TAYLOR MADE: I'M FINE WITH 99 (2019-05-25)

The New York State Public High School Athletic Association is considering eliminating the 99-pound weight class. NYSPHSAA’s primary justification for the decision is because there is no 99-pound class under the National Federation of High Schools rules.

Talk about contradicting yourself. On May 2, the NYSPHSAA Executive Committee defeated a motion to follow NFHS rules in all sports when available. The measure allows four sports to abide by other guidelines — gymnastics will follow the NYSPHSAA Technical Handbook, softball will use the USA Softball rules, and basketball and volleyball will remain under the guidance of NCAA rules.

There are also those who believe 99 should be eliminated because there are not enough wrestlers filling that weight class. If a shortage of athletes is the justification for eliminating something then we need to get rid of some of the track & field events. Several of the small schools in New York state do not have pole vaulters or a girls 4x800 relay team. Should we eliminated those events?

I know what you’re thinking. The relay and the vault are two different events within a variety of events. What the heck do you think the 99-pound weight class is!? It may be the same sport, but it is a totally different event from the 285-pound weight class (by the way, there’s no talk about eliminating 285, which is also short on numbers).

If you know anything about wrestling you understand that the little guys and the big guys approach the sport from two vastly different angles. Generally speaking, the little guys rely on speed and quickness the majority of the time while the big boys do what I call the “heavyweight dance” — a lot of pushing and shoving while waiting for their opponent to make a mistake.

As someone who toiled in the lighter weights throughout his high school and college careers, and who has spent the past 45 years around the mats, I feel the 99-pound weight class gives the smaller, younger wrestlers an opportunity to hone their skills for the future. If the talented seventh- and eighth-graders (and there are many) are forced to move up a weight, or wrestle at the junior high or modified levels, they lose that opportunity. And let’s be honest, the majority of the JH / modified programs are a joke.

I have talked to several wrestling fans over the past couple of weeks and the  majority of those in favor of eliminating 99 have been those who never wrestled at the lighter weights, have never had a child wrestle at the lighter weights, or believe we need to do it because “the rest of them don’t have 99.”

New York can be different. New York can be unique.  

Therefore, I’m fine with 99!