Welcome to Sun Prairie Youth Wrestling!
NOTES ABOUT PRACTICES:
Practice requirements:
 Your child is expected to attend wrestling practice both nights. If you cannot attend,
no need to call to report it, but keep in mind that the more you practice, the better
you will get. Wrestling involves lots of different techniques; missing practices means
you’ll be missing those learning opportunities.
 Wrestlers should shower after practice and wrestling clothes need to be washed after
every practice. Wrestling involves close contact with others.
What if my wrestler is sick?
 Don’t come if you are sick! Wrestling involves close contact with others- an illness isn’t
something that we want to share!
What does my wrestler need to wear to practice?
 A t-shirt and shorts along with wrestling shoes and headgear.
What’s expected of my wrestler?
 HAVE FUN! First and foremost wrestling should be fun for everyone.
 Go to the bathroom before practice, going during practice keeps the wrestler and
the wrestling partner from getting better.
 Respect the practice room. Do not jump on, hang on, crawl up or run into the mats on
the walls. This will cause the mats to fall down or tear and that will cause us to lose our
practice room. (This includes siblings)
 Do not wear wrestling shoes outside of the wrestling room.
 Wrestle to the best of your ability at all practices and tournaments. (I can’t is not in our
vocabulary).
 Be 5 minutes early to a scheduled practice, this will give you time to get ready so
practice can begin on time.
 Come to every practice. We know there are genuine reasons why you might have to
miss practice, please keep absences to a minimum.
 Do not cry on the wrestling mat when you lose. Everyone wants to win but there is
always someone that loses, after the match congratulate you opponent and the
opposing coach, leave the mat with your chin up, if you need to gather your
composure do so away from the mat, find your coach when you are ready and
discuss the match.
 Tell coaches of any injuries. If you were injured when not at wrestling the coaches
need to know. Injured wrestlers may not wrestle if the injury is serious. Any concussions
must have a medical release prior to returning to practice. Wrestling is a combative
contact sport; you will get bumps, bruises, scrapes and pulled muscles from time to
time.
 Be a good sport ALL THE TIME. It is human nature to want to win but if we do not win be
gracious in our loss. And when winning remember your opponent…be respectful and
a good sport.
 Treat all teammates with respect. (They are your wrestling family and should be
treated as such at all times!)
 Control yourself at all times or wrestling in a match. Support the team when not
wrestling!
 Listen to the coaches. This means eyes on the coaches with mouths closed.
 WORK HARD. Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard!
Not following the rules will result in consequences. Here are some of the consequences:
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Extra Conditioning (running, pushups) or whatever the coach feels appropriate.
Team Punishment (running, pushups) or whatever the coach feels appropriate.
Missed wrestling tournaments. If you are not ready to wrestle you could be injured and
the coaches will not allow an unprepared athlete wrestle at a tournament.
WRESTLING EQUIPMENT:
Why is headgear important?
 Wrestling headgear is made to protect the wearer from long term injury. Constant
bashing and beating of a wrestler’s ear can cause blood vessels in the ear to burst
(commonly called cauliflower ear.) If cauliflower ear does develop, the wrestler may
need to visit a doctor that will need to drain the blood out of the ear with a needle.
Permanent disfiguration of the ears can occur.
 Headgear should be worn at both practices and tournaments. Any headgear will
help protect your wrestler. Make sure it fits snuggly, is comfortable and easy to put on.
If it isn’t comfortable, your wrestler won’t want to wear it. Locally, Dicks carries
headgear.
Should we get wrestling shoes and a singlet?
 Shoes provide the wrestler traction and safety the wrestler needs. They are different
from other types of athletic shoes and should only be worn while wrestling- not outside.
 Singlets are encouraged, but not required.
COMMUNICATION:
How is communication handled?
 The primary method of communication is via email. If you are not receiving emails,
please contact hpreeder@gmail.com.
 Our web site is: www.sunprairieyouthwrestling.com You will find tournament
information there.
How do parents communicate with the coaches?
 Feel free to discuss any concerns directly with the head coach Ryan Johnson or Randy
Bouzek. You may also talk with Heather or Brian Reeder, the Sun Prairie Youth Wrestling
representatives.
What are my financial obligations?
 All wrestlers are to sign up with Sun Prairie Youth Wrestling and pay according to the
fee schedule to participate in wrestling practices.
 Each wrestler is also required to maintain membership with USA Wrestling should they
wish to compete in tournaments. The annual membership fee determined annually by
USA Wrestling. You can acquire an USA Wrestling card at www.usawrestling.org
 Should a wrestler choose to participate in a tournament, you are responsible for
signing up and paying for those tournament fees.
 Sun Prairie Youth Wrestling hosts one tournament per year. Each family is requested to
make one concession donation and volunteer for one opportunity during the
tournament.
 You are encouraged to have shoes, headgear and a singlet at your own cost.
VOLUNTEER REQUIREMENTS:
What is the volunteer commitment and how do I sign up?
 Sun Prairie Wrestling requires minimal parent participation. Parents are to sign up their
own child for tournaments and are expected to volunteer for the home tournament.
Committees will be formed as needed during parent meetings, and volunteer sign-ups
will be posted online or emailed to you.
TEAM APPAREL:
Are the team singlets required and where can they be purchased?
 Team singlets are not required, but are strongly encouraged. Team singlets promote
the team environment.
 You may purchase them at the beginning of the year through the Youth Wrestling
group.
 Team singlets are not required, but are encouraged. Singlet sales will be held in the
fall. Other apparel will be available for purchase at that time.
TOURNAMENTS:
What are some general things I should know about attending tournaments?
 Be honest when signing up for tournaments. If your wrestler is new, mark that they are
a beginner, but if they’ve shown successes, be sure to mark it appropriately.
 If you don’t understand how wrestling is scored, a helpful web site is www.usyw.org
As a parent, please:
 Remember that you are a representative of your community and our wrestling group
when you are at tournaments.
 Support your athlete's efforts positively. Let your coach be the coach- you don’t need
to.
 Treat all coaching and officiating personnel with courtesy and respect.
 Promote and model mature and sportsmanlike behavior at all events.
Are tournaments mandatory?
 Competition allows a wrestler to see the progress they are making. Seeing
improvement is very important in keeping the athlete motivated and interested.
Tournaments, however, are not mandatory.
 If this is your first year of wrestling, you may want to spend your energies at practices.
Wrestling has a lot to learn to be successful and you may want to learn many moves
before heading to tournaments. Don’t get frustrated, learn from experiences.
How do you sign up for tournaments?
 The team will post the tournaments we participate in together, but you may
participate in any tournament that fits within your schedule.
 The web sites to view and sign up for tournaments are:
o http://www.trackwrestling.com
o http://www.usyw.org/
o http://wiwrestling.com
 Tournament fees are your responsibility to register and pay for the tournament fees.
Do we carpool to and/or sit together at tournaments?
 The club does not provide transportation to/from tournaments; however, many
parents are willing to help get a wrestler to a meet, as long as it is the exception, not
the rule. We do encourage families to sit together and support all Sun Prairie Wrestlers.
Before the tournament, be sure that your wrestler:
 Had nutritious meals and a good night’s sleep.
 Has their wrestling gear including headgear, shoes and singlet. You may wrestle in t
shirt and shorts, but headgear is a must.
Be sure to bring to the tournament:
 Wrestling shoes
 Singlet
 Headgear
 Sweatshirt/extra clothes to wear in between matches.
 A water bottle and nutritious snack.
 Most tournaments have concessions to purchase.
During the tournament:
 Wrestlers should stay in the area with their team.
 Wrestler are responsible for getting to the mat at the start of his/her match
 Wrestlers should congratulate the opponent and their coach with a handshake after
the match.
WHY WRESTLING?
The purpose of youth sports is to provide experiences for future life activities by introducing the
concepts and skills of a myriad of sports available in the United States. Wrestling, the oldest activity of
all, is but one.
Young people are attracted to wrestling because they have been "practicing" the skills of the sport
since birth. A basic endeavor of any infant, at about two-three weeks old, is the back arch as an
effort to roll from back to stomach. Parents boast the accomplishment. A child steps onto a mat and
makes contact with another; each is a winner. The taste for competition is born. Wrestling is fun.
Every child can wrestle. Competitors are paired by approximate size, weight, and age. Athletes need
not be tall in order to make the team, as in basketball; athletes don't have to be big, as in football;
and athletes don't have to be speedy, as in track. Athletes of all shapes and sizes can excel and
enjoy the sport. Children enjoy physical activity that makes them strong and improves conditioning
and proper nutrition. The result is a positive self-image and healthy self-esteem.
Wrestling is a great conditioner. It is a sport in which each athlete is in constant motion. Everyone on
the mat is participating in the drills; everyone is involved in live wrestling and the action; everyone
improves their stamina, strength, agility, explosiveness, and power. It is the universal conditioner of a
myriad of sports and can enhance the skills of competitors in football, lacrosse, soccer, track, crosscountry, ad infinitum.
There are innumerable reasons kids enjoy wrestling and innumerable benefits from participation.
However, the ultimate benefit of this form of competition is the ability to meet a challenge and never
let it "BEAT YOU!" Mental toughness is the "heart" of an athlete and no sport teaches it better than
wrestling.
The wrestler quickly learns that only he/she and the opponent are on the mat and that they alone
must make it happen. The wrestler is in sole control and responsible for the outcome -- no one else
made a bad pass; no one else dropped the ball; no one else missed the block; no one else drew the
penalty; no one else missed the rebound. The individual wrestler learns that hard work, practice, and
dedication, reduce mistakes and increases personal success. The individual wrestler develops a
mental toughness and a work ethic that enables him/her to excel and achieve victory. This inherent
requirement of wrestling is critical to success in every sport as well as to success in academics and to
success in life.
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USA Wrestling