Don't Let Squash Overtake Wrestling!

As you all know, wrestling has been placed on the chopping block for the 2020 Olympics.  There have been numerous articles and videos posted all over the web, petitions to sign, and t-shirts to buy (if you haven't bought the official Keep Wrestling in the Olympics T-Shirt, do so at http://keepwrestlingintheolympics.com/site/merchandise/.)  It's a pretty cool performance gear shirt, it costs $30, and $20.20 of each shirt goes towards saving the sport.

One of the polls out there asks readers what sport the IOC should include in its core program of 25 sports.  Wrestling has been leading, but squash is catching up for goodness sakes!  Vote now and every day before May 27th, and encourage others to do so at: http://www.insidethegames.biz/polls/71-which-sport-do-you-think-the-ioc-should-vote-to-include-on-the-olympic-programme-for-2020?utm_source=Listrak&utm_medium=Email&utm_term=http%3a%2f%2fwww.insidethegames.biz%2fpolls%2f71-which-sport-do-you-think-the-ioc-should-vote-to-include-on-the-olympic-programme-for-2020&utm_campaign=Vote+now+to+Keep+Olympic+Wrestling!

Several weeks back I was wearing my Keep Wrestling in the Olympics t-shirt to the gym, and I ran into a lady who's husband wrestles and who has two sons that wrestle.  She asked where to get the shirt, and we talked for several minutes about why it's so absurd to drop wrestling from the Olympics.  I've done my homework and read most of the articles out there, and there are simply too many reasons why wrestling should be kept, and there are facts and figures supporting it.  I've got way too many points to make to list here, and I told the lady I could probably write an entire book explaining why the IOC's decision was flawed.  She quickly responded by saying that I absolutely should write a book about that.  It got me thinking that I most definitely should!

That's been an idea in the back of my head for a couple months now, but I haven't really acted on it, other than keeping a list of all the articles and videos I've viewed.  However, there's been a legitimate reason that I haven't made the time: I'm going to be competing in the University Nationals/University World Team Trials at the University of Akron in two weeks!  It is the last year that I'm eligible for this age division, and so I can't pass up an opportunity to wrestle in a tournament like that when it'll be in my own backyard!  I don't want to have any regrets about not giving it a shot, because I'll never have this chance again.  It will be a meat grinder at each weight class, but you can't win if you don't try, and the winner of each weight class gets to represent the US in Russia this July.  I've been training as much as I can at high schools and colleges in the area, and I'm nearing peak condition.

Obviously saving the sport is a high priority, too, and so I plan on writing like mad once the tournament is over in two weeks.  Just days after, the IOC will have an executive board meeting in St. Petersburg, Russia to decide which sport should be added to the core program.  If wrestling gets chosen, then we're in for certain.  If it doesn't, it will have one last shot in September at the IOC General Assembly in Buenos Aires, Argentina.  It doesn't matter whether or not you want to be an Olympian - this should be important to you, too.  Show your support in this fight!

Keep the dream alive!
Jeff