Currently, Kansas follows the NFHS rules of only allowing for two pund growth allowance. The executive board is considering limiting weight based on body fat analysis. However, they are not addressing any normal growth of athletes during the season.2 pounds of growth does not follow any established growth curves for h.s. athletes. What needs to be done?

1. Any KSHSAA member school, administrator or coach should e-mail Rick Bowden at rbowden@kshsaa.org and let him and the executive board know that a proposal to give wreslters an additional pound on February 1 (i.e. 103 would be 106) is of sound medical necessity.

Fax the request as well to Rick Bowden or Gary Musselman at 785-273-5329.
Note, several states already do this including Virginia, Washinton,etc..

When my brother was in school they didn't get any extra pounds. If you are going to start giving them 3 lbs. you may as well go ahead and change the weight classes because from 125 to 145 the weight classes are only 5 lbs. apart. Now your 125 wrestler weighs 128 - not that different from 130.

I tend to agree, where does it stop with allowances? I am also opposed to changing the weight classes as I don't like the fact that they did away with 98 several years ago, the two pound allowance is enough.

quit talkin about doin away with the allowances. cause they help a crap load of wrestlers becoame state campions. i like the 2 pound allowance. if u would have gotten the 2 pounds u would be sayin kepp the allowances.

I am not saying get rid of allowances. I got the 2 pounds in high school and used every bit of those 2 pounds. But I don't think it needs to go to 3 pounds, because for some weight classes that is over halfway to the next weight class.

Agreed, no one is saying get rid of the 2 pounds, just don't need the extra pound.

looking at national growth curves, 2 pounds clearly is not enough-with new emphasis on establishing lower weight limits i.e. mandating body fat testing and urinalysis for the state of hydration during that testing, there is lack of insight into the growth needs of high school athletes. Kansas used to give 5 pounds! That's too much. Also,Kansas deviates from the NFHS rules by allowing weighins at home sites the morning of a dual/tourney

Mike, ask any physician to show you the growth curves for Nathan over the next several years. I assure you that none of them limits him to only 2 pounds over a wrestling season. If done properly, a 3 pound allowance would not allow a wrestler to change weight classes. Kansas used to give 5 pounds years ago. With all the emphasis on the front end of fat testing, urine specific gravity etc. that will eventually be used to determine the lowest weight class of a wrestler, people have lost site over the amount of growth throughout the season. We need the 3 pounds.

If the desired target weight for certification can not be maintained over the course of the season, the option is obvious, go up to the next weight.

The intent of the of the rule is not to establish "lower weight limits" but to curb unhealthy weight cutting.

The two pound weight allowance is sufficient.

Mr. Salyer, if that is the case, then no weight allowance should be given throughout the season- to be consistant it either needs to be within established growth curves or none at all.

Its 1 pound guy, the only people this is going to benefit is the wrestlers already wrestling at their natural body weight, which isn't very many varsity wrestlers.

Don't waste your time trying to rally support for this.

another thing another allowance pound does is make it even harder on a guy like bishop carrol's 103 pounder who got 2nd; he weighed 95lbs or whatever. he isnt going to use that one pound but other guys in his weight are and he gives up even more. i'm not saying this is reason not to give it, just something to keep in mind.

if your going to cut weight don't be stupid. The thing with high school kids is that they balloon up after tournments and duals, hell i did it. Don't cheat on the body fat test and cut weight the right way and their won't be any problems.

Cutting weight is a serious issue and one that I think needs to be addressed more. I believe you have to cut to get where you need to be to compete. But it is also dangerous to the body and the athlete. I would like to see testing done for dehydration and body fat. I am looking to make healthier athletes and not kids just cutting weight. I think teaching athletes proper health style living is the way to go. If you go by what the doctors say it is important to stay healthy year around and not go up and down per sport. I have been trying to get kids to maintain weight for years year around so the cutting isn't so bad. I would love to see testing and regulations as to percentage of body fat and dehydration so the sport is safe and fair for everyone. Get these kids to stay health year around to help them better live their lives and not just be a better athlete. it is time we start caring about the health of our kids.