From the Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune
Wrestling more of a team sport than many understand
“Mirror, mirror on the wall, what is the most team oriented sport of them all?”
Football, basketball, hockey. Ever think about putting wrestling in the same category? I would guess not. Maybe after reading this column people may at least change their perception that wrestling is a more of a team sport than they once thought.
To keep this argument as simple as possible I’m going to look at just wrestling dual meets. Individual tournaments are a different beast.
When two teams square off they’ll put their 14 best wrestlers against the opposition’s best. Team points are awarded to the winning wrestlers’ squad ranging from three to six. After all 14 bouts are contested, whoever has scored more points wins, just like any other sport. It seems simple but there’s more to it than that.
A team’s best wrestler can only earn six team points, which are awarded for a victory by pin or forfeit. That’s it, no more.
Think about that. Six points. For comparison’s sake, imagine if Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln basketball players Bryan Beamish (averaging 20.5 points per game in Wisconsin Valley Conference competition) and Trevor Stratton (18.0 ppg average) were only allowed to score 10 points a game. The Red Raiders may not be enjoying the success they currently are.
Some folks might be saying, “Well, there are 14 chances to score points in a wrestling match. “That is true. But the other team doesn’t get points if a player doesn’t score. If a basketball player misses a basket, the team just doesn’t get the points. If a hockey player is held scoreless in a game, the team simply doesn’t reap the benefits on that night. When a wrestler loses a match the opposing team can earn up to six points.
That is what makes the sport more team oriented than it appears on the surface.
“Wrestling is individual in the sense that it’s mano-a-mano on the mat, but as far as the team goes, it’s very much a team sport, “Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln co-coach Lewie Benitz said. “In big duals like at The Clash (the 32-team regional tournament held annually in Rochester, Minn.) or the state tournament it’s not your studs or the other teams’ studs that win matches. It’s the .500 kid who stays off his back and gives up a major decision instead of a pin and for us that’s as good as a win.”
Just to show how important something as simple as not getting pinned can be, take a look at two of Rapids’ matches at The Clash.
Against Carl Sandberg, Ill., and Wasatch, Utah, both teams won seven matches each, but the difference was in the number of bonus points.
The three pins Wisconsin Rapids registered were enough for a 30-26 victory over Carl Sandburg, the eventual champion at The Clash. The Illinois state power earned only one fall and a major decision. That’s just 10 bonus points to Rapids’ 18.
In the Wasatch dual, three pins and a pair of major decisions turned out to be the difference in a 32-28 loss to Utah’s top team.
Bottom line, wrestling is an individual sport, but when winning or losing as a team is on the line, it can be argued that wrestling is the ultimate test of teamwork.
Mark Massoglia can be reached at 422-6736 or [email protected].
Wrestling Gear
