Does anyone have a child in wrestling?

[gonzo76]

My twin boys are 9. They really wanted to do wrestling this year so I signed them up. I don't know too much about the sport. I am worried about them getting hurt. I haven't voiced my concern to them because I could be way off base. I was wondering if you could tell me more about it and if I have a reason to be concerned. Thanks.

 

[BabyTigger99]

My DS is 10 and just started his preseason wrestling. This will be his third year wrestling, and he LOVES it. It took him a bit to get used to it. He started in second grade, so some of the kids he was wrestling had quite a bit of time under their belts, but slowly and surely, things began to quit.

My son's preseason program is run by a father in our state with three sons who are VERY good wrestlers. Then, when regular season starts, he wrestles on a youth team through our high school, coached by the high school coach. With both programs, safety is the number one priority, and is HIGHLY stressed. The kids are watched closely, and the coaches make sure they know what they are doing before they practice the moves "live". Our coaches are also very technique oriented. Yes, there are easier moves they could be taught to get a takedown, but our coaches start with the basics, and then put more advanced moves, as needed, in with the basics.

I love wrestling. I love going to tournaments. DS loves going to tournaments and hanging out with his friends. He has made lots of new friends from other teams that we will run into at tournaments, and they will always talk, ask how the other one is doing, and get excited when they get to wrestle one another.

 

[kellyg403]

My ds15 has been wrestling for two years and ds13 starts his first year tomorrow. With any sport there are chances of injury. We have had great luck with coaches who are very good about TEACHING the kids not only the sport itself but how do wrestle safely..for yourself and your opponent.

The only thing I would caution you about is making sure that anytime your boys have a rash or an itchy spot..take care of it quickly! Last year we had a bout of ipetigo and ringworm. With close contact sports with not alot of clothing..these things kinda spread. Just be aware if the coaches/kids are sanitizing and the kids know if there is an issue to let you know immediately.
We have enjoyed our two years so far and the boys absolutely love it. Who knew that what they have done in their room for the last 10 years..aka fighting...was actually a SPORT!

Kelly

 

[TaraPA]

My DS12 is in his 9th year of wrestling, DS9 is in his 4th year. They both love it, and no one has had an injury - however that is a risk you take in any sport or activity. Like the other posters have stated, I'm sure your youth program coaches are well aware of how to teach wrestling safely. I also agree that ringworm, athlete's foot, impetigo & even MRSA run rampant in a wrestling room. While neither of mine have had any of those directly (knock on wood), it makes it's rounds through the team every year. Our coaches provide (and sell) huge aerosol cans of some sort of antibacterial foam that the kids are to put on all exposed skin (and that's a lot in wrestling) before practice. They are diligent in disinfecting the mats after each practice. Our rule is that you touch NOTHING when coming home from wrestling, you hit the showers immediately.

One of my sons loves the one-on-one competetion of wrestling. My other son prefers a team sport where there's more of a team effort. Either way, wrestling has given them both confidence & kept them active.

 

[Becky2005]

I understand your hesitation. My DS wanted to do wrestling last year as he was a 6th grader. I talked him out of it. I had him take a summer camp at the HS that does wrestling from Kindergarten - 8th grade. He LOVED it. So, he is on the MS wrestling team now. Their first meet is Nov. 2 and it's an away game so I won't even be going to it. I'm going to be a nervous wreck.

I'm totally freaked out by it since my son weighs 70 pounds and I'm not really sure how many other middle schoolers are that small. I only know this because they did a weigh-in last week. They haven't officially started yet, just doing some optional conditioning until next week when they can legally start on the mats. So, he's going to have 1 week of training before going into a match. I don't know how they do it with the younger grade kids because there was no wrestling stuff to be had. I do know it goes by weight class. Here the first weight class is 70 lbs. & under, then 71 - 74? (OR 75? -- I can't remember) what they told us at the parent's meeting.

Our park district just started a wrestling group and it starts in November. I think it's from K - 8 but I'm not entirely sure anymore.

 

[2binak]

I grew up with wrestling. My brother and 3 of my cousins wrestled, all from the time they were in elementary school. One cousin and 2 friends of the family were in the state championships and one of those friends won the state title and tried out for the Olympic team. My parents were part of the high school booster club, even after my brother graduated, so I was always at games & tournaments. I always liked the sport and think it's a great sport for building confidence and self asteem. There's no team to back you up out there. It's just you and the other guy and it's as much a mental sport as it is physical. They wrestle based on weight classes so your son will not be paired up with someone weight more than he does.

The thing to watch out for as they get older is fluctuating weight. My brother wrestled in at least 2 different weight classes depending on who made their weight that week and who the opponents were. He was good, so his coach tried to make the best use of him. One week he would wrestle in the 119lb class and the next he'd wrestle in the 125lb class. I remember one tournament where he had to lose the 6 lbs by the end of the day to wrestle in the 119lb class - that was crazy and my parents should never have let him do it, but he did it. This was back in the early 80's. I'm hoping coaches and parents are more aware of this not being healthy now, but you never know.

Other than the weight aspect that some kids can get caught up in, I really do feel that it's a great sport for kids to get involved in.

 

[Becky2005]

The thing to watch out for as they get older is fluctuating weight...This was back in the early 80's. I'm hoping coaches and parents are more aware of this not being healthy now, but you never know.

The coach's talked about this at our parent meeting. They know with MS you get lots of changing for weight. They basically said they just put the kids in whatever weight class they happen to be in that week. The only time they would deal with making weight class is let's say your kid is 1 pound over the weight class and tells the coach he can get down before the next meet. Then the coach would expect him to get that one pound down (or up too I guess would work) since they have to make the roster up based on that. Normally, they don't even TELL the kid what weight class they are wrestling in until the meet. They are very much for health vs. just making weight. At least at this level, who knows once they get to HS here.

 

[2binak]

I could see them gaining or losing 1 or 2lbs, but my brother would gain or lose up to 6 lbs in one week to make whichever class he was needed at that week. I'm glad the coaches are aware of the issues and talked to the parents about it.

 

[Mamu]

My son wrestling all through HS and College, and I attended all the games.

I hated it, not the sport itself. The cutting weight, and all the virus
that came with the sport thats played on a mat.

I found it gross. Player after player wrestle on the same mat over and over.

I was never so happy when his wrestling day were over.

 

[golfgal]

The high school coaches have been after our boys since 7th grade to wrestle because they are small-DS17 only weighs 115lbs. No way would I let them do that, and they didn't want to either. The highest incidence of anorexia and bulimia in boys is in wrestlers.

I know in our state several years ago they instituted some weight guidelines and kids couldn't wrestle outside of their weight class after a certain point on the season. They all had to be weighed by an outside source, generally a sports medicine clinic and have their BMI measured. They were then put into a weight class according to those measurements. Even so you see the kids wearing sweatsuits all day, spitting into cups all day, not drinking or eating for days so they could make weight. Nope, not here.