Topic: High School Weightlifting

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

Every LWC can see to it that they run one or two high school only events a year, including a state championships.

I am all for this. The Florida LWC, I believe, does this along with several other states, I think. But, involving the state high school athletic associations would involve FAR more athletes than the LWC hosted state championships could by themselves. I would guess that more kids compete in Florida high school weightlifting than kids competing in Olympic weightlifting in the entire country. And, we have a season, not just a couple meets. Still, I am all for all the LWCs hosting a high school state weightlifting championship. Its a great start in states that don't have state high school athletic association sponsored weightlifting, and its great even in Florida as it includes the snatch.

One observation I have in regards to the Florida program is that once you include the bench press, you'll play hell to get rid of it.

Oh yea, we would destroy the sport, pretty much, if we eliminated the bench press. The bench press is great in high school weightlifting because it pulls in the numbers! When the sport started and even now, the football coaches want/wanted to participate in weightlifting and have their kids do it, in large part because of the bench press. Meanwhile, the bench press draws/drew them in and they learn the clean and jerk. Over time, the word has/is spreading in the football community that the clean and jerk is an important tool for football and they are spending more time learning to teach it, teaching it, promoting it, and training it (along with assistance work for it).

We shouldn't EVER get rid of the bench press in high school weightlifting, but instead try to add the snatch so that there are three events. This is going to be tough. The number of competitors at the state championships will have to be reduced significantly (go back to a qualifying total system with high totals) in order to make the meet manageable in a day or two, and many more coaches will have to be trained to teach the snatch because most are clueless at this point. But, word of the importance of the snatch is starting to spread in the football community, and getting it added in Florida alone, I believe, would pay HUGE dividends for USA Weightlifting.

[Terry Thompson]

~ Who will PIONEER this?  . .  :shock:

 ~~ Guys, I just hope SOMEONE will be motivated to the extent that they will  "pick up the ball and run with it!"  If Local Weightlifting Committees get a BIG BUNCH of H.S. Coaches interested in pure WL - say, in the State of Florida - that might be the ANSWER!  
 ~~ I am thinking that ONE STATE will lead the way.  By that, I mean the WHOLE BIT:  Regular Seasons, Varsity Teams, School & Local newspaper articles, Singlets with that School's COLORS & MASCOTS on it, gold/silver/bronze Medals awarded, an ANNUAL State Championships!
 ~~ ONLY THEN, I am thinking, would USAW be motivated enough to get involved!  Prove me wrong.