The tragedy here is D1 schools have been dropping wrestling and other "small sports" for the major sports. This has limited opportunities for outstanding High School wrestlers to go on and wrestle. My youngest was on the cadet state Freestyle and Greco team ten years ago, was a pretty good High School kid and placed at state, walked on a good SW Colorado college team. There were no opportunities here in Washington. Training is hard to come by with no college levels to go to. Thanks to the Midwest and East for their continuing support of wrestling, for there's not much in the West or South. It was good to finally see some coverage by ESPN, that's not always been the case.
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This is absolutely true. Wrestlers are average guys physically (not tall, not large, not exceptionally fast or great leapers like bballers or footballers). But because of Title IX and because wrestling doesn't attract large crowds like Bball or football, lots and lots of D1 schools have cut the sport. This translates into way fewer scholarships for average white guys from middle income homes---wrestlers, who are also usually very good students (the discipline of the sport translates into academic success). So, its not wrestling that has perverted collegiate academics by over-emphasizing sports, its Bball and Football. The small college sportw (wrestling, lacrosse, etc.) are really what college sports are supposed to be about. Because guys in these sports are never gonna make money as pros, then academic excellence is still important to them, even as they compete athletically.
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