Jan. 26 Home Team: Converting from one wrestling style to another
Published: January 26, 2012
This week's Stripes Pacific Home Team feature focuses on Zama American Trojans junior transfer Chad Wilder, who's made himself a home at 141 pounds on the wrestling team.
With that transfer, he had to make the converstion from wrestling collegiate folkstyle at American Heritage in Broward County, Fla., to international freestyle rules used in the Pacific.
That's mainly because there aren't enough National Federation of State High School Associations-certified referees in all areas of the Pacific, while FILA-certified freestyle referees are far more plentiful.
That has caused lengthy debate among Pacific high school wrestling coaches for many a decade now.
Some feel DODDS Pacific should be mirroring what NFHS does in the States and what DODDS Europe does, which is wrestle folkstyle. It's more about technique than freestyle, which limits the number of moves one can use and is all about throws.
Others feel DODDS Pacific should stick with international freestyle. After all, that's the style used at USA Wrestling's de facto national championship Fargo tournament in North Dakota, at the All-Armed Forces level and in the Olympic Games, along with Greco-Roman.
What are your thoughts? Pick a side and sound off!
