What is Wrestling All About?

There are several incredible benefits of wrestling, not only that can positively affect children but also as they grow into an adult  Here are a few reasons why kids should wrestle:

1. Anyone can do it – You are grouped by age and weight, so it doesn’t matter if you are small, short, tall or big.  
2. Everyone gets to participate – Unlike team sports like football and lacrosse, there is no      riding the bench. Every wrestler has a chance to participate and compete.
3. They learn valuable life lessons: 
   1. Personal accountability – When you win, it’s because you did it.  No one else takes credit; no one else to blame.
   2. Don’t give up when things get hard -Wrestling puts you in situations where you have to dig in and fight to reap the rewards.  It’s all       you in a wrestling match and there’s an incredible feeling of getting  your hand raised when winning a hard fought match.
   3. How to handle adversity – In every match someone will win and someone will lose.       Losing in a team sport is disappointing but it’s different when it’s only you. In wrestling, you learn how to lose gracefully and more importantly, how to quickly put it behind you and work hard to improve for the next       match. 
   4. How to perform – Any given tournament, a wrestler may have 2-5 matches.  They have to mentally prepare for a match, learn how to stay calm under pressure, and deal with the feelings of anxiousness and nervousness over and over again.  This repetition makes it second nature and prepares them for life.  They know how to approach a speech or a big meeting or an interview because they’ve learned how to       step up when it’s their time to perform.
   5. Persistence – Some kids find success early, but many will lose more than they win early on. In fact, many of the greatest wrestlers started       out losing their first few seasons. It can take a couple of years, if not more, before it finally clicks.  But when it does, it’s one of the       greatest moments to observe. The lights come on, their confidence starts growing and they start beating opponents who they’ve lost to several times. This is when they truly become a wrestler.
4. Real confidence is built – Confidence is built through accomplishing hard things.  Praise is fine, but only lasts for so long. When you master a skill, score with a move you’ve been practicing or win a match over a  tough opponent, it’s because of the work you put in.
5. Incredible conditioning – Wrestling uses every part of your body and is one of the  toughest sports to train and compete in. Kids build core strength and great cardio. 
6. Great for other sports – Many get into wrestling because they are football players or in other sports and they want to improve their skills. Wrestlers learn how to move their feet, maintain balance, establish angles, use their feet, use their hands, and ability to control someone else. 
7. Energy outlet - Kids have a ton of energy and they need a way to channel it. Wrestling practices and matches are non-stop with no down time.
8. Education - Wrestling is the best kept secret in college admissions.  Colleges make their decisions based on how well you satisfy these two questions. Can you do the work? Are you capable of the dedication needed  to graduate? That's what they must decide based on all the data in your      application. The world's oldest sport is also an "individual"  snapshot of your discipline and willingness to dedicate yourself to something over an extended period of time. The best part of wrestling's mystique for college admissions is that you don't have to be great; you just have to have wrestled.
9. Competitiveness – If you are competitive by nature, you will love wrestling.  Competing and winning against another individual is fun and a great sense of accomplishment.
10. Fun – It’s fun to win, it’s fun to compete and it’s fun learning and executing new moves. And while it’s an individual sport, there’s also a special bond that wrestlers have to their team. 

Wrestling is arguably one of the most  unique and exciting extracurricular school opportunities, the intense  and passionate meeting of two athletes in front of a crowd.  Unfortunately, those unfamiliar with  the sport may have a limited view of its best aspects. 

Wrestling is safe...

Wrestling rules are very clear on safety. Illegal moves and potentially dangerous situations can result in penalty points and even disqualification. Further, matches are tightly officiated with close attention potentially dangerous circumstances. If there are any concerns about an awkward hold or position, even if there is no penalty involved, official will stop action immediately. Coaches and referees work very hard to keep wrestling safe for all participants. Very little chance of concussions.

Wrestling is NOT a brute sport...

Wrestling is not a sport that demands brute strength. Technique and conditioning are more important to succeed in wrestling than the ability to push someone around the mat for 30 seconds. Wrestling is a sport of control, not violence.

Wrestling is for ALL sizes

Thanks to numerous weight classes spanning a variety of body types, the sport is comparatively accessible and open to many different kinds of athletes.   There is room for everyone regardless of abilities (or disabilities) and size. Wrestlers only compete against others in a similar weight class and skill level.  

Wrestling is for ALL abilities

Wrestling is known for being an all-inclusive sport with athletes of all backgrounds. It is one of the few sports that does allow for people with disabilities to complete against athletes without disabilities

Wrestling is an individual AND team sport

Wrestling is an individual sport, but also has a team component, and still teaches teamwork and the importance of working together. It is one of the few sports where a child's foot speed, ball-handling skills, hand-eye coordination, and size do not matter. 

Wrestling teaches empathy

Wrestling competitively is tough, but teaches empathy at a young age because sooner or later, everyone loses a match. How often do you see eight-year-old teammates hugging and consoling each other after emotional losses? 

 Scoring: There are five ways to score points in a wrestling match: 

1. Takedown – (2 points) Two points are awarded for taking an opponent down to the mat and  controlling them. 

2. Escape – (1 point) One point is awarded for getting away or getting to a neutral position after the  opponent has the wrestler on the mat. 

3. Reversal – (2 points) Two points are awarded when the opponent has has the wrestler down on the  mat and the wrestler comes from underneath to gain control of the opponent. 

4. Near Fall (Back Points) – (2 or 3 points) Near fall points are awarded when the wrestler almost, but not  quite, pins their opponent. A near fall (near pin) is when the shoulder of the opponent are held for two  seconds within four inches of the mat, OR one of the opponent's shoulders touches the mat and the  other shoulder is at a 45 degree angle coming down to the mat, OR the opponent is held in a high  bridge or back on both elbows.  o If a near fall lasts for two seconds, you get 2 points. If a near fall lasts for 5 seconds, you get 3  points. 

5. Penalty Points – (1 or 2 points) Opponents are awarded points for illegal holds or certain technical violations.  

There are several ways a wrestling match can end: 

1. Pin A pin is when the wrestler holds their opponent's shoulder blades flat to the mat for 2 seconds.  

2. Technical Fall A technical fall and is when a wrestler accumulates 15 points over their opponent. The  match ends the moment the official awards the points that eclipses this threshold. 

3. Flagrant Misconduct In the event of Flagrant Misconduct, the offending wrestler is ejected from the  match on the first offense, and loses the match. 

4. Disqualification