Bless you for your service, @crosstownrivals . Let the record show I would not be involved in this sport without this man, for which I thank you.
The thread being about growing the sport, let's connect the dots. Crosstown works at just one of three feeder schools in a large school corp that has wrestling tradition and success. He lost 15 kids that had an initial interest and most likely some athletic skill, at his one jr high. So, assume that the other two jr high feeder schools lost the same or similar number due to the same reasons. That's 40-50 kids in one school corp. That's about 3, maybe 4, teams of Fighting @Galagores that we are trying to "grow" by having class wrestling. One might say it would be better and/or more beneficial to make the sport "cool" and try to figure something out to keep these kids. I get the tired classing argument, but as we've seen statistically with hoops...that doesn't seem to be the panacea we class supporters think? I do think that MMA/UFC might have a positive impact on the coolness factor but maybe isn't promoted in the manner needed? I dunno...I just think classing isn't the growth mechanism we think and has been proven thru hoops.