Team Insight

Wrestling is pinning its hopes for growth on a recovery from pandemic losses. By Mike May TEAM WRESTLING RETURN TO THE MAT FOR INSIGHT INTO THE STATE of wrestling as the 2022-23 season winds down, it is best to turn to someone on the front lines of the sport. And his opinion is that the future looks pretty bright. "We've experienced what has felt, at times, like an insatiable appetite for wrestling prod- uct," says Chad Clark, senior VP at wresting supplier Cliff Keen. "I think it's pretty safe to say wrestling numbers have bounced back quite well across the country." And while admitting that "there are pockets with greater, or lesser, numbers, overall, from what we're hearing, participation is quite robust, which is a great sign for our sport and for our brand." The numbers certainly back up Clark's assertion. According to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA), overall par- ticipation in the U.S. in wrestling from 2019-2021 hovered in the area of 1.9 million participants, of which the vast majority of them are male. But beyond the numbers, it's safe to say that while the actual number of wrestlers will never get close to the numbers posted by soccer, baseball and basketball, those who wrestle are passionate and committed. And they buy a lot of product. It's no secret that wrestling – with its close contact and indoor setting – was hurt more than most sports by COVID-19 restrictions and concerns. Yet at the high school level, the sport's post-pandemic future is promising — and the reason may be surprising to some. "We know that during the 2021-22 school year, the number of students who le the sport (of wrestling) were in excess of 6000 or more," reports Elliot Hopkins, director of sports, sanctioning and student services at the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS). "Fortunately, because of an increase of over 30,000 young ladies entering the sport, we moved up in the total number of participation of boys and girls to number six in the United States, slightly ahead of cross-country." According to figures compiled by the NFHS, more than 30 state associations officially sponsor/sanction girls wrestling in the U.S. 28 • Team Insight ~ January/February 2023 teaminsightmag.com Photo: Cliff Keen

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