Wrestling: The diverse sport

I was pleased to read in the Oct. 4 issue of The News Journal that the University of Delaware is wrestling once again, this time with the decision to reinstate its varsity wrestling program. There are many reasons that this is a good idea, such as the strong high school wrestling programs in Delaware, the unparalleled success of the Beast of the East high school tournament, in addition to wrestling being the planet’s oldest sport, being contested in the original Olympic Games in 1896.

But there is more. One thing that goes unnoticed is that wrestling is arguably the most diverse sport. Its cultural and gender diversity is evidenced by the Olympic Games in which 68 countries competed in wrestling in 2016 vying for both men’s and women’s medals. One of the U.S. women wrestlers, Helen Maroulis, won a gold medal in the 2016 Games.

At this time, U.S. collegiate wrestling is mainly a men’s sport, but there are women’s collegiate wrestling teams. The National Wrestling Coaches Association reports that there 28 teams in action, mainly in the Midwest and on the West Coast. As noted earlier, women’s wrestling is also an Olympic sport. Girl’s wrestling is growing at the high school level from its beginnings in the 1980s to today where there are more than 11,000 girls wrestling on approximately 1,800 teams, according to the National Wrestling Coaches Association. Amateur Wrestling News regularly covers women’s wrestling programs and events results.

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At the college level, the men’s ten weight classes range from 125 pounds to 285. You don’t see such diversity in any other sport where such varied size contestants have not only a chance to compete but also an opportunity to win and be successful.

But the diversity in wrestling goes further, enabling those with physical handicaps to compete and be successful. The 2011 125-pound NCAA DI Champion, Anthony Robles, was born with one leg. The 2015 125-pound NCAA DIII fourth-place finisher, Jesse Gunter, is legally blind. Matt Hamill, a deaf wrestler, was a three-time NCAA DIII Champion. His journey and triumph was documented in the 2011 film “The Hammer.” The list goes on: witness the wrestling exploits of Kyle Maynard (No Excuses, Regnery Publishing, 2005) and Isiah Bird (ESPN No Excuses), who have very severe handicaps.

So wrestling provides an opportunity for men and women from diverse backgrounds and physical capabilities to participate in the “oldest sport” and get an education. What can be better? This long-time wrestling fan looks forward to the University of Delaware finding a way to reinstate its wrestling program, which is very important to student athletes and the state of Delaware.

Ronald D. Snee is a resident of Newark and has been a wrestling fan since his wrestling days at Trinity High School and Washington and Jefferson College in Washington, PA. He has been inducted into the W&J Athletic Hall of Fame.