By Brendon Lowe
ITW Strength and Conditioning Columnist

Warning: Wrestlers mentioned will remain nameless for confidentiality purposes.

Two months ago I told all the opponents of the weight certifications to wait it out and give them a try before they started complaining about the rule changes. Now that the official weight certifications are complete, let the criticisms roll, because I’m right there with you on a few points.

Who is to blame for the catastrophe known as the ’06 wrestling certifications? I place the blame squarely on the shoulders of the University Interscholastic League (UIL). How can the governing body of Texas high school athletics wait till the last minute to throw something together when so much is at stake? Isn’t the whole point of the weight certifications to protect the health of our wrestlers? The lack of planning on the part of the UIL lead to some of the most heinous weight cutting that I’ve seen in a long time.

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