Wilson raises concerns about wrestling
Storm Kemppainen of Columbia Falls, right, wrestles Ben Crews of Stevensville in this file photo.
The Columbia Falls school board recently approved its membership to the Montana High School Association, but not before trustee Larry Wilson raised his own concerns about the way wrestling is managed by the organization.
Wilson, who was a former wrestling coach, said the cap on weigh-ins in a season was hurting the sport and ruining the fan base.
Right now wrestlers are maxed out at 18 weigh-ins per season, Wilson said.
A single weigh-in at a tournament means a wrestler might get three to six matches in over a weekend. But a single weigh-in at a dual, means the wrestler will only get one weigh-in.
As a result of the rule, wrestling programs go to more and more tournaments have fewer and fewer duals. As such, wrestlers are typically on the road most of the season going to tournaments, Wilson noted.
That’s tough on parents and the wrestlers, Wilson argued. In addition, the mid-week duals that were common in the past have all but vanished. School rivalries have suffered and the fan base is eroding. Most teams also have a tough time filling all the weight classes, Wilson argued.
“Folks, it kills your fan base,” he said.
Columbia Falls only had one home meet last season. Two were scheduled, but one was canceled due to weather.
He also argued against having the state wrestling tournament in Billings every year, noting that it was expensive to travel there and hotels weren’t cheap.
Board vice chair Dean Chisholm agreed with Wilson, but in the end, the entire board in favor of renewing its MHSA membership.
But Wilson vowed to make the point in the future.
“I’ll do it at every opportunity as long as I’m on this board,” he said.
In other news:
- The board OK’d giving $500 apiece to teachers Amy Hanson and retired teacher Betsy Kohnstamm for the summer Bookmobile program. The program gives young students books to read throughout the summer and has proven effective. A student who reads during the summer maintains their reading acumen to the following school year, while those that don’t have a tendency to slip behind, the two teachers noted.