Mr. Mann:

Thank you for clarification.

Some points:

Body Fat:

1) The military has adopted a 'body tape' methodology, to replace caliper measurement, with some success. It might be possible to establish/find a database for teenage athletes that can be used following a simple measurement of necksize, chest size and waist. Of course, as with any mechanical quantitative measurement, operator 'dummy resistance' is paramount.

2) I don't know, but I presume that hydration levels and body fat percentages can reasonably be linked, i.e. even if a wrestler has not yet reached the 7% threshold is it still possible for him/her to fail the hydration?

3) If I understand your post correctly, hydration will also be conducted once, prior to the season, or during it's intitial stages. My presumption is that hydration testing is a monitoring device used to prevent wrestlers from exceeding safe weight-loss procedures. To that effect, hydration testing - to have any positive effect - should be mandatory during those week(s) immediately preceding certification.

I wholeheartedly support measures designed to prevent injury and promote healthy competition. In this instance, I believe that body fat testing is very 'doable', but that hydration testing is - in the historical sense - one "Bridge Too Far".

Tim Shea