Is wrestling safe?
Will my child have to lose weight?
Is wrestling only for boys?
Participation in any sport carries an inherent risk of being injured, wrestling notwithstanding. Wrestling is always done in a safe controlled supervised environment. During competition, wrestling has the best referee to competitor ratio of any sport with 1 referee per 2 competitors. This allows the referee to totally focus on the safety first and foremost of these student/athletes. Wrestling has less incidences of concussions per athlete than a sport like soccer and significantly less than football and fewer lower body injuries in comparison to basketball.
Is wrestling only for boys?
Will my child have to lose weight?
Is wrestling only for boys?
No, it's a co-ed sport! In fact, wrestling is currently the fastest growing female sport in the country. Many states have adopted high school girls wrestling and youth participation for girls in wrestling has increased enormously over the past couple years.
Check out: https://wrestlelikeagirl.org/
Will my child have to lose weight?
Will my child have to lose weight?
Will wresting make my child's ears look funny (cauliflower ears)?
Wrestlers in youth competition are encouraged to wrestle at their natural body weight and wrestle against kids of similar size and ability level. There is no need to lose weight in order to wrestler. However, you may find that as your child starts to wrestle, exercise more frequently and eat healthier, that he or she may naturally lose weight as their body adjusts to a healthier lifestyle.
Will wresting make my child's ears look funny (cauliflower ears)?
Will wresting make my child's ears look funny (cauliflower ears)?
Will wresting make my child's ears look funny (cauliflower ears)?
At the youth level, the risk of ear injuries is very small, however as part of prevention for this, wrestlers are encouraged to wear their headgear in practice and during competition. Headgear is not required until 5th or 6th grade, but if kids start to get used to wearing it now, it will help!
I hear wrestlers get a lot of skin infections, is that true?
Will wresting make my child's ears look funny (cauliflower ears)?
I hear wrestlers get a lot of skin infections, is that true?
All contact sports have a risk of athletes contracting skin infections, including sports like football and basketball. Our wrestling coaches take vast measures to ensure that skin infections are both prevented and controlled and contained once identified. However, should something suspicious be identified, we notify the parent to get the skin area diagnosed and treated immediately.
The easiest way to prevent skin infections is to shower ASAP after wrestling practice and after competitions. Use anti-bacterial soap and scrub all over.
Is my child too small to wrestle?
Will wresting make my child's ears look funny (cauliflower ears)?
I hear wrestlers get a lot of skin infections, is that true?
The GREAT thing about wrestling is that children are paired or matched by weight, age and ability. Your child will be matched with another child that is similar weight, age and skill level. Unlike sports like football where size mismatches often occur to create an advantage, wrestling makes every attempt to ensure all efforts are made so that each match is evenly paired with size, weight, age and ability.
What should my wrestler wear for practice?
What should my wrestler wear for practice?
What should my wrestler wear for practice?
We recommend gym shorts and a tight fitting shirt for practice. Wrestling shoes are required to be worn as they help the athlete grip the mats. Wrestling shoes should ONLY be worn on the wrestling mats and not used as "street shoes." This helps prevent the spread of diseases that can be found outside and off the mat.
Hair should be out of the wrestlers eyes and face and finger nails should be trimmed so that they do not scratch others.
What are practices like?
What should my wrestler wear for practice?
What should my wrestler wear for practice?
Practice involves: Warm-up and stretching, technique, drilling technique, live wrestling, and occasionally games. The goal of practice is to develop wrestling fundamentals in an enjoyable atmosphere where all wrestlers can learn.
Wrestlers are expected to listen and follow the Code of Conduct. Wrestlers that fail to listen to coaches will eventually be asked to leave practice and after continuous issues, will eventually be asked to leave the program.
What is the practice schedule?
What should my wrestler wear for practice?
What is the practice schedule?
Practices will be held in either the wrestling room at Dallastown Area Senior High School or the York Township Elementary gym (Depending on which practice group you are in). Please refer to TeamSnap to check where and when your practice will be.
We request that all first year wrestler parents (and 1st grader parents) wait for their child in the lobby or hallway. Parents should bring their child to the door, check them in (no more than 5 minutes before the start of practice) and then pick them up at the door promptly when practice is over.
What about tournaments and competitions?
Your wrestler does not need to go to any tournaments. This is primarily a wrestler and family decision. During the first couple years, we recommend taking advantage of many local novice tournaments, geared towards wrestlers with two years of experience or less, which offer a less competitive and great first experience into the competition aspects of the sport. Many league and local tournaments will be announced and added to the team calendar each season.
At Dallastown, we recommend the amount of competition your wrestler experiences be based upon their desire to compete. Success in youth competitions rarely translates into high school and beyond success. Our goal is to keep our wrestlers coming back each year and to have fun. Participating in tournaments can be a great experience, but each wrestler is different, and a parent should monitor those factors closely. In short, if they do not enjoy live competition, be cautious. It is more important to learn wrestling fundamentals first, and then build a desire to compete as wrestlers mature.
This is why there is added emphasis this year on first year wrestlers NOT competing in the York County Youth Wrestling League until they gain that experience.
Wrestling matches consist of three periods. Periods can vary in length from one minute in duration for younger age groups, to as long as three minutes for college wrestling. Either wrestler can win the match at any time if they are able to pin their opponent or develop a lead of 15 or more points, called a technical fall. Otherwise, the wrestler that can accumulate the most points by the end of the third period (or after overtime in the case of a tie) wins the match. If the score is tied at the end of the third period, an overtime time breaker period is added, first starting in the neutral position, then referees position for each wrestling respectively if the neutral overtime remains scoreless.
There are only two positions from which referees start, or continue a match. The first is neutral position, with both wrestlers standing and facing each other. The other is the referee's position, where one wrestler starts on his hands and knees down on the mat, and the other starts on top, behind and in control. The first period always begins in the neutral position. Each wrestler has their choice in one of the remaining periods, to choose to start from top or bottom referee's position, or in the neutral position. If the action must be stopped before the end of a period, the referee restarts the wrestlers in the starting position that best reflects the position the wrestlers were in when the action was stopped.
How is a match scored?
Takedown – (3 points) The scoring wrestler must take the other to the mat from a neutral position, and control your opponent.
Escape – (1 point) The scoring wrestler must move from a “controlled” position, to a “neutral” position.
Reversal – (2 points) The scoring wrestler must move from a “controlled” position, to a “controlling” position.
Near Fall – (2, 3 or 4 points, also called “back points”) The scoring wrestler must hold the other wrestler so that both shoulder blades are within 4 inches of the mat, or one shoulder is on the mat and the other is within a 45-degree angle to the mat. If a near fall last for 2 seconds, you get 2 points; if it lasts for 3 seconds, you get 3 points; if it lasts for 4 seconds, you get 4 points.
Penalties - (usually 1 point) Various penalty points are awarded during illegal actions like locking hands on top and excessive stalling.