The Spartan wrestling team begins their season this coming week, and along with the wrestlers hitting the mats often comes several misconceptions associated with the sport. When people think of wrestling they immediately make assumptions of unhealthy weight cutting, injuries and skin diseases. Unfortunately, people often overlook the competitive nature of wrestling and the positive additions that have been made to the sport over time.
As issues have arose within the sport of wrestling, they have always been addressed. Head coach of the Pleasant Valley varsity wrestling team, Jacob Larsen, stated, “I won’t sugarcoat the fact that wrestling is a very tough, disciplinary sport, but it has evolved going into the 21st century just like many other sports have.” Wrestling has seen constructive changes when it comes to nutrition, injury prevention and skin issues.
Nutritionally speaking, there is more emphasis put on the rules and guidelines to weight management. When athletes are weighing in before competing, their body fat and hydration are taken into consideration. This ensures that wrestlers don’t use unhealthy methods in order to control their weight. Larsen emphasized, “Our wrestlers are never forced to cut weight. I make suggestions and help the athletes properly manage their weight if they decide to do so.”
Managing weight requires wrestlers to focus on having a healthy diet in order to compete. It’s about fueling the body the right way, but unfortunately weight management has a negative connotation in today’s world.
When it comes to injuries, there has been more injury prevention implemented into the sport. At Pleasant Valley, wrestlers are involved in the weightlifting program and are encouraged to be multi-sport athletes. These are both effective methods to reduce potential injuries.
In response to issues with frequently occurring skin diseases in wrestling, there has been an increase in cleaners and heightened awareness of the issue. In fact, since there is a lot of focus on skin disease prevention, hygiene amongst wrestlers has seen drastic improvements.
There is a negative stigma linked to wrestling, and it is not truly representative of the sport and the efforts that have been made to counter existing issues. Larsen emphasized, “I often wonder why we aren’t praising these kids. It takes discipline and a desire to compete to be a wrestler.” Senior wrestler Carter Sergeant added, “Wrestling has always been perceived as an unhealthy sport, and it’s a shame because it’s a very unique sport that shows your true character and really makes you tough.”
It is important that people learn not to jump to conclusions about the sport of wrestling as it often doesn’t get credit for its positive aspects and ability to make necessary changes. It is time to shine a more positive light on the sport of wrestling.
