"The better question is - how does the organization best support and promote the kids and parents who ARE interested in participating?"

The need to develop the kids into all-stars at 4, 6, 8 needs to stop - if you put ice cream or cookies in front of them they will eat it. Same with the parents if you put a event in front of them that says Olympic or World Title 5 year old Championships they will take the bait.

I would add the word "National" to that list.

I would add the word "National" to that list. and "State" -
Make then wait and be a little hungry when they try for a BIG TIME TITLED Tournament.

During the period Nationally HS boys down 28,000 and girls up 8,000 in participation numbers. Overall numbers - 20,000 decline in HS participation - both nationally and in the state of Kansas an approximate 10 percent drop over the 8 year period - in HS participation. That is cause for some discussion on changes to the way we are "growing" the sport.


You Do The Math: High School Participation Numbers

2009/10 Data - NFHS
http://www.nfhs.org/ParticipationStatistics/PDF/2009-10%20Participation%20Survey.pdf
2016/2017 Data - NFHS
http://www.nfhs.org/ParticipationStatistics/PDF/2016-17_Participation_Survey_Results.pdf

National Numbers – Wrestling
2016/17 -
Totals - 259,391
Boys – 244,804
Girls – 14,587

2009/10
Totals – 279,024
Boys – 272,890
Girls – 6,134

Kansas Numbers – Wrestling
2016/17
Totals – 4,861
Boys – 4,749
Girls – 112

2009/10
Totals – 5,373
Boys – 5,319
Girls - 54

Above and below these are some national and state records that can not be continued. Short term gains for some are they good for the overall health of the sport???


During the period Nationally HS boys down 28,000 and girls up 8,000 in participation numbers. Overall numbers - 20,000 decline in HS participation - both nationally and in the state of Kansas an approximate 10 percent drop over the 8 year period - in HS participation. That is cause for some discussion on changes to the way we are "growing" the sport.


You Do The Math: High School Participation Numbers

2009/10 Data - NFHS
http://www.nfhs.org/ParticipationStatistics/PDF/2009-10%20Participation%20Survey.pdf
2016/2017 Data - NFHS
http://www.nfhs.org/ParticipationStatistics/PDF/2016-17_Participation_Survey_Results.pdf

National Numbers – Wrestling
2016/17 -
Totals - 259,391
Boys – 244,804
Girls – 14,587

2009/10
Totals – 279,024
Boys – 272,890
Girls – 6,134

Kansas Numbers – Wrestling
2016/17
Totals – 4,861
Boys – 4,749
Girls – 112

2009/10
Totals – 5,373
Boys – 5,319
Girls - 54

NCAA stuff

Sports added and dropped
The popularity of each of these sports programs has changed over time. Between 1988–89 and 2010–11, NCAA schools had net additions of 510 men's teams and 2,703 women's teams.[37]

The following tables show the changes over time in the number of NCAA schools across all three divisions combined sponsoring each of the men's and women's team sports.

Men's sports
The men's sports with the biggest net gains during the 1988/89 to 2010/11 period were indoor track and field, lacrosse, and cross-country running (each with more than 100 net gains). The men's sports with the biggest losses were wrestling (–104 teams), tennis, and rifle; the men's team sport with the most net losses was water polo.[37] Other reports show that 355 college wrestling programs have been eliminated since 2000; 212 men's gymnastics programs have been eliminated since 1969 with only 17 programs remaining as of 2013.[38]

Men's Team Sports:
Number of Schools Sponsoring[39]
No. Sport 1981–82 2011–12 Change Percent
1 Basketball 741 1,060 +259 +43%
2 Baseball 642 927 +285 +44%
3 Soccer 521 803 +282 +54%
4 Football 497 651 +154 +31%
5 Lacrosse 138 295 +157 +116%
6 Ice hockey 130 135 +5 +4%
7 Volleyball 63 98 +35 +56%
8 Water polo 49 43 –6 –12%
The following table lists the men's individual DI sports with at least 5,000 participating athletes. Sports are ranked by number of athletes.

Men's individual sports
No. Sport Teams (2015)[40] Teams (1982)[40] Change Athletes[40] Season
1 Track (outdoor) 780 577 +203 28,177 Spring
2 Track (indoor) 681 422 +259 25,087 Winter
3 Cross country 989 650 +339 14,330 Fall
4 Swimming & diving 427 377 +50 9,715 Winter
5 Golf 831 590 +241 8,654 Spring
6 Tennis 765 690 +75 8,211 Spring
7 Wrestling 229 363 –134 7,049 Winter

There have been 134 NCAA Wrestling Teams dropped since 1982

That was 1982-2015 data