What Weight Class Should My Child Spar In?

When it comes to combat sports, the most important thing is fairness. It wouldn't be much of a competition for a 12-year-old to be competing against a 17-year-old. This is where weight classes come in and is a concern for all parents whose kids compete in sparring. As you might guess, the most commonly asked question is: "What weight class should my child compete in?".

In my opinion, the answer is simple: Let your child fight at the weight they naturally weigh at.

Of course, there are exceptions to this rule. If your child is only 1 or 2 pounds over a weight class, then it is perfectly acceptable to lose that small amount of weight. Another exception would be if your child is overweight and needs to lose weight for health reasons. 

Weight is usually followed by height and the heavier a kid is, the taller they usually are assuming they aren't overweight. This is why many parents tend to have their kids lose weight so that they don't have to fight taller and possibly older kids while at the same time fighting shorter kids. Normally, this would be an advantage but in reality this isn't always the case. 

Kids under 18-years-old are continuously growing and denying them sufficient food and nutrients for a few competitions is not worth it. Not only will they come to hate cutting weight, but their physical growth can potentially be compromised as well as their success in future tournaments when they are older.

It is understandable that we want our kids to succeed, but starving them short term will negatively affect their performance and attitudes in the long run.