The following is a petition to change the High School wrestling weights back to the old weights of 2010 - 11 season. I presented the petition to a group of coaches at a recent camp and I got 43 coaches signatures from seven (7) different states all supporting the petition. I got ZERO coaches who supported the new weight change. My Goal is to get 15,000 coaches / officials and wrestling fans signatures from across the country to sign the petition, so if you support the following petition please email me confirming that you support the petition with the following information;

School District / College / Club State Your Name Coach / Fan / Official

Norchester PA M Petrucelli COACH

My Email Address - PETRO330@aol.com

Or make it easy log onto link and enter information:

https://spreadsheets.google.co...ZHJ6Xzh3emc6MQ#gid=0

I will be posting this petition on as many Wrestling Forums as I possibly can and if you are in support please do the same and if you are at a camp and or Tournament please print it out the petition and get signatures to right the wrong the NHFS did to the sport.

ALSO I will NOT POST any Coaches / Officials / FANS Name on any medium who support this Petition. I will present this to the PIAA and NHFS Board when I get to my Goal of signatures and email confirmations

NFHS High School Weight Class Change Petition
July 25, 2001
We the coaches of the great sport of wrestling petition the NHFS to right the wrong that they did in changing the High School weight classifications and change them back to the same classes that were in place for the 2010 - 11 wrestling season as follows;
103,112,119,125,130,135,140,145,152,160,171,189,215,285
We petition to change the weight classification as stated above based upon the simple common sense facts as follows;
1. The Data you gathered (weight) from wrestlers to establish the new weight classes is flawed, if the changes were made based upon the raw weight that the kids weighed in at without taking the % body fat of the wrestlers into consideration then why have weight certifications (OPC)? Your analysis should be based upon what wrestlers were certified to wrestle at and in most case where they will compete at.

2. The following is a much better analysis done from analyzing 71 PA district 1 rosters encompassing 2149 wrestlers based upon the weight that they were certified to compete. This is based upon the old weight classes.



Break down by weight class
Old Weight Class # Of wrestlers % Of Total wrestlers

103 140 6.5%
112 152 7.1% 103 – 119 = 22.6%
119 194 9%
125 192 8.9%
130 178 8.3%
135 169 7.9% 125-145 = 43%
140 198 9.2%
145 188 8.7%
152 159 7.4%
160 146 6.8% 152 – 171 = 21.4%
171 149 7%
189 132 6%
215 100 4.6% 189 – 285 = 13%
285 51 2.4%

The true wrestling weights (OPC Certified) dictate that eliminating a weight class in the middle is truly ridiculous and defies common sense.

3. These changes hurt the quality of wrestling, by adding a upper weight class at 195 lbs you are now providing a varsity opportunity to a Football player who is most likely a 1st or 2nd year wrestler who was recruited off the football field to fill this spot. Adding a upper weight also has us competing with Basketball to recruit a Football player to fill the upper weights

4. By eliminating a middle weight class at 135 you are taking a varsity opportunity away from a wrestler who has been dedicated to the sport, put the time in (many since first grade) and deserves and opportunity at wrestling in High School. By eliminating the 135 lb class you are going against one of the biggest lessons that we should instill in our wrestlers you get out of the sport what you put into it, which is also a life lesson.

5. By adding a upper weight class High School wrestling now has more upper weight classes than college wrestling;

New HS Upper Weights - 182,195,220 and Hwt.

College Upper Weights - 184, 197 and Hwt


This truly defies logic or promotes obesity in High School by having one more upper weight class in High School than in College.
We the Coaches hope you review the above information and reconsider your changes and put the old weight classes back in place for the betterment of the Sport and to encourage young wrestlers to continue to work hard at both the sport and in life and that their hard work can and will be rewarded.

Thank You

Sutton Public way to support pass the word Also see links with Weight Analysis taken by the NWCA for the NFHS of 195,000 wrestlers that they did not share with the coaches and or state governing bodies before they voted, they only had the two (2) recommended options

http://www.mdwrestling.net/for...opic.php?f=2&t=25946


Important Link / Individual STATE details of weight Analysis

http://www.scribd.com/doc/6400...ing-Weight-Data-2011

I was on board until the "promotes obesity" comment. I can see the desire for having more weight classes in the middle weights where there are a larger amount of participants. But the new weight classes essentially add a weight class between the old 171 and 215 classes. I don't see how this, in any way, promotes obesity.

Mustang,

A 220 pounder definitely doesn't have to be obese and I hope none are offended---I might be as I wrestled the lower weights and now am close to that weight. What I often argue about is that the lower body fats are often seen as harmful by the public but they think nothing of kids putting on weight for a sport when many in our society are becoming overweight. We have to test to go under 7%. How would football coaches feel if we said players couldn't step on the field unless they were under 20% body fat? I like the lower weights in our area because it doesn't seem that we have as many kids in the 182-285 range who wrestle. Maybe if I still had a few more big kids around my view would be different but I don't understand taking out one of the middle weights.
Mustang Coach

I am in support of the new weight classes. I think it makes the middle weights much more competitive and presents new openings for the upper weights. I believe the new classes will make kids fit into weight classes better.

You guys are hung up on the obesity reference in my petition but it is in jest to point out that I find it ridiculous to add an uppe weight and eliminate a middle weight when the weihht classes are so out of balance with the new weights. see link below to 5 vyear study the NWCA did for the NFHS that indicate the new weights in no way provide 7.14% in each weight class.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/6400...ing-Weight-Data-2011

also support changing back by hitting link below

https://spreadsheets.google.co...ZHJ6Xzh3emc6MQ#gid=0

The following is a summary update on the Petition to change the HS weight classes back to the 2010-11 season tha I did 2 weeks ago
(PRESENTLY UP TO 1422 supporters)

NFHS Petition Summary
The following is a summary of the Petition to change the HS weight classes back to the old weights of 2010-11 season
Time Period Measured – July 29, 2011 to
September 5, 2011

Total that responded – 1066
•1050 in Favor of Changing Back to the Old Weights
•16 In Favor of the New Weight Classes

Respondents by Category
Coaches – 485 (475 in Favor of old Weights / 10 in Favor of new weight classes)
Fan’s – 467 (465 in favor of old weights / 2 in favor of new weight classes)
Officials – 26 (All in favor of Old weight classes)
Wrestler’s – 82 (78 in favor of old weights / 4 in favor of new weight classes)
Respondent by State
39 different States responded top five states as follows;
1.Pennsylvania – 276 ( 274 in favor of old weights / 2 in favor of new weight classes)
2.Ohio – 108 (All in favor of old Weight Classes)
3.New Jersey – 101 (All in favor of old weight classes)
4.Maryland – 85 (83 in favor of old weights / 2 in favor of new weight classes)
5.Connecticut – 85 (All in favor of old weight classes)

Other States
1.Arkansas – 2 11. Indiana – 15
21. New Mexico - 1
2.Alaska – 3 12. Iowa – 1622. New Hampshire - 1
3.Arizona – 1 13. Kentucky – 18
23 Oregon - 13
4.Colorado – 1 14. Massachusetts – 25
24. Rhode Island - 9
5.Delaware – 11 15. Maine – 12
5.South Carolina - 1
6.Florida – 11 16. Michigan – 12
26. Tennessee - 19
7.Georgia – 8 17. Minnesota – 227. Virginia - 73
8.Louisiana – 5 18. New York – 2128. Vermont - 1
9.Idaho – 7 19. North Carolina – 20
29 California - 1
10.Illinois – 55 20. Nebraska – 1
30. Washington - 10
31. West Virginia – 17
32. Wisconsin – 4
33. Montana – 1
34. Missouri - 44

Montana still has 98, 105, 112, 119, 126, 132.... The same weight classes that were around 20 years ago! A little resilient to change in these here mountains!