The International Olympic Committee announced that wrestling will be reinstated to the Olympic Games in 2020. With the announcement, controversy has arisen because baseball, softball and squash were not voted to be a part of the games.
Bryan and Ryan will debate whether this was the right decision to make and which belongs in the Olympics.
Bryan:
Just to make clear, I do not have any opinion on squash not being a part of the Olympics. I don’t even know what squash is, but I’m sure there are a group of people who are not happy with the decision.
Personally, I believe that the IOC made the right decision to reinstate wrestling into the Olympic Games.
For kids that join wrestling clubs and town teams, it puts them on a track that many continue to follow through school years and into college. Wrestlers learn a type of discipline that many will never get to experience in many cases.
The main goal for wrestlers is to make the Olympics and win a medal. If wrestling was not a part of the Olympics, what would these athletes have to work toward?
In baseball, there are other outlets for players who are looking to further their career in the sport. Major League Baseball is one of the biggest professional sports organizations in the world.
Athletes who have the abilities to make it to the MLB will have the chance to make millions and millions of dollars and make a successful career for themselves.
These opportunities do not exist for wrestlers who are trying to succeed. The only other outlet for wrestlers would be a professional fighting organization like UFC, but this would involve years and years of additional training.
I think that it is the right decision to reinstate wrestling to the Olympics, because the Olympics are the pinnacle of achievement for wrestlers, where baseball was never a major part of the Olympics to begin with.
Ryan:
I have to agree with Bryan when it comes to squash. I have never watched nor played squash in my life. When it comes to wrestling I also have to agree with you. I think wrestling should always be in the Olympics. It was one of the first Olympic sports. It deserves to be in the Olympics and needs to stay there for the foreseeable future.
*When it comes to baseball and softball on the other hand I have to disagree with you. I understand what you are saying about having other outlets such as Major League Baseball and the National Pro Fastpitch league but there is nothing like representing your country.
I’m not taking anything away from the major leagues but in the Olympics you face talent that might be better than the talent you face in the majors. There are some highly talented players from Japan and the Dominican Republic.
Another aspect you are taking away is showing how the game is played by other cultures. Both baseball and softball are played different throughout the world. The traditions are much different across the globe. When the Olympics rolled around you were able to experience these differences in the same place. Something that is now taken away because baseball and softball were dropped.
What it all comes down to is playing the game how it should be played. Not for the money or the fame, but for the sole joy of playing the game. Many people play baseball and softball to remember that first time you fell in love with the game. Others play to remember what it was like to throw ball with your dad in the back yard and to remember pickup games with your friends from the neighborhood.
Taking baseball and softball out of the Olympics is the wrong decision and it is a decision that should be overturned. I know of many people who are upset with this decision and rightfully so. Baseball and softball are increasingly popular sports and this could hurt their reputation.
There is some hope for those who love Olympic baseball and softball because it could be reinstated after the 2020 games.