Be the Referee: Wrestling Weight Safety
January 7, 2016
This week, MHSAA assistant director Mark Uyl explains how the weight monitoring program helps keep Michigan's high school wrestlers healthy and safe.
Be The Referee is a series of short messages designed to help educate people on the rules of different sports, to help them better understand the art of officiating, and to recruit officials.
Below is this week's segment - Wrestling Weight Monitoring - Listen
It has often been said that wrestling is the toughest and most grueling six minutes in all of sports. It is a sport that requires great dedication, discipline and conditioning from those kids that step onto the mat.
One of the most important parts of the high school wrestling program in Michigan is the weight monitoring program. Prior to the season, every wrestler undergoes a body composition test where the body fat percentage of each student is determined. Based on that data, a minimum weight and weight class is established for every participant.
This data provides a safe and healthy plan for kids that wish to drop weight and move down to a lower weight class as a wrestler can never lose more than 1.5 percent of their body weight in a given week. This program has made wrestling a safer and healthier sport for every single wrestler in the state of Michigan.
Past editions:
Dec. 31: Respect for Referees - Listen
Dec. 24: Basketball Instant Replay - Listen
Dec. 17: Basketball Communication - Listen
Dec. 10: Basketball Excessive Contact - Listen
Nov. 26: Pregame Communication - Listen
Nov. 19: Trick Plays - Listen
Nov. 12: 7-Person Football Mechanics - Listen
Nov. 5: Make the Call: Personal Fouls - Listen
Oct. 29: Officials Demographics - Listen
Oct. 15: Make the Call: Intentional Grounding - Listen
Oct. 8: Playoff Selection - Listen
Oct. 1: Kick Returns - Listen
Sept. 24: Concussions - Listen
Sept. 17: Automatic First Downs - Listen
Sept. 10: Correcting a Down - Listen
Sept 3: Spearing - Listen
Aug. 27: Missed Field Goal - Listen
Making the Right Calls for 50 years
May 7, 2012
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Lyle Berry began this track season with about 10-12 events on his officiating schedule.
But when administrators he’s known for decades called for help, that slate quickly doubled in size for this year’s MHSAA Vern L. Norris Award winner.
The Rockford resident has been an official for more than a half century, and was honored for his service at Saturday’s annual Officials’ Awards & Alumni Banquet at the Kellogg Center in East Lansing.
Second Half caught up with Berry a few minutes before he left for another track meet Monday. Click for our Q&A session, including conversation about what keeps him coming back every season and how he continues to mentor and recruit of new officials.
Berry has been a long-time member of both the West Michigan Officials Association and the Association of Track Officials of Michigan. He received ATOM’s Presidential Leadership Award in 2009 and its Bob Bloomer Award in 2010. Berry was the WMOA Basketball Official of the Year in 1988. Next month he'll return to the Division 3 Track and Field Finals, and later this month will officiate Division 1 and 2 Regionals.
Previous recipients of the Norris Award are:
1992 – Ted Wilson, East Detroit
1993 – Fred Briggs, Burton
1994 – Joe Brodie, Flat Rock
1995 – Jim Massar, Flint
1996 – Jim Lamoreaux, St. Ignace
1997 – Ken Myllyla, Escanaba
1998 – Blake Hagman, Kalamazoo
1999 – Richard Kalahar, Jackson
2000 – Barb Beckett, Traverse City; Karl Newingham, Bay City
2001 – Herb Lipschultz, Kalamazoo
2002 – Robert Scholie, Hancock
2003 – Ron Nagy, Hazel Park
2004 – Carl Van Heck, Grand Rapids
2005 – Bruce Moss, Alma
2006 – Jeanne Skinner, Grand Rapids
2007 – Terry Wakeley, Grayling
2008 – Will Lynch, Honor
2009 – James Danhoff, Richland
2010 – John Juday Sr., Petoskey
2011 – Robert Williams, Redford
PHOTO: Lyle Berry speaks to the audience during Saturday's Officials’ Awards & Alumni Banquet at the Kellogg Center in East Lansing.