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WEIGHT CONTROL PROGRAM RECENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Below are some questions that have recently been brought to the attention of the VHSL. We will continue to update this list throughout wrestling season and would invite coaches and Certified Measurers to visit the site regularly. Questions 1 - 40 posted
November 11, 2003 1. Can an athlete weighing 121# wrestle 119# class at a
Christmas Tournament if the tournament is giving 2# weight
allowance? b) If his lowest weight class allowed is 119# but he is
not qualified to reach that weight class that week c) If his lowest weight class is 119# and is allowed to
be there by this time but has not certified at that class in
a previous match 2. Wrestlers are different and the weight just falls off them and they can't keep weight on. How can a 178# athlete wrestle the 189 weight class? A 178# wrestler can wrestle 189# weight class as you can always wrestle one weight class up. Maintaining or gaining weight is dependent on the intake of sufficient number of calories, and ALSO the appropriate type of calories. 3. How much "floating" (fluctuating) weight is allowed from week to week to weigh in for a match? The body weight fluctuates daily with hydration and with fullness of the intestines. True body weight loss of fat should not exceed 1.5% of body weight per week. It is beneficial for the wrestler to weigh-in at the same time everyday (preferably first thing each morning before eating breakfast, or prior to practice) to minimize fluctuations. 4. Why does an athlete weighing 152 with 7.1% body fat get 8# added because his USG is 1.029 and he has never weighed 160# in his life, and now he can't wrestle the 152# class? The weight adjustment when an athlete is dehydrated comes from a formula that has been created to correlate levels of dehydration with weight change. The athlete will have a "free" hydration re-test opportunity and two appeals to attempt to avoid the weight adjustment by arriving at the test in a better hydrated state. 5. The NCAA goes to 5% body fat . Why can't the VHSL do that? The NCAA allows 5% minimum body fat because the athlete is more mature and fully grown. At the NCAA championships, the majority of wrestlers had a body fat between 8% and 9.3%. Medical information supports a minimum body fat less of 7% for high school aged males, and 12% for high school aged females. 6. The NFHS is stating that 1.025 is hydrated. Why are we only going to 1.020 USG? The NFHS has not made a final decision and recommendation on this issue. The NCAA was approached with changing to 1.023 but decided to maintain the 1.020 requirement. The VHSL program builds in a 2% hydration allowance that is not included in the NFHS calculations. 7. Not every athlete is the same. Why does someone who is 6 feet tall and weighs the same as someone 5 feet 9 inches get the same amount of weight added that has the same hydration adjustment? Although there may be some very slight variation, the percent of water in the body is based more on weight that height. Therefore, a very similar water and fat composition would be present in the two described athletes. 8. IF I have a wrestler whose lowest possible weight is 120.1 when he is tested on 11/3. There is no way he can wrestle 119# class. That is not fair. If that is the result after considering the 2% hydration allowance, then that is true. However, if that wrestler is that close, he should appeal and be re-tested and should have a good chance of making the weight as he only needs to drop 0.2# of weight as 119.9 will round down to 119.0. 9. What is a possible detriment to waiting until the last couple of days of the 3-week window to initiate testing? The first appeal must be completed during that three-week window. If the team waits until the last day or two, they may lose the opportunity to request an appeal. 10. How can we be sure my wrestlers are hydrated prior to sending them in for testing? See the hydration tip sheet available from your certified measurer or on the VHSL web site. Encourage drinking of fluid and either check the urine USG with dip stick or at least observe the color of the urine. 11. Why can't some kids get to 1.030 or below? Other than a medical disease that would be rare, the only reason is that the athlete is using more fluid than he is drinking, or is recovering from a severely dehydrated state. Another possibility is the ingestion of supplements, notably protein and amino acid supplements. Much of the supplement can not be used and processed by the body and it is expelled through the urine, thus raising the Usg. 12. What if a wrestler weights in for a match at 125# one week and makes weight for the 119# weight class the next week? He would be an ineligible wrestler for having lost more than 1.5% of his weight in one week. The athlete should weigh in at 121 the week prior to competing at the 119# weight class. 13. Do we test JV wrestlers? They generally do not need to weigh in at a specific weight class anyway? Any wrestler participating in VHSL wrestling must be tested and follow the WCP. 14. Does an 8th grader wrestling sub-varsity level need to comply with the weight program? Yes, the WCP is especially important as these would be the athletes with active growing that would be most harmed by restricting calories and dehydrating. 15. Why can't we do testing after practice? Wet skin makes testing difficult and less accurate and the athlete would be less likely to provide urine with a Usg considered normal. 16. Should we test a football player during the first week or wait until football is over? The testing can be done either with the rest of the team or within one week of coming out for the wrestling team. 17. What if the "free" USG re-test is higher? When the certified measurer re-tests the USG and weight, those will be the prevailing results. The athlete may then continue the appeals process and hopefully come back in a better hydrated state. 18. Should the test not be completed if USG is over 1.023? (Less than 1.031) The test must be completed once the process begins (Usg is taken) with only the following two exceptions: 1, Usg is 1.000 or 2, Usg is 1.031 or higher. The athlete must return no sooner than one day later for testing. 19. What if the appeal is less beneficial to getting to a lower weight class? The most recent test prevails whether it is more or less beneficial. 20. Why can't we measure the same site three times in a row to save time? Repeated testing of the same site may result in loss of skin fluid and create less accurate results. 21. What if a school doesn't have a certified measurer available? They should contact the VHSL who will provide names of measurers in the area. There will be a charge by that Certified Measurer. 22. When an initial test is performed after the three-week window, can an appeal be requested beyond two days post-test? No. After testing, any appeal must be requested within 2 days. 23. Do late arrivals get all appeals? Yes, the initial test must be complete within one week of the athlete beginning practice. Testing must be complete prior to competition. 24. Transfers from other area of Virginia do you test again? No, this is the beauty of a state program with all measurers trained the same way. Transfer of information should be requested to the VHSL. 25. Is a wrestler deemed ineligible if he loses more than 1.5% of their body weight form last week's weigh-in? He would be ineligible. If this situation is contested his bout will be forfeited. 26. If you miss the 3-day hydration re-test, can you still retest? (it is beyond two days form the 1st test.) An appeal should be requested within the 3-day hydration re-test period. 27. What if person gets sick or injured and loses lots of weight? Can he be re-tested and certified lower? No. There are no re-tests after time for appeals has expired. 28. What if my doctor/parent says I can go to a lower weight than the program allows? No physician, parent, coach, principal or attorney can over-ride the results of the WCP. 29. A wrestler who has certified at 130 wrestles 140 in holiday tournament weighing 133#. Can he wrestle 130 again during the season according to NFHS and according to VHSL? NO, the NFHS has not changed this rule yet to reflect the intent of the weight management program. The VHSL would not allow that wrestler to return to 130# as once a wrestler participates at two weight classes above, he would be re-certified at 135#. 30. What if our scale is different form the one at the school where we are wrestling? The host school's scale prevails. 31. What if our team is wrestling out of state? VHSL rules require adherence to the WCP program. 32. What if our team is wrestling a private school team that does not follow VHSL WCP? VHSL rules still require VHSL school athletes to adhere to the WCP program. 33. What if scale is certified after team is tested and found to be off? VHSL has advised schools to certify scales prior to testing their team. If the certification occurs after that, no adjustment or re-testing will be allowed. 34. What if coach "forgets" Coach-Official Team report at a match? a) Dual or Quad meet - The match goes on and coach is required to verify that the wrestler is participating at his appropriate weight class. b) Tournament - Wrestler cannot participate without verification via the Coach-Official Team report. 35. What if I think wrestler on another team is below authorized weight or has lost > 1.5% since the previous week? I challenge this through my principal who will contact the principal of the opposing school and seek resolution. IF not resolved to satisfaction of all parties, VHSL should be notified. 36. What if wrestler can't certify weight before district because of weather or other cancellation of scheduled match? This should be appealed to the VHSL with previous three weeks weigh-in sheets for matches. 37. What is the penalty for a wrestler being below weight for that week or below MWW? The wrestler will be considered ineligible and that bout will be forfeited and school may be fined per VHSL rules. 38. What happens if a wrestler is naturally < 7% body fat? He must provide the VHSL physician clearance form indicating this is the athlete's natural body fat. 39. If the athlete weighs 158 at testing, the desired weight class of 145 is placed into the spreadsheet and the program indicates lowest weight class possible is 135, if the coach then decides to wrestle that athlete at 140, should the desired weight class be changed? The Certified Measurer can change the weight class desired on the Skinfold Worksheet to reflect the new weight class desired and print another Coach-Official Team Report for record. No retesting will need to be done. 40. If the school has not arranged for a Certified Measurer to test the wrestlers, how can they get in touch with a Certified Measurer to test their athletes? Contact the VHSL and names of Certified Measurers or Regional Master Testers withn their locale will be provided. 434 977-8475 Recently Asked Questions Posted November 13, 2003 41. What if a wrestler has a minimum weight of (for example) 181 and qualifies for the 189 weight class, but as the season progresses continues to lose weight because of hard work and drops below 181. Assume he is not trying to lose additional weight below 181, but is unable to eat enough to maintain. Does he become ineligible to wrestle? No, he does not become ineligible to wrestle. "Not being able to eat enough to maintain" is unlikely in a healthy adolescent with a balanced nutritional supply of food available. Quantity of food is not the only component that needs to be considered, quality of food is equally important. Requesting the expertise of a registered dietitian would be recommended if the athlete were to continue to lose weight "without trying". 42. After a wrestler makes his/her minimum wrestling weight and wrestles once at his/her minimum weight class, if he/she were to wrestle up two weight classes, is the wrestler automatically recertified at the higher weight? Under the old rule, once you certified at a particular weight class you could wrestle up one weight class with no penalty. However, if you went up two or more weight classes, you automatically recertified at the higher weight. Same rule still applies. Up two weight classes and the athlete is recertified one weight class immediately below the highest weight class at which he/she has competed since weighing in at an official match at a lower weight class. 43. What constitutes an official weigh-in? At/before a match or can a weigh-in for certification be done anytime (at a practice, for example). An official weigh-in involves weigh-in for a match by the official meet official or administrator in charge of weigh-ins for that match. 44. If a wrestler makes the targeted weight after January 5, will they be entitled to the two additional pounds for growth? If my district tournament is the first time I make my targeted weight, am I entitled to three pounds? Yes, the athlete receives the weight allowance as long as they weigh-in at the target (scratch) weight one time at an official weigh-in for a match. The wrestler must weigh in at an official match one time prior to district competition to receive the growth allowance. If this weigh-in at scratch weight (119) occurs during the last competition prior to the district competition, the athlete gets the 3-pound growth allowance for the district competition. 45. At a holiday tournament I weigh in at 173 lbs., actual weight. The rule book says I am given two pounds for a holiday tournament. Can I now certify at 171 or must I really weigh 171 at some point? No, you must weight 171. 46. If after the initial testing, the coach and athlete review the Coach-Official Team Report and the athlete qualifies to wrestle a weight class lower than what was indicated as the "Weight Class Desired", can the Certified Measurer change the "Weight Class Desired" on the Skinfold Worksheet without costing an appeal or retest? YES, the Certified Measurer can change the Weight Class Desired to reflect what the coach will most likely wrestle that athlete at during the season. A new Coach-Official Team Report should be printed, and if these changes were made after the file was sent to VHSL, the file would need to be resent. 47. Can a wrestler "work out" the day of the testing? It is not advised that the athlete work out during the day of the test because the athlete must be tested at resting heart rate and not be perspiring. Another reason it is ill-advised to "work out" the day of the test is the common problem of athletes being dehydrated for the test. An athlete is more likely to have a Usg value below 1.020 if they do not work out. With that understood, IF the athlete were to "work out" in the morning, there should be no reason they could not be tested in the afternoon or evening if the schedules permit, and the athlete maintains adequate hydration before, during and after the workout. 48. We have a wrestler who weighs 89 pounds we would like to compete in the 103-pound weight class. When the info is put into the spreadsheet, "NA" appears in the weight class desired and weight class possible columns on the Coach-Official Team Report. If the weight entered into the actual weight column is 93.6 or below, the computer will indicate this as "NA". This will NOT cause an athlete weighing below 94 pounds to be ineligible; the athletes weight is well below the minimum of 103 and therefore should be permitted to compete in the 103-pound weight class. This problem can be repaired by sending the file to JLAATC@aol.com. The repaired file will be returned and the new Coach-Official Team Report can be printed.
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