Wrestling

Wrestling is one of the most unique sports on the planet. It is definitely not the most popular sport, but that is quickly changing as more and more people become aware of the incredible benefits that a career in wrestling can provide.

1. Wrestling Develops Athleticism

Balance, strength, coordination, and overall body awareness is fundamental in having success in the sport. Year after year kids will start practice with gymnastics, calisthenics, and activities that develop these skills. It provides a foundation of athleticism.

2. Wrestling Promotes Personal Responsibility

As an individual sport the only person responsible for success or failure is the individual themselves. Wrestling teaches self-awareness and how to be responsible for your actions. What you put in is what you get out.

3. Wrestling Develops Mental and Emotional Resilience

Like no other sport, wrestling triggers the emotions of athletes. When you suffer losses and setbacks they are often painful and uncomfortable. However, through the process individuals can develop resilience that will last a lifetime.

4. Wrestling Teaches About Nutrition and Weight Management

Through competition athletes become aware of weight-classes. If done correctly, this can encourage athletes to learn about food and how proper nutrition can impact their performance.

5. Wrestling Develops Leadership Skills

Leadership is both verbal and nonverbal. A wrestling room has the ability to create an environment where leaders emerge. You will quickly see young athletes push each other, teach each other, and support one another.

6. Wrestling Teaches Discipline and Accountability

Discipline and accountability are requirements for achieving success in the sport of wrestling. There is literally no way to achieve ultimate success in the sport without choosing to do hard things even when you don’t want to and athletes must hold themselves accountable for their own actions if they want to succeed.

7. Wrestling Brings People Together From All Backgrounds and Cultures

Wrestling is an international sport and doesn’t require anything to participate. People from all corners of the planet and from all different economic and social backgrounds can compete in the sport.

8. Wrestling Promotes Self-Mastery and Focus

Wrestling has been described as the most difficult martial art to master. It takes years of practice and experience to understand the positions of wrestling. The sport teaches individuals to have a long-term perspective and requires a high level of passion to pursue the elite levels of the sport.

9. Wrestling Teaches Self-Defense

The best way to ensure that you’re not a victim of physical violence is by learning self-defense. Wrestling is the most important skill-set required in combat sports today because it has the ability to control where the battle goes. Knowing how to wrestle could very easily help anyone in a situation of self-defense.

10. Wrestling Can Provide Opportunities to Travel and Further Education

There are so many opportunities to travel the country and see the world while competing in youth and high school wrestling. In addition to traveling, there are endless opportunities to wrestle in college. Individuals can use the sport to create educational opportunities that might not otherwise have existed.

The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Board of Directors met for its regularly scheduled meeting, which included both virtual and in-person attendance, on Monday, June 14, 2021, where the Board finalized the schedule and location of the first-ever IHSA Individual Girls Wrestling State Finals in 2022.

The Board approved the tournament structure developed by the IHSA Wrestling Advisory Committee to conduct the first-ever girls state finals at Grossinger Motors Arena in Bloomington on Friday and Saturday, February 25-26, 2022. The IHSA previously conducted its Dual Team Wrestling State Finals on this Saturday and will now extend that tournament to two days, running it concurrently with the Individual Girls Wrestling State Finals at Grossinger Motors Arena.

“This is an exciting development for the IHSA and for female wrestlers around the state,” said IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson. “The number of female participants continues to grow, and we are proud to be able to offer an incredible venue and stage to recognize them on. This is an important step for Illinois high school wrestling as a whole.” 

The IHSA Individual Girls Wrestling State Finals will consist of the quarterfinal round and the first two rounds of wrestlebacks being contested on Friday morning and afternoon. The semifinals, consolation rounds, and place matches will follow on Saturday morning and afternoon. The event will culminate with a Grand March of the finalists, followed by the state championship matches in 14 different weight classes.

The IHSA Board first approved the formation of the IHSA Individual Girls Wrestling State Finals at their meeting in June, 2020, before asking the IHSA Wrestling Advisory Committee to develop the tournament schedule and structure.

Over 800 girls from IHSA schools were eligible to wrestle during the 2019-20 school year after completing the required testing to determine their weight class. In 2020-21, the IHSA wrestling season ran from April 19 to June 12 as a result of the pandemic and the IHSA was not able to conduct a postseason.

Richards High School’s Mia Palumbo (above) made history on February 15, 2018, when the then-freshmen became the first female wrestler to win a match at the IHSA Individual Wrestling State Finals.

ACTION ITEMS
1. The Board approved a recommendation to a modification of the IHSA Scholastic Standing By-laws (3.022 and 4.022) for the first semester of the 2021-22 school term. The Board had modified the by-laws in December to help ease scholastic issues brought about by remote and hybrid learning during the pandemic.
IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson:
“The Board continues to recognize the challenges faced by many students in the spring and believes that continuing the academic modifications make sense as schools transition back to a more normal manner of service for the 2021-22 school year.”

2. The Board approved a recommendation to extend the IHSA Bass Fishing State Final hosting contract with Carlyle Lake in Carlyle for three more years. The contract extension will encompass the 2022, 2023, and 2024 state finals.
IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson:
“The city of Carlyle, Carlyle High School, the Army Corp. of Engineers who oversee Carlyle Lake, and a host of volunteers from around the area have been with us since day one. They helped us realize the dream of a bass fishing state championship and have embraced the event as a community in every way possible. We are proud to return there to conduct the event for three years.”

3. The Board approved a recommendation to extend the IHSA Speech-Individual Events State Final hosting contract with the Peoria Civic Center for five more years. The contract extension will encompass the state finals from 2022-2026.
IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson:
“The Peoria Civic Center provides a great setup and space for this event and has been a wonderful setting for it since 2010. We appreciate their support of IHSA activities and look forward to our continued partnership.”

4. The Board approved a recommendation to allow a one-year Cooperative agreement in the sport of football between Olympia High School and Delavan High School.

5. The Board approved a recommendation to use the actual enrollment, and not IHSA classification enrollment, when determining the membership assessment of single-gender schools.

6. The Board approved a recommendation to reduce the number of required students on a team in order to be eligible for the IHSA Academic Team Award.

ADVISORY COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS
Minutes from all Advisory Committees can be viewed by clicking here.

1. The Board approved the consent items, from the Advisory Committees in the following sports & activities:
Badminton, Basketball, Bowling, Cheerleading, Chess, Dance, Sportsmanship, Gymnastics, Journalism, Music, Officials, Scholastic Bowl, Soccer, Speech, Student Advisory, Swimming, Wrestling, Athletic Administrators and Activities Director.

Consent items are recommendations that received approval from the sport/activity advisory committee, the Athletic Administrators Advisory Committee and the IHSA staff. Consent items can be viewed by clicking here.

One non-consent item was approved:
Student Advisory Committee
1. The annual Student Advisory Committee retreat will be held on August 1, 2021.

HEARINGS & APPEALS
1. The Board held a hearing with administrators from Grayslake North High School to discuss the school violating IHSA by-laws 2.010 and 6.011 by knowingly allowing an ineligible student-athlete to participate in a football contest this year.

DISCUSSION ITEMS
At each meeting of the Board of Directors, there are certain items the Board discusses, but upon which no action is taken. The following is a report of those items from the June 14, 2021 agenda:

1. The Board heard a report on the three new by-laws that will take effect on July 1, 2021, as a result of the membership’s annual legislative process in November and December. A full release on the new by-laws and by-laws changes can be found by clicking here.

2. The Board heard a report from the Executive Director on the future of an IHSA State Series in esports.

3. The Board reviewed a request for an enrollment waiver for LaMoille High School/Amboy High School cooperative, but took no action.

4. The Board agreed to work on creating a timeline and process for gathering input from member schools during the 2021-22 school year concerning the possible implementation of the shot clock as early as the 2022-23 school year. 
IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson:
“I expect to have a good discussion with the membership on this topic over the next school year.  I could envision the shot clock being phased in over the next handful of years to allow the membership adequate time to become accustomed to the shot clock, purchase the necessary equipment, and identify workers who will be able to manage the clock.”

5. The Board recognized outgoing Illinois Elementary School Association (IESA) Executive Director Steve Endsley, who will retire on June 30 after over 20 years of service to the IESA and its membership.