BILL NUMBER: SCR 26	ENROLLED
	BILL TEXT

	ADOPTED IN SENATE  MAY 28, 2013
	ADOPTED IN ASSEMBLY  MAY 20, 2013
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MAY 20, 2013
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MAY 9, 2013

INTRODUCED BY   Senator Correa
   (Principal coauthors: Assembly Members Achadjian, Alejo, V. Manuel
Pérez, and Salas)
   (Coauthors: Assembly Members Allen, Ammiano, Atkins, Bigelow,
Bloom, Blumenfield, Bocanegra, Bonilla, Bonta, Bradford, Brown,
Buchanan, Campos, Chau, Chávez, Chesbro, Conway, Cooley, Dahle, Daly,
Dickinson, Donnelly, Eggman, Fong, Fox, Frazier, Beth Gaines,
Garcia, Gatto, Gomez, Gordon, Gorell, Gray, Grove, Hagman, Harkey,
Roger Hernández, Jones, Levine, Linder, Lowenthal, Mansoor, Medina,
Melendez, Morrell, Mullin, Muratsuchi, Nazarian, Nestande, Olsen,
Pan, Patterson, Perea, Quirk-Silva, Rendon, Skinner, Stone, Ting,
Wagner, Waldron, Weber, Wieckowski, Williams, and Yamada)

                        MARCH 14, 2013

   Relative to Olympic wrestling.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SCR 26, Correa. Wrestling: Olympic Games.
   This measure would urge the International Olympic Committee to
continue to include wrestling as a core sport of the Olympic Games.



   WHEREAS, The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board
recently announced that wrestling will be removed from the list of
25 core sports at the 2020 Olympic Games, though this is not final;
and
   WHEREAS, The IOC Executive Board will meet in May 2013 in St.
Petersburg, Russia, to decide which sport or sports to propose for
inclusion, and the entire IOC will vote on the final program at the
IOC session, or general assembly, in September 2013 in Buenos Aires,
Argentina; and
   WHEREAS, Wrestling was one of the original sports in the ancient
Olympic Games in Greece. During the ancient Olympic Games, beginning
in 708 B.C., wrestling was the decisive discipline of the Pentathlon.
It was the last discipline of the games to be held, after the
discus, the javelin, the long jump, and the footrace, and its winner
was designated the winner of the Pentathlon, the only crowned athlete
of the games; and
   WHEREAS, Wrestling is one of the most diverse sports in the world,
with nearly 200 nations from all continents participating in the
sport; and
   WHEREAS, Wrestling is an inclusive sport that provides
opportunities worldwide, regardless of geography, race, gender, or
physical characteristics, and provides mainstream opportunities to
athletes of all physical builds and body sizes, including the blind,
deaf, and physically handicapped student athletes who may not
otherwise have the opportunity to participate in athletics; and
   WHEREAS, Wrestling builds great strength, not only of body, but
also of character, including the virtues of self-confidence,
self-discipline, courage, and leadership, and wrestling is recognized
for serving communities throughout the nation by partnering with law
enforcement, schools, and churches to provide programs to prevent
and neutralize juvenile delinquency, especially gang-related crimes
for many at-risk youth; and
   WHEREAS, Wrestling has produced many outstanding national leaders,
including Presidents of the United States, justices of United States
Supreme Court, members of the United States Congress, and business
and military leaders, and many outstanding leaders in California,
including many Olympic champions, such as Olympic gold medalists Dave
and Mark Schultz and 2012 Olympic gold medalist Jake Varner; and
   WHEREAS, More than 70 countries competed in wrestling in London at
the 2012 Olympic Games with more Olympic medals awarded to a greater
variety of nations than in almost any other sport; and
   WHEREAS, California is the leading state in athlete membership for
USA Wrestling and the state with the largest participation in high
school wrestling; and
   WHEREAS, The California Interscholastic Federation Boys Wrestling
State Championships have been hosted at Rabobank Arena in
Bakersfield, California, since 2005, and the Girls Wrestling State
International Championships have been hosted at Lemoore High School
in Lemoore, California, since 2011; and
   WHEREAS, Wrestling has become a pathway to higher education for
many young Californians, in particular, those with a
socioeconomically challenged background; and
   WHEREAS, Many of these young Californians dream of representing
the United States on the international stage at the Olympic Games;
now, therefore, be it
   Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly
thereof concurring, That the California Legislature urges the
International Olympic Committee to continue to include wrestling as a
core sport of the Olympic Games; and be it further
   Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this
resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.