Paola Youth Wrestling Club Packet Overview Our main goal is that the kids have fun and to safely learn the fundamentals of wrestling and the behaviors required to do so. As a side benefit, they will learn that a "can-do" attitude can overcome any deficiency in skills. One of the many great things about wrestling is you truly get out what you put into it. During the practices, we intend to speak with each wrestler but it may not always be possible. If you or your child feels they aren't getting the attention they deserve, please let us know. We don t want anyone left out. Practice times are for practice and developing skills. We will strive to maximize our time and maintain focus during this time. Tournaments are their time to compete and show off the skills and conditioning they gained during practice. We expect all wrestlers to work hard during practice and come with the right attitude, while having fun. Equipment For Practices: Your wrestler will need clean shorts/sweats, t-shirt and wrestling shoes. They will not be allowed to wrestle in street shoes however they can go without shoes and wrestle in bare feet/socks. Please ensure their practice clothes are cleaned before each practice. Good hygiene prevents the spread of communicable skin diseases. For Competition: Your wrestler will need their competition singlet (provided by club for $60 deposit), wrestling shoes and headgear. Their shoe laces will need to be taped prior to their matches. Places to get your wrestling shoes and/or headgear: Local: Hibbett Sports Nill Brothers Dicks Sporting Goods. Online: Blue Chip Wrestling: http://www.bluechipwrestling.com Suplay: http://suplay.com Worldwide Wrestling Supply: http://www.wwsport.com/wrestling/wrestling-gear.aspx Spirit Wear In addition to the wrestling gear, we will also have a team/spirit wear order form available to order.
Hygiene We will get hot and sweaty during each practice. Practicing good hygiene is of upmost importance to help prevent the spread of communicable skin diseases like: Ringworm, Staph (including MRSA) and Impetigo among others. Wrestlers with a communicable skin disease will not be allowed to participate without a doctors release including the USA Wrestling Skin form found here: http://usawks.com/highschool/skinhs.pdf The following steps will help your child in preventing any unwanted skin issues: Have them bathe as soon as they are home from practice. This is paramount as the longer they wait the better the chances of getting something. Ensure all clothes are laundered before practice. Do NOT re-wear the same clothes without a good washing. If your child wears kneepads, please throw them in the wash as well. Shoes can be washed as well. We recommend they are washed once a week. Headgear can be wiped down thoroughly using anti-bacterial wipes. If you suspect your child has a skin issue, please let us know. To find out more info, please visit: http://www.themat.com/skinguide.pdf Tournaments Youth wrestlers compete in the form of weekend day tournaments. Tournaments are typically held on Saturday's (Open) and Sundays (Novice). Sometimes, there are Open & Novice held at the same tournament. There are normally multiple options on any given weekend to wrestle nearby or if travelling is your thing, there are options as well. As a club we normally pick 1 possibly 2 tournaments and a novice tournament each weekend that we will attend. It is entirely up to you and your child as to when you would like to compete, how often or what locations you choose to participate in. Participation is entirely optional. Sign Ups For each tournament we plan to participate in, we will have a sign-up at practice. To participate in a tournament you will need utilize the sign-up process at practice by the deadline identified. All tournament fees (usually $15-$20 per event) are required at that time. Rating Tournaments typically utilize a rating system that helps seed wrestlers or bracket them by experience levels. The criteria we use is as follows: A - Excellent (Often wins or places at state/national tournaments) B - Above Average (Often places at open tournament) C - Average D - Novice (Normally 1st and 2nd year)
These ratings our set by the coaching staff and have the final say in how kids are rated. This is to help the wrestler progress through the sport. Divisions & Weights If you choose to compete, you will sign your child up into their specific Age Division and weights. The age divisions are 6U, 8U, 10U, 12U, 14U. You will wrestle in the age group based on your age as of Aug 31st. Weigh Ins The weight classes within each division vary but are normally in 3 pound increments. Your child will be required to weight on or below the weight they were entered. For example, if they are registered to wrestle 64 pounds, they must weight 64 pound or less. Tournament process During the tournament, the coaching staff will normally know when wrestlers are due up. Even so, we ask that either they or their parent come up within a few matches they are due to wrestle and let them know. If the rare chance there isn't a coach available, we do not want the match to be wrestled without a coach mat side. Schedule/ Calendar Practices will be every Monday & Wednesday. 6-7PM for novice and 7-8:30PM for Open. All practices are at the Paola High School unless otherwise noted. We also hold practices during times when school is out (Winter & Spring Break). The schedule is maintained online at: http://paolawrestling.com/schedule/ Expected Behavior We have established some basic behavior for our Wrestlers, Parents and Coaches. Wrestlers Arrive to practice on time and be dressed and ready to go. Do not roam the halls. If you are in the hallway, it is to get a drink or use the restroom only. Take care of yourself with good nutrition and drinking lots of water. Listen when a coach is talking. Looking at them in the eyes lets them know you are paying attention. Give 100% all the time. Have shirt tucked in when practice starts. No food/drink/gum/candy on the mat at any time. Learn to be responsible for your gear and yourself. Respect parents, Coaches and wrestlers Never say you "can't" do something. You can and you will! HAVE FUN!
Parents Remain positive at all times. We represent our club, community and family, please keep this in mind. Remember that kids develop at different rates so each child may realize their potential at a different time than others. Please be patient with them and encourage them. Their time will come! Complaints about calls are the responsibility of the coaching staff. The officials never win or lose a match. Please refrain from child during the math. This is the job of the coaching staff and we do not need competition from the bleachers. The focus of the child should be with the coach and the match. If you have any concerns with the club or staff please bring it to my attention in private so we can resolve the issue as quickly as possible. Don t hesitate to practice skills learned at home with your wrestler. Repetition is the key to getting better, often having them practice in the mirror without a partner is helpful. While at practice please keep your voice down and your children not wrestling quiet. Our room's acoustics are loud and need any outside noise kept to a minimum to keep practices effective. Coaches As a coaching staff we will: Be positive Be patient Be respectful Not tolerate bullying or any dangerous horseplay. Help your athlete develop their skills and love of the sport to the best of our ability. Our Tournament: Volunteers Required! The primary source of income for the club comes from fundraisers. We do one fundraiser in the form of hosting our tournament. Hosting a tournament requires the efforts from all the parents in our club. We expect everyone in the club to lend a helping hand to make our tournament a success. We generally need the following: Concessions: Get donations, schedule shifts, work in the concession stand, clean up Table Workers: Keep score, Towel Tapper. Hospitality Room: Manage the room, ensure we have food for it scheduled, clean up Tournament Setup: Setup / Teardown of tournament (Mats, Clocks, Tables, Chairs, etc) Food / Drinks: Bring food / drinks for concessions and/or Hospitality room. Contact If you have any questions or concern, please don't hesitate to contact me.
Joe Knecht Paola Wrestling Club Director & Head Wrestling Coach 913.709.9875 contact@paolawrestling.com Other helpful info: USA Wrestling Kansas: http://www.usawks.com USA Wrestling: http://www.themat.com Wrestling Rulebook: http://www.themat.com/forms/rulebook.pdf Parents Guide to Wrestling: http://paolawrestling.com/resources/parents-guide