Greencastle Antrim Junior Wrestling Q&A

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1 Greencastle Antrim Junior Wrestling Q&A 1. What clothing and gear is needed to wrestle? Wrestlers should wear a pair of wrestling shoes at the practices and meets. Please bring the wrestlers to practices and meets in another pair of sneakers or street shoes, and have them change into the wrestling shoes once they get inside the building. Wearing the wrestling shoes outside and then walking with them on the mats exposes the wrestlers to all types of bacteria, which can lead to infections and illnesses. Shorts or sweats, and a t-shirt are recommended for the practices, while Greencastle Junior Wrestling will provide a wrestling singlet for the meets. Headgear is also highly recommend, which can be purchased at a sporting goods store or online. 2. Who do we wrestle against? Greencastle Junior Wrestling belongs to the Central Penn Youth Wrestling League. Wrestlers must reside within one of the sixteen CPYWL school districts to be eligible for the league tournament. All of the teams in this league contain participants from grades K-6th grade. League matches are held on Saturdays, starting in January and ending with the Final League Championship the first weekend in March. At the league matches, we will wrestle against 2 to 4 other teams. Individual bout scoring is kept, but there are no team scores. We generally wrestle most of the other schools in the league during the regular season. The league is broken into a four divisions, and these divisions are used as a qualifying round for the League Championship. The teams are divided as follows: North South East West West Perry Greencastle Northern York Chambersburg Susquenita Fairfield Biglerville Boiling Spring Northern Lebanon Waynesboro Gettysburg Carlisle Newport Littlestown New Oxford Big Spring Cedar Cliff Delone Catholic Bermudian Spr Shippensburg 3. What age categories are used to group the wrestlers? The league determines the age of the wrestlers based on January 1st of the current wrestling season (January 1, 2015). No junior high wrestlers are allowed to wrestle in our league, pre-school through sixth graders only. The league age groups are as follows: Bantam 6 years old and younger Midget 7 & 8 years old Junior 9 & 10 years old Intermediate 11 through 13 years old Remember that these are names for our league age categories. If you wrestle at

2 tournaments outside of league play, the age category names might be the same, but the age requirements could be different. 4. What weight classes are used to group the wrestlers? The league follows the Middle Atlantic Wrestling Association weight classes. They are specific to the age group of the wrestler. Bantam : 40,44,48,52,56,60,65,73,UNL Midget : 46,50,54,58,62,66,70,75,80,85,93,105,UNL Junior : 54,58,62,66,70,74,78,82,86,91,98,105,112,120,130,UNL Intermediate : 65,70,75,80,85,90,95,100,105,110,115,120,128,136,146,160,UNL The weight classes represent the maximum weight allowed in the class. For example, a Bantam wrestler who weighs 64 pounds would fall into the 65 pound weight class. 5. How often will the wrestlers be weighed? 1) A mandatory league pre-season weigh-in takes place each year before the first league match. This weight is used to set up bouts for league matches during the regular season. 2) A mandatory league tournament weigh-in occurs the week of the Divisional League Qualifier. This weight will be used to bracket the wrestlers by weight class for the duration of the League Tournament. Since the 2009 season, another mandatory weigh-in is required the morning of the Championship round, with NO weight allowance. Scales are open two hours prior to the start time of each Championship session(s),with the official weigh-ins beginning one hour prior to the start time. When the official weigh-in begins, the wrestler may not step off the scale and attempt to lose weight. So get there early before the official weigh-in begins to check your weight if you are not sure. 6. How do the coaches match up wrestlers for individual bouts? Every Friday, coaches from each of the programs that will be wrestling on Saturday meet to create bouts for the wrestlers. These are the same coaches that practice with the wrestlers during the week, so they are familiar with the wrestlers abilities. They also have a statistics sheet, which shows each wrestler s age, grade, weight, years of experience, and current season record. Coaches always seek to match wrestlers of the same age, of the same weight, of the same experience, and of similar records to make fair and challenging bouts. If possible, the coaches try to get each wrestler at least two bouts for Saturday. However, there are times when exact matches cannot be found on a given Saturday due to the availability of like wrestlers from the other programs. Our coaches will work with the coaches from the other programs, and may occasionally move a wrestler up or down one weight class, or even in rare instances, an age group, to get the wrestler a bout. Every effort is made by the coaches to find the best available matches for the wrestlers, so that each bout is a positive experience and not a miss-match.

3 7. How do I tell the coaches if my wrestler will be coming to a league meet on Saturday? Once the regular season league meets begin, it is expected that each wrestler will attend the league meets. On our website at there is a Meet Attendance sign-up on the Meet Attendance tab. Only if you are NOT attending, you must un-click the box next to your child s name to indicate that your wrestler will NOT be at the league match on Saturday, no later than the Thursday prior to the meet. Our coaches use this sheet on Friday evening, to work with the other teams coaches to create bouts for Saturday. Also, you can Coach Brandon Nolan to let him know you will NOT attend if you know in advance. If your child has become ill, or you have had a change of plans, you must call Coach Brandon to communicate this change. Please notify the coaches as soon as possible, so they know whether or not to create bouts for the wrestler on Friday evening. If something would change Saturday morning, please call the coaches at least an hour before the match begins. This allows the coaches some time to find replacement bouts for the other team s wrestlers. Brandon Nolan: Tio Paci: What time should I arrive at the meets on Saturday? Wrestlers need to arrive a 45 minutes before the meet start time. This gives them a chance to get their bout assignments and get warmed up. The coaches write their bout assignments on the wrestler s hand. Coming 45 minutes early also gives the coaches a chance to check attendance, and determine if any bouts need rescheduled. Please do not plan to come when the meet begins, because your wrestler may have been considered absent, and his matches may have been given away to other wrestlers. 9. How long does each league meet last? This varies on the number of teams that are wrestling, the facility where the meet is hosted, and the bout numbers your wrestler was assigned. League meets normally last 4 or 5 hours. 10. At league meets, what do we do about food and drink? The facility that hosts the meet provides a wide array of concessions. The wrestlers and their families will have time between bouts to get something to eat and drink. You may also bring coolers with snacks and drinks. 11. At the League meets, how will I know when it is time for my child to wrestle?

4 A half-hour before the league meets start each Saturday, the coaches write the bout numbers for each wrestler on the back of one of their hands. The hosting school usually has three wrestling mats set up in a main gym. Some schools may even provide one or two additional mats in an auxiliary room or gym. In the main gym, a bout number board is normally placed in plain view. The board lists the next 4 or 5 bouts that are scheduled to occur on each of the mats. Instead of using a central bout board, some schools may place a bout tree on the table at each mat, also showing the next 4 or 5 bout numbers on that specific mat. The bout numbers are posted sequentially, starting at 1, and running into the 200 or 300 s depending on how many bouts are scheduled that day. There are times when there is a significant gap between the wrestler s bout number assignments. These are good times to visit the concessions sales and the restrooms. Concessions are normally located in the school s cafeteria or lobby. It is very important that the wrestlers and the parents watch the bout numbers to know when they are to wrestle. If they miss their bout number when it comes up at a mat, they may have to forfeit the bout. Not showing up to the mat ahead of time also causes delays and extends the day for everyone. When their bout number is posted, the wrestler should begin to make their way to the appropriate mat. The wrestler must check in with a Beginning Champions coach at or near the mat to let them know that they have a bout coming up soon. If a coach is not currently at that mat, the wrestler needs to get the attention of one of the other Beginning Champion coaches on another mat, and tell them about their upcoming bout. The wrestler is not allowed to walk out onto the mat for their bout until a coach has been assigned to them. 12. Are family or friends allowed to go down on the mat during a bout? Parents are permitted mat-side to video or take pictures. Spectators are encouraged to cheer loudly, but from the stands or off of the mat. 13. How long is each wrestling bout? The individual league bouts are three periods of one minute each (1-1-1), with an optional overtime period. No riding time. 14. What things happen during the bout? When the wrestler s bout number is posted for a mat, the wrestler will make his way down to that mat. He must notify one of the coaches that his bout is coming up soon, and check in at the mat table on the bout prior to his own. At this time the wrestler will be given a green or red ankle band, which will be used by the referee to indicate scoring to the score keeper. There will be three one-minute periods in the bout. The coach normally talks briefly to the wrestler before going out on the mat for his bout. The wrestlers start the first period in the neutral position, where both wrestlers are standing facing each other with one foot on the starting rectangle in

5 the center of the mat. The referee blows the whistle to start the bout, and one of the wrestlers will attempt to take down his opponent first. After the first period ends, the referee will flip a disc to determine which wrestler will get to choose the staring position for the second period. It is critical for the wrestler to look at his coach for assistance before making this decision on his own. There are strategies to making a good choice here, and the coaches experience and knowledge is vital. Four choices can be made: neutral again, top, bottom, or defer. By deferring, the wrestler gives his opponent the position choice in the second period, while reserving his position choice for the third and final regular period. In the third period, the wrestler who did not pick the starting position in period two gets his choice. Again, it is important for the wrestlers to look at their coaches in between each period for assistance on position choice and other guidance. If the third period ends in a tie, an extra one minute period of sudden death overtime is used as a tie breaker. The wrestlers start back in the neutral position, and the first wrestler to score wins. If the 1st overtime period ends in a tie, then a 2nd 30 second overtime period is used. Here the wrestlers will start in the referee s position (one wrestler on top, and the other on the bottom). The wrestler who scored first in the match will have the choice of top or bottom. In this 2nd overtime period, the top wrestler wins if the bottom wrestler does not escape, and the bottom wrestler wins if he scores a point. 15. How are points scored? During a bout, points are given to a wrestler when he demonstrates control over his opponent. A wrestler does this by controlling his opponent s hips. Points are awarded for the following maneuvers: Take Down (2 points) - From a neutral position, where both wrestlers are standing, one wrestler brings his opponent down to the mat and establishes control over him. This is normally accomplished by attacking the opponents legs or performing a throw. Reverse (2 points) A wrestler who is being controlled takes control from his opponent. Often the wrestler being controlled is being held and has his back to his opponent. He then switches positions with his opponent by coming around behind or rolling over on top to take back control. Near Fall (2 points) A wrestler exposes his opponent s back to the mat (back tilted towards the mat at an angle of less than 45 degrees) for 2 to 4 seconds. You will see the referee motioning his arm as he counts the seconds.

6 Near Fall (3 points) A wrestler exposes his opponent s back to the mat for 5 seconds. After the referee counts to 5 seconds, no more points are awarded. Escape (1 point) A wrestler who is being controlled is able to separate and get away from his opponent back to a neutral position. Penalty (1 point) A point came be awarded to the other wrestler for various reasons such as an illegal hold (full Nelson, locked hands, etc ) or stalling. 16. Can I send my wrestler to other open tournaments instead of a league meet? We encourage full participation in the league meets. If a wrestler is going to miss more than 2 of the scheduled league meets, they must have a legitimate reason or a doctor s note. There may be several good opportunities during the season for the wrestlers to attend other open and novice tournaments. These will be communicated in the weekly newsletters. 17. How many league meets must a wrestler participate in order to qualify for the League Championships? League meets should be given a priority status and every effort should be made to honor league commitments. Wrestlers cannot miss more than 2 of the league meets in order to be eligible for the league tournament. 19. What awards are given out at the League Tournament? Awards are given to the top four winners in each weight class and T-Shirts are given to all participants. 20. What can I do as a parent to help my wrestler? Be positive, encourage, and support your kids as they wrestle. Celebrate with them when they experience success, and help keep their chins up when the results are disappointing. Wrestling is a fun and challenging sport, one that can have its ups and downs. It takes some courage for a youngster to step out on that mat by themselves, in front of all of those people, and face someone who wants to pin their back to the mat! Unfortunately the kids can sometimes focus on wins and losses, and can get down when things don t go well. Stress the positives at these times, like pointing out how close a bout was, or how they did a new move, or highlight how they scored some points, or how proud you are for their effort to hold off a pin against a tough competitor. If they keep trying, they will continue to improve each week. The program and coaches do not emphasize winning or losing, but trying your best, learning, having fun, and demonstrating good sportsmanship.

Youth Wrestling Match Basics

Youth Wrestling Match Basics What takes place in a wrestling match: Before - The wrestlers are each given leg bands of opposing colors (typically red and green). The referee is wearing wrist bands with