without wrestling year around, but that's more of the exception. I've seen kids burning out being brought up, which is true. Another element to consider is just how physically demanding our sport is on the human body. Wrestling year around puts a lot of wear and tear on the body. 

Lots of studies out there proving that cross training is best for the athlete.  That said keeping wrestling mindset with camps and off season wrestling is great in addition to doing other sports.  This helps fight injuries and burnout.  

That sounds like the wisest option.

8 hours ago, wrastler_ said:

You can be a hammer and not wrestle year round Blanton from Johnson central is all state in football, HAS A STATE TITLE IN WRESTLING, and is playing D1 Baseball next year at Marshall.

I Looked that up ,                       Super impressive ! I'd say thats a rare talent 

I would agree that a good mix is best.  Play football, baseball, or track attend some open mats when you can and a few camps and tourneys.  The off season is long and has plenty of room for all the above.  

I think we really fool ourselves that wrestling off season at higher weights and then cutting 20 to 30 pounds to wrestle high school is healthy. If we really care about our kids and weight management is important then all tourneys year around should be done on the weight management charts on track not just the ones that are high school

matches. Then kids wouldn't be treated as such. As for playing other sports and things I agree play others go to camp or two then open mats or a tourney or two.

VERY CONFUSING TO EVEN COMPREHEND .The organization's that run off season tournaments are different it's up to the individuals and unless it's NHSCA they usually don't go by your weight in the regular season .

AND IT IS HEALTHY TO WRESTLE HEAVIER IN THE OFF SEASON .

Not sure where you get your info but letting your weight go up then coming back down is much healthier than dieting all year it's just how you come back down that determines how healthy it is .

If kids cut all year none would want to wrestle in the summer your way of thinking would kill off season wrestling and maybe a few wrestlers .

Our kids wrestle yr round but typically take a month off after state to heal up and regroup. During  the summer we work on getting stronger. Normally  practice 2 days a week and wrestle 1 to 2 tournaments a month. The more time on the mat the better. With that being said we let the kids decide if they want to or not.

Didn't know high school coaches were allowed to coach or be in the same room as their wrestlers when they were 'practicing' in the off season. 

The only time they can't be around or talk to their kids is during the dead period. The rest of the year is perfectly legal.

I'm not a coach just an old broke down wrestler that has 3 nephews that wrestle I help out during the summer

As for info it might be healthier to go up in summer I agree but to cut 20 pounds in a week or 2 to get back to high school is what I am referring to and that's not what its set up for shouldn't be allowed sorry if your kids are the ones cutting 20 and even 30 pounds after off season and not going down slow its not healthy you can say whatever ya want. That's all I was saying some do a great job of cutting correct and that's fine others do not there is a huge difference.

Most of our kids try not to blow up over the summer by eating clean and exercise which I feel is the best course of action. I agree cutting that much weight that fast is very dangerous. If I caught my oldest nephew cutting like that I would kick the piss out of him.

I've seen numerous kids lose weight and keep it off.  It comes down to their discipline and how much they want to get and stay healthier.  Dieting and exercising is completely different from cutting.  Or at least to me it is in the context that it is generally used in wrestling.

It should be up to the kids.  You have to beat the best to be the best and their are plenty of studs at all weights.

Maybe during the off season you see how well you do on your own at a particular weight.  You aren't going to have the same types of practices and if you're truly committed to being better and testing the waters at a weight you should get their.  Do it safely and in a healthy manner.  When season rolls around it'll be a walk in the park because you've been doing it for a couple months without having wrestling practice every day.

Just my two cents on weight.