Wrestlers now have the option of wearing a traditional singlet or a two-piece uniform for the 2017-18 high school wrestling season. This change was voted and passed by the National Federation of State High School Associations Wrestling Rules Committee at its April meeting in Indianapolis. The new rule was then approved by the NFHS Board of Directors.

The compression shorts or shorts designed for wrestling shall be school-issued and shall have a minimum 4-inch inseam that does not extend below the knee. The form-fitted compression shirt shall not cover or extend below the elbow and shall have a minimum 3-inch tail. The shirt may be worn under a singlet or with compression shorts or shorts designed for wrestling.

As a former wrestler, the argument to change the singlet as our uniform was always ridiculous for both sides. People who were for changing the singlet said that the reason many people wouldn’t wrestle was because of the uniform. It is often mistaken for a onesie or leotard, and even the New York Times called the singlet “basically an oversized jockstrap with suspenders.”

The opposition argued that the singlet is a way for younger kids to gain confidence in themselves while on the mat. Wrestling is also one of the oldest sports, and has rarely changed over time, so above all else, it is a sport that is rich in tradition.

I fall on the side of keeping the singlet. This uniform is different from any other in sports. A recent poll taken by usawrestling.com said that a poll showed “overwhelming support” for wrestling to move on from the singlet. A coach was quoted saying that ‘many kids use the singlet as a barrier’ to not join their school wrestling team. If kids are using the singlet as an excuse not to wrestling, they would find other reasons not to join the team. I agree too that singlets are part of the tradition of the sports that should be upheld.

Well, my tradition argument doesn’t really hold up. Singlets have only been used as primary wear for wrestlers since the early 1970s. Dan Gable, a legend of the amateur wrestling world, did not wear a singlet throughout his high school and collegiate career. Singlets were enforced to prevent “indecent exposure” during a match. Before singlets, wresters usually wore a three-piece uniform that was instituted by the NCAA in the mid-60’s. Before that, wrestlers would wear trunks and wrestle bare-chested.

Replica tops of wrestlers can also be sold as any jersey could in a major sport. A high schooler could be wearing a Jordan Burroughs compression shirt causing other classmates and wrestlers to become interested in who Burroughs is. Another factor is the advertising. On the compression shirts, money from sponsors can escalate wrestling into becoming a fierce sport again. Wrestling is an Olympic sport that the U.S. tends to dominate, but the incentive of having funding and a bigger salary for Olympic wrestlers can be a perk to influence more to join the sport.