Wrestling has long been a sport in which strenuous training and the pressure to lose weight within short periods of time are the norm. Wrestlers - in order to qualify for a given weight class - might employ various methods of cutting weight such as strenuous exercise or working out in rubber suits in heated rooms. The danger lies in the possibility of wrestlers and coaches choosing to ignore the potential health risks of these practices. The new guidelines from the University task force could alleviate this problem.
Some of the provisions, such as the banning of the use of rubber suits and the daily monitoring of the athletes' weight, could change many traditional wrestling techniques. However, when the lives of student athletes are at stake, the task force should place tradition second to safety.
While the University's provisions would not provide for fair competition if Michigan were the only team adhering to them, the Athletic Department cannot afford to put its student athletes' lives at risk. Schools that adhere to strict weight-loss guidelines could find themselves at a competitive disadvantage when facing an opponent who still employs unhealthy techniques. The NCAA must act quickly to ensure that all collegiate wrestling teams are not only on the same competitive playing field, but are also safe.
The NCAA should enforce more stringent guidelines. It has set up a task force to investigate the matter, but it must act immediately to prevent future tragedies. Memoranda sent last month to coaches across the country explaining the dangers of unhealthy weight-loss techniques in the sport of wrestling do not stress the severity of the situation. Until the governing body of college athletics comes down with a clear plan for all schools, it is leaving wrestlers in danger. It took the death of three young men to realize that there are serious problems in wrestlers' training methods. The NCAA should place the protection and health of student athletes over the traditional methods of cutting weight. Athletic Director Tom Goss took the first step by enacting the task force's recommendations - the rest of the NCAA should follow suit.