By Mike Finn, W.I.N. Editor

According to the 2006 U.S. Census, the state of California had a population of 36,457,549 people, which made up over 12 percent of this country’s total population.

            So it should not be that surprising that the Golden state also is producing the most high school wrestlers in the country. According to the National High School Federation, California had 23,318 high school kids wrestling, which accounted for nearly 10 percent of the total number of prep wrestlers in this country.

            But this is also a state which possesses few college opportunities for no state has lost more programs (81) — primarily because of the Title IX affect on colleges trying to balance opportunities for men and women — than California, which currently has just eight four-year schools.

            And of those, only five (Cal Davis, Cal Poly, Cal-State Bakersfield, Cal-State Fullerton and Stanford) compete in the NCAA Div. I level.

            Still, the number of kids wrestling in California continues to grow.

            Al Fontes, the state editor of The California Wrestler Newsletter, believes there is a tradition on the high school level that is unmatched in any other part of the country.

            “It’s been promoted very well at the kids’ level,” said Fontes. “Kids in this state just love to compete and they realize that they can be an elite wrestler in this state and the country.

            “In short, many kids in California feel honored to qualify to one of the most competitive state meets in the country, but many know that only the elite place,” added Fontes, referring to the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) state tournament, which has just one division. “The depth of our state is evident with our performance at the NHSCA High School Nationals.”

            According to the newsletter’s website (www.thecaliforniawrestler.com), only Ohio has produced more NHSCA national champs (45) and All-Americans (225) than California (32/191) in an event that annually takes place on the East Coast and many of those were only California state qualifiers.

            The latest California college to take a hit was Fresno State a year ago, which Fontes — like many supporters of the Bulldog program — called a “political” decision by the FSU athletic director.

            But he also believes that the California colleges need to do a better job of selling their programs to their colleges and communities.

            “Coaches have to promote their sport and run it like a business,” Fontes said. “They have to find out what is the perception of their program outside of wrestling. Coaches have to work with their community.”

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