WRESTLING WEIGHT CONTROL
PROGRAM
2002-2003 Regulations
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items below are in PDF format. Click here to
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Physician’s
Clearance Form and Letter
Introduction
For
the third consecutive year,
The
IHSAA continues to address the safety of the student athletes in our wrestling
program. The establishment of minimum
weight classes in conjunction with a maximum weight loss per week, allows wrestlers
to participate in a most healthy manner.
The
following program information will give you specific details and procedures
about the program. If you have
questions, please contact the IHSAA office at 317-846-6601 or via e-mail at wrestling@ihsaa.org.
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THE
REGULATION
The
establishment of a minimum wrestling weight based on 7% body fat for males and
12% for females is required for all
high school wrestlers. The IHSAA does not advocate that a wrester’s
established minimum weight is the athlete’s best weight, simply the minimum
weight at which the athlete will be allowed to compete.
I. Establishing Minimum Weights
A. The
determination of predicted weights at 7%/12% body fat is accomplished through
the use of skinfold measurements, bio-impedance readings or air-displacement
readings. Acceptable skinfold measurements must be taken by a certified IHSAA skinfold
assessor. Schools may obtain a list of approved measurers at the IHSAA website
at www.ihsaa.org under boys’ sports and
wrestling. It is the responsibility of
the school to contact a certified skinfold measurer from this list. Bio-impedance readings taken from a TANITA
body composition analyzer may be
submitted for use in the establishment of minimum weights. Individuals and/or
schools may opt to invoke air displacement readings for their measurements. The
Bod-Pod air displacement measurement device may be
used for this type of measurement.
Selected colleges and universities, along with fitness and sport institutes
in
B. The
lowest weight class a wrestler may compete at will be determined as follows:
1. If the predicted weight at 7% male or
12% female is exactly that of one of the weight classes that weight class shall
be the wrestler’s minimum weight class.
2. If the predicted weight falls between
two weight classes, he/she must wrestler at the higher weight class.
3. With written parental permission, the
wrestler may wrestle at the weight class in which the 7% male/12% female
predicted weight, less 3% of that weight, places him/her. (Example:
Male wrestler measurers 7% body fat at 106 pounds. The wrestler may subtract 3% of 106 pounds [3
pounds] from 106 pounds resulting in the sub 7% wrestler to qualify for the 103
pound weight class. This permission must be requested on the IHSAA
parent permission form provided to the schools with this information and on the
IHSAA website at www.ihsaa.org under boys’ sports and wrestling. This permission must be received no later
than the last Friday of December. (
4. Any male or female wrestler whose body
fat percentage at the time of
measurement falls below 7%/12% must obtain, in writing on the prescribed IHSAA
form, a licensed physician’s clearance stating that the athlete is naturally at
this sub 7%/12% body fat level. A
physician’s clearance is valid for one season and expires April 1 of each
year. The physician’s form for this
clearance is provided with this information and on the IHSAA website at www.ihsaa.org under boys’ sports and
wrestling. This approval must be
received before the athlete is allowed to wrestle in any interschool
competition.
II. Time Periods for Measurements
A. Measurements
may begin on Monday of Week 16. (
B. Measurements
must be completed by Friday of Week 20 (
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EQUIPMENT
AND PROCEDURES FOR 2002-2003
SPECIFIC
GRAVITY URINE TESTING
Beginning
with the 2002-2003 wrestling season,
In
our application, specific gravity urine is tested by the use of a Bayer multi-strip. These strips may be obtained from most health
product suppliers. Information to obtain
the multi-strips is contained within this document.
An
athlete, in the presence of school administration (i.e.: athletic
administrator, athletic trainer, school nurse) shall pass a multi-strip through
their urine. After a 30 second period,
the strip shall be compared to a color gradient which will determine the level
specific gravity within the urine. If
the student’s measurement is below or meets a level of 1.020, the athlete
passes the specific gravity urine test and may continue to be measured for body
density and body fat percentages. If the
student’s urine measurement is above 1.020, the student fails the specific
gravity urine test and must wait a minimum of 24 hours to be retested. A student shall not be measured for body
density and body fat percentages before passing a specific gravity urine test.
A
school simply must report whether the student has passed the specific gravity
urine test when completing the information for that particular student. The reporting process will be covered later
in this information.
BODY
DENSITY AND BODY FAT PERCENTAGE MEASUREMENT
The
IHSAA will accept body density and body fat percentage measurements using one
of three different methods with the following equipment:
1. Skinfold measurements shall be
taken using the Lange skinfold caliper.
These are medium priced calipers and can be obtained for less than
$200.00 from most health care product suppliers. Measurements taken with the Lange
calipers must be taken by an IHSAA certified skinfold measurer. A list of certified measures may be found on
the IHSAA website at www.ihsaa.org under boy’s
sports, wrestling and in the weight control information link.
2. Bio-Impedance
measurements will be accepted from the use of the TANITA TBF-300GS Body
Composition Analyzer/Scale. This
technology is available for approximately $1500-$1700 from most health care
product suppliers. Measurements taken
with the TANITA analyzer must be witnessed by the athletic administrator
or athletic trainer of the school. The
use of any other model of TANITA must be approved by the IHSAA
prior to use.
3. Air displacement measurement using the
BOD-POD machine may be used to measure body composition. This technology is available in Indianapolis
at the National Institute for Fitness and Sport as well as regional sites
including Ball State University and Purdue University. The fee set by NIFS is $15.00 per wrestler
provided the entire team is scheduled to be tested or $30.00 per individual
tested independent of the team. There is
a potential that a BOD-POD machine may be brought to a school for testing by
member of the NIFS staff. If you wish
further information about testing with the BOD-POD machine, you should contact
REPORTING
OF DATA
The
IHSAA has entered into partnership with the National
Wrestling Coaches Association with regard to the recording of data in the
IHSAA wrestling weight control program.
School personnel will report the measurement data directly to the National Wrestling Coaches Association
website by using a selected login and password supplied by the NWCA.
The advantages of using this technology over previous years are
countless. The athletic administrator or
athletic trainer will receive an instantaneous calculation of the predicted
7%/12% body weight based upon the measurements submitted. In addition to that response, the program
will calculate a 1 ½ % weekly weight loss figure in graphic detail which will
enable the coach and wrestler to see a progressive weight loss pattern that
will end with their predicted weight at 7%/12% or the weight achievable by the
Monday prior to the IHSAA sectional tournament.
Member
schools have been notified via e-mail to provide the IHSAA with the e-mail
address of their certified skinfold measurer or designated school official who
will enter the data for their school.
The NWCA will e-mail the password to the address provided by the
school. The individual will then be
ready to enter data for their school.
The login for a particular school will be the following: IN [your IHSAA school number] (Example: the login
for Adams Central will be IN001) After
entering your login, you will then enter your password that was provided by the
NWCA. This will allow you to enter the
NWCA site to submit your information.
To
begin, the person entering information must go to the National Wrestling
Coaches Association site at http://www.nwcacalculator.com/certification/HS/. Once at this page, you should click on the
If
you have any questions concerning the reporting of wrestler data to the NWCA
website, generating reports or other concerns, please contact the IHSAA at wrestling@ihsaa.org.
PARENTAL
PERMISSION TO WRESTLE BELOW 7%/12%
While
recognizing that the measurement process may not be 100% totally accurate, the
IHSAA will again allow parents to give consent for their child to wrestle below
the 7%/12% predicted weight. A wrestler,
with signed parent consent may lose an additional 3% of the 7%/12% measurement
and participate in the weight class that weight loss places them (Example: A
wrestler’s predicted weight at 7% body fat places him at 106 pounds. 3% of the 106 pounds equates to three
pounds. Losing those three pounds places
the wrestler at 103 pounds which qualifies the wrestler to participate in the
103 pound weight class). A wrestler will
only be allowed to take advantage of this provision with a signed permission
form on file with his/her coach.
PHYSICIAN’S
CLEARANCE FOR A BELOW 7%/12% WRESTLER
In
rare instances, a wrestler may be naturally below a 7%/12% body fat composition
upon initial measurement. In those rare
cases, a wrestler must submit a completed Physician’s Clearance form before
competition. The Physician’s Clearance
form is available in this literature and from the IHSAA website at www.ihsaa.org.
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IMPORTANT
PROGRAM DATES
The
IHSAA Wrestling Weight Control Program will use the following dates for
implementation during the 2002-2003 school year.
September
2002
Information
concerning the 2002-2003 IHSAA Wrestling Weight Control Program will be sent to
member schools and posted on the IHSAA website at www.ihsaa.org.
Schools
may begin measuring wrestlers according to the program specifications.
October
21 –
Schools
may submit data to the National Wrestling Coaches Association website to determine
minimum weight classes for participating wrestlers. All wrestlers must be submitted and
calculated prior to participating in their first contest. Late reporting members may have their
information submitted after the November 22nd date but may not
participate prior to having this calculation performed.
First
authorized contest date for wrestling.
Last
day to accept parental permission forms for wrestling below 7%/12%.
The
certified weight report is due to the IHSAA.
Two
pound growth allowance for each weight class in effect.
The
IHSAA wrestling tournament series begins.
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FUTURE
CONSIDERATIONS
As
the IHSAA Wrestling Weight Control Program continues to evolve, the following
considerations are being made. It is our
position that the education of our wrestlers, coaches and parents remains the
paramount objective in this initiative.
To that end, the IHSAA intends to introduce an educational component to
the weight control program that will allow review and study by the
aforementioned groups. While it has not
yet been determined the format in which the educational piece will be
delivered, a major goal of both the IHSAA and the National Federation is to
change a cultural thought about weight control. The notion of a student cutting
weight to make a certain weight class in a questionable and potentially
unhealthy manner must be altered to one of a constant maintenance of weight
with regard to a healthy diet and proper hydration. In the 2004-2005 school year,
a critical review of the wrestling weight control program is planned. Administrators, coaches, athletes and parents
will have an opportunity to provide valuable feedback to the Association
through surveys.