About Youth Wrestling

We have team members in Kindergarten through Junior High. Wrestlers are paired by age and weight, generally within a year of age and 5 pounds weight. There is some variability in age groups and weight classes from tournament to tournament. Here is an example of age/weight divisions at a typical youth wrestling tournament:

• AGE -------- WEIGHT CLASS
• 4 YEARS AND UNDER: 35, 40, 45, 75
• 5 AND 6: 40, 45, 50, 55, 65, 90
• 7 AND 8: 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 85, 110
• 9 AND 10: 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 85, 90, 100, 125
• 11 AND 12: 65, 70, 75, 80, 85, 90, 95, 100, 108, 116, 124, 132, 160
• 13 - 15: 83, 90, 95, 102, 110, 116, 123, 128, 135, 145, 155, 165, 250

We follow National Federation Official High School rules with the following exceptions:

• Three ONE minute periods (instead of two minute periods)
• Wrestlers MAY wrestle more than five matches in a day
• Recovery time may be LESS than 45 minutes between matches
• Other modifications to rules as outlined by the tournament director

We hold practice two evenings a week (Tuesday, and Thursday) at the Preston High Wrestling Room 6:00 PM until 7:30 PM.

We generally begin our season in late November, and end in mid March.

From a mom's point of view ...

Wrestling entry forms for each tournament

• The wrestling entry forms for each tournament will be available to you at the wrestling practices.
• It will be your responsibility to fill out the form and return it with your check or cash to the proper address on the form.
• You must read the entry form carefully, because there are deadlines as to when the entry form has to be sent.
• The wrestling entry form will state either your child's birth year, or age and weight class. You will then circle the weight class and age your child will be wrestling.
• If funds are unavailable for your child to go to any wrestling tournament, funds are available through the Preston Mat club for such a cause.
• You are not required to go to any or all of the tournaments. This is completely up to the individual.

Equipment needed for wrestling

• Wrestling uniforms (singlets) are provided for your child by the Mat club.
• Head gear may be purchased for your child from the Mat club.
• Wrestling shoes may also be purchased four your child from the Mat club.
• You may also want to check with other parents to see if they want to sell their old headgear or possibly wrestling shoes.

Preparing your child for a wrestling tournament

• Make sure your child gets enough sleep the night before a tournament
• Your child needs to make the weight class that you entered him in. If your child does not make the weight, sometimes he has to forfeit or move up to another weight class, which will cost more money. After your child gets weighed, you should then feed him.
• Most people take a warm up suit or sweatpants and sweatshirts for their children to wear over their singlets. At times, the gyms can get very warm and you can slip these off easily and have their singlet underneath.
• Everything a child needs for a wrestling tournament, ( head gear, wrestling shoes, etc. ) Can be placed in a gym bag. Everyone is responsible for their own items. If you happen to take a "hand game," you should put your name on the back of it.

Food for the wresting tournaments

• Every tournament usually has a concession stand that furnishes food. At times, the food purchased at these tournaments can be expensive.
• It never hurts to bring tylenol, pepto bismol, etc. for a child if they have an upset stomach, headache, etc.
• Several people pack their own food in coolers. Kids get really hot after wrestling and they do need drinks. As was stated before, the gyms get rather warm, so you need to keep the food in the cooler "cool." Most of the tournaments have a cafeteria with several tables that you may use to set your coolers on. Some gyms at the wrestling tournaments do not allow food in the gym.

Transportation to the wrestling tournaments

• There will be a lot of traveling, which is usually on Saturdays. Most of this traveling will be done in the winter.
• Make sure you know how to get to the tournament location.
• In years past due to the bad roads, several of us would meet at a certain place and time and follow each other. Feel free to let someone know if you want to meet together in a group.
• Make sure your vehicle is ready for winter. Sometimes it can be snowy and icy.
• Most families need to leave their homes around 6:00 AM or 6:30 AM to get to the tournaments. Some weigh-ins at the tournaments start around 7:00 AM or 7:30 AM.
• Plan to spend most of the day at the tournament -- most are over by 4:00 PM , but they can last a lot longer.

Other items

• You are not required to go to any of the tournaments. It is entirely up to you and your child. Sometimes the kids get tired and they need a break away from the tournaments.
• Most tournaments are double elimination, which means that if your child wrestles twice and loses both of them, he is done for the day. This is an item that you need to check with your child's coach or some of the other wrestling parents to make sure that your child is done wrestling for the day.
• There will also be some parents' meetings from time to time while your child is at wrestling practice.
• Because wrestling is a contact sport, cleanliness is a must. Children this age are very sensitive about odors and cleanliness. Please keep this in mind, as we don't want to see any child's feelings hurt.