Originally Posted by
VIVIANO
I think as far as wrestling not having belts, that is comparing apples and oranges. Wrestling doesn't have belts, but there are plenty of ways to distinguish yourself. For example, not just anybody can walk into Iowa and pay $100 a month to join the team, you have to be given a spot on the team. There are all-Americans, State champions, Division I, Olympic alternate etc. I can see why wrestling doesn't need belts, b/c there is a structure to wrestling that allows you to distinguish levels of success by the fact that not everybody can participate in the prestigious programs or tournaments.
The vast majority of youth wrestling takes place in organizations you pay to be part of, like USA, MyWay, etc. USA has a slot on their tournament enrollment to give an idea of how experienced your child is. But the definitions are vague and kind of at the discretion of the person signing them up to be honest about it. There is nothing to indicate how many techniques they know, how advanced they are, etc. MyWay has a novice division for wrestlers who have only been wrestling for two years but after that you are kind of just thrown in with everyone else in tournaments even if they have been wrestling for five, six years, etc. (Needless to say, that rarely goes well.)
So the structure of wrestling you are talking about basically does not exist until middle school (If your middle school even has a program, and many don't.) and High school. And the structure that exists then is "Be the best at your weight class, or don't compete."
I am not talking about rank in the terms of "material gain" insomuch as a useful gauge for where someone is, and a sense of accomplishment for the progress you have made. And definitely to help ensure that you can go to a tournament and enjoy yourself.
I remember thinking about the advantages that Judo had over Wrestling when it came to this because even me at 38 years old can start Judo now and be put with people the same or near the same rank as me and therefore have a competitive series of matches to look forward to. If I was stuck on the mat with Brown and Black belts my experience would not generally be as positive. And while it would be annoying for adults, for kids getting crushed constantly is a good way to lose interest. Particularly if you drive a long distance and pay a fee only to be eliminated quickly by someone who has been competing years longer then you in a match you were incredibly unlikely to win.
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