First, I want to make it clear that it is NOT "my job" to sit on the weight loss committee. I have many things to keep me busy; I was asked to be a member and I accepted the responsibility. My BOE was gracious enough to allow me the time to be on this committee--but it is NOT part of my contracted duties as supt. of USD 211 nor is it in the job description for the supt. of USD 211.

The "conventional wisdom" being used in keeping the certification date in January is to give an athlete the maximum amount of time possible to lose the maximum allowable amount of weight. The hoped for result of the rules changes regarding weight loss is to encourage SAFE weight loss practices; not to discourage, in general, weight loss. Given the current NATIONAL attention regarding safe weight loss in wrestling it made the best sense to the committee (which includes two doctors and an athletic trainer) to keep the certification date as late as possible.

Many of us on this forum are old enough to remember that the date for certification has been changed many times over the years--it has been before and after Christmas several times; that the growth allowance has been as little as zero pounds and as much as five pounds; that it has been given all at once and also over a period of time. There were excellent arguments advanced for all of the variations, for and against.

Greg Mann, Norton