I disagree. I think that if the season was shorter, more kids would be willing to try the sport of wrestling in the first place and more may find that they enjoy it. As it is right now, there are many parents and kids who just don't want to commit to 5 months out of a year for a sport. Yes, I hear all of you saying "they don't have to go to all the tournaments" and "they can decide to shorten the season on their own" but you know and I know that it isn't that easy. We DO advise many of our younger kids and parents to take a weekend or two off and some do. But, there are still the practices, the team meetings, the volunteer coaches giving up their time ect. (and speaking of coaches, I think you would find more willing people to help if they didn't have to worry about the long season as well)

If the season was only from say January 1st to March, I think you would find MORE parents who would be willing to make the sacrifice to drive their kids to practices and tournaments. In addition, you would have more options on tournament choices, less weekends to schedule, and so would be able to choose one closer to home. Wrestling is also a very expensive sport by the time you figure the cost of gas and the cost of meals for a family at an all-day tournament. By shortening the season, you are also saving the family money making it more enticing as well.

I do know that there are some that choose another sport over wrestling but I am curious as to why? If they started to wrestle at the age of 6 and "loved it and can't wait to go" like all the parents talk about, why do they leave? It can't all be because they just like another sport better, that's the easy answer. The tough answer is why did they like it better?

Finally, WHY DOES KIDS WRESTLING HAVE TO BE LONGER THAN HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE? Is there a valid reason it is this long? If there was, surely the colleges and high school programs would increase their schedule as well. But there is not. It is just that there were a few parents and clubs who felt they could get an edge if they started to practice earlier than another club forcing that club to do the same and vice versa until all clubs started to practice earlier and earlier. And then you have clubs who feel "we could make a lot of money on our tournament if we had it before everyone else" and started to schedule them earlier and then another club said "they made X amount of money on their tournament, let's do the same thing but make it even earlier" and vice versa. Than, before we know it, we are at the point where the season has been extended beyond what it should be. There are tournaments in November and this year, you will find clubs having "preseason" tournaments in October. Before long, you will see clubs advertising tournaments in September and clubs starting to practice in September so "they can stay competitive and go to the preseason tournaments".

So I ask you, is there really a valid reason the season is as long as it is?