December Trackwrestling/OPC Update

By Pat Tocci, Senior Director

One of the great things about the weight management system is that it provides very accurate data on the number of girls wrestling at the high school level. The number of girls wrestling is often underreported due to how various state associations compile participation data that they report to the NFHS. The weight management data has provided us an accurate way to see the exceptional growth of girl’s wrestling.  

In addition to helping get better assessment numbers, the data that we collect on the girl’s wrestling has been extremely helpful to state associations as they determine weight classes for girls. As the NFHS works towards creating a national set of weight classes for girls, we now have a significant amount of data that can be utilized to determine those weights. We can track all the key indicators that are needed, including Alpha Weights (weight taken at the time of assessment), Body Fat percentage, Minimum Wrestling Weight, and the Lowest Weight a wrestler goes to during the season. This last option helps establish trends in how much weight are the girls losing during the season.

The girl’s assessment process is slightly different than the boys in two regards:

1. Skin Calipers are taken from two-sites which include the tricep and subscapular
2. The minimum wrestling weight for girls is taken at 12% (boys is at 7%)

Also, this year was the first year that all of the collegiate women’s wrestling programs were required to use the weight management data.  

With the number of girls and women competing, the NWCA will be conducting a research study to review the current weight management rules to ensure they are still applicable to females or if we should recommend some changes to the NFHS and NCAA.