If you’re reading this, you’re most likely wondering what could be so special about the high school sport, wrestling. It doesn’t matter if you don’t play it, or have never watched a match in your life; what matters is the discrimination the WIAA is hurling at wrestling participants across the state of Wisconsin. With the stress of COVID-19, it is easy for us to understand that many sports will experience large changes in their schedules to protect the health of students. What is not easy to understand is the regulations the WIAA has posted for winter sports, specifically targeting wrestling. Every other winter sport gets a pretty normal season with few stipulations of how many games can be played. Wrestling is allowed 7 total matches for the whole season - one match per week. The question here is simple: Why is wrestling treated so much differently? And that is the question I am asking all of you to ask yourselves. Why should another sport be treated so much better than another? Just because wrestling involves possibly more physical contact than basketball, won’t the virus still be brought into the school because of other sports? And, why, WIAA, are you targeting wrestling?? The reason I care so much about wrestling getting a fair season is because my brother just happens to be a senior. He’s wrestled since he was 3 years old and has been training hard to be the best for this year. He will never wrestle another match again if this year doesn’t continue. He will never reach his goal of getting 100 wins if there are only 7 matches throughout the season. He will never get the shot to go to state, become a conference champ, or to be a captain, because all of that will be cancelled, too. I’m asking, practically begging, each and every one of you to sign this petition. Picture your own kid, brother, sister, or close friend, completely devastated because they do not get a senior year. Put yourself in my brother’s shoes. The point of this petition is not only for wrestling, but for the hope that it will give an equal opportunity to all sports. Everyone deserves a fair shot. By signing this petition, I’m hoping that with enough signatures, the WIAA will reconsider its decision and make it equal to other sports. Thank you.
