I am the mother in the stands dressed in the school colors who has been screaming her three sons' names at shrill, glass-shattering pitch, so loud at times that two years ago some of the junior varsity wrestlers took to imitating my cheers. I order all the photos of my boys on Kodak.com placed on the shared albums by fathers diligently capturing the moves of each teammate. I have dozens of framed snapshots of the boys in my office. I am one of those moms you might hate. I am Michele Weldon. I am a Wrestling Mom.
There’s been a furor over the decision not to guarantee wrestling a spot in the 2020 Olympics. Rightly so. I know first-hand what the sport does for young men (including my three sons) and an increasing number of young women. Fortunately, the decision is not final. It’s time to speak out.
