Wrestling Worth Saving

Milt Priggee’s cartoon from Friday, May 29, depicting two recent instances of students murdering teachers and fellow students and another conflict on an airline over the Atlantic ocean has motivated me to write my first “Letter to the Editor.” The cartoon shows that these reprehensible acts were ultimately stopped by a wrestling coach, U.S. Olympic wrestlers and a high school student/wrestler.

I consider Mr. Priggee to be an excellent opinion satirist who often provides works that are provocative and thought promoting. Mr. Priggee scored another direct hit with this cartoon about Portland State dropping its wrestling program.

I have to wonder what is happening to sports and extra curricular activities in our country. We have a strong tradition of wrestling excellence in Washington, Idaho and Oregon. I have seen great individuals and teams come from our region. Many of these individuals have had the opportunity to continue their amateur wrestling career in college.

Wrestling continues to be one of the few individualized amateur team sports left in our colleges and universities. Each participant must face the challenge of a physical, mental and psychological battle, alone on the mat. All this is done in the center of the gymnasium with no one else to blame or take credit for the outcome of each individual contest. Every wrestler has the same opportunity to contribute to the team’s success.

Wrestling is the sport for every body. One wrestler may be short but he may make up for this disadvantage by being very strong. Other wrestlers may be thin and long of limb but they can over come any lack of strength by using good leverage. Still others may be very athletic but they will not succeed unless they have a good work ethic and experience.

Wrestling is prospering in junior high and high schools throughout our region. Why is this sport taking such a hit in the collegiate level? Many people have blamed Title IX, the legislation designed to increase sporting opportunities for girls and women attending publicly funded schools, for the loss of baseball, wrestling and other male programs in college. I don’t share this view. I believe that college administrators are using this as a way out of funding some programs in order to improve funding for other programs.

These administrators have taken the easy way out. This is evidenced by the loss of Big Sky wrestling and baseball programs. The only member of the early Big Sky Conference left with a wrestling program is Boise State. In fact, Boise State joined the Pac-10 Conference only in wrestling because the Big West schools don’t have their own wrestling league.

Washington State and Washington dropped their wrestling programs several years ago. It is a shame that no major university in the state of Washington has a wrestling program. Are the Washington universities lacking something that universities like Boise State and the University of Wyoming have? Are these universities with wrestling programs more wealthy or do they simply have administrators, students and boosters that care more about individual student/athletes than the budget?

When wrestling, baseball and other sports are cut from university and college athletic departments throughout our country many individuals are effectively blocked from participating in their chosen sport. These athletes will not experience sport at the collegiate level. Many of these student/athletes will not be able to obtain a post secondary education because they can’t afford to go to school without talent scholarships. They have been effectively eliminated from college, like so much excess baggage.

Instead of improving opportunities for women, administrators at schools like Portland State, Washington and Washington State have simply eliminated opportunities for males to participate in their chosen sports and activities.

Instead of raising the standard to help all our young people, both male and female, these administrators have chosen to lower their standard by taking the easy way out.

Why do we have sport programs in college? Do they not provide the same lessons and opportunities for young adult participants as they do for youth participants? Are sports at the collegiate level run by the need to generate income for the school and the athletic department? Is making money the only criteria used to determine whether a sport or extracurricular activity is provided in college? Will this trend of downsizing stop at the college level? Will high school and middle school programs suffer the same fate?

What kind of lesson are we teaching our youth with this type of action? I suppose that the real lesson to be learned is that money makes the world go around and integrity and pride take the back seat when it comes to running collegiate athletic programs.

Editors Note: Last week, the Portland State wrestling program won a temporary reprieve from the Student Fee Committee, which voted to support the sport financially in the absence of university funding.

The Student Fee Committee voted to fund wrestling, allowing the sport to continue next season with the help of outside donations. Wrestling, which will join the Pacific-10 Conference next year, will receive $105,000.

Baseball, however, was eliminated.