Spex, look at the post regarding numbers by age groups. The numbers speak for themselves. 8 and 6 year olds are huge but where are these kids at the high school and middle school level? High school and middle school programs have trouble filling teams because many kids loose interest. Believe me, if you keep the 8 and 6 year olds season shorter they will still love wrestling when they are in high school. One last suggestion is to research what college coaches say about the age kids should specialize in a sport. Most say that kids should not compete in state level events until 9 or 10 and national events until 12 or later. I once believed as you do, but I have seen the light. It should be our goal to have a wrestling room full of high schoolers. It gives the youngsters someone to look up to and goals to work toward.