Lake Zurich Wrestling
Program Philosophy
It is the belief of the Lake Zurich Wrestling Program that:
1. The safety of all participants is the primary concern of the coaching, teaching, administrative, and
support staff of the school.
2. Co-curricular participation is a means to develop such qualities as
A. Discipline
B. Respect for oneself and for one’s peers
C. A strong work ethic
D. Sportsmanship
E. Physical and athletic prowess
F. Independence
3. There is a place in the Lake Zurich wrestling program for participants of all skill and ability levels.
4. Varsity level competition is a privilege to be earned through displaying the qualities that best
promote the school, the sport, and the team.
5. Coaches, athletes, and parents share the responsibility for making the wrestling program positive
and successful.
6. Behavior that is detrimental to the positive functioning of the wrestling program or its individual
members will not be tolerated.
Team Policies
An absence due to illness or emergency – The athlete is expected to call or email a coach as soon as
possible and reasonable. Coach Strickler’s personal cell number is 847-567-3162. Any coach can be
emailed at first.last@lz95.org
Sportsmanship—All participants are expected to conduct themselves in accordance with the ideals of
good sportsmanship.
Team Line-ups—Positions for all levels will be determined at the discretion of the coaching staff. A
coach may call a challenge match if there is a need.
Team Captains—Team captains will be chosen by the coaching staff from among wrestlers who apply
for the position.
Horse Play/Hazing – This is unacceptable and may result in disciplinary action.
Weight Management Program—Eligible weights for competition will be determined through the IHSA
mandated weight control program of hydration and body-fat testing. Information on this program will
be made available to all wrestlers.
Individual Hygiene and Infection Control—All wrestlers must wear fresh, clean clothing to each
practice; wrestlers are also required to shower at school immediately after each practice before leaving.
Wrestlers will be expected to keep their locker clear of damp, dirty clothing and equipment.
Guidelines and Expectations
Practice
All team members are expected to:
1. Attend every practice
A. Practices are held every day, Monday through Saturday, through the end of the season.
B. Winter Break practices will be announced at the beginning of the season.
C. Excused reasons for absence from practice include
i. working with a teacher
ii. attending a study session
iii. necessary medical appointments
iv. ACT testing (or equivalent)
D. All missed practice time requires written documentation to be considered excused.
E. Missed practice time may effect the athletes position on the team.
2. Begin practicing on time
A. On regular attendance days practice begins promptly at 3:30 and will last until
approximately 6:00.
B. Saturday, vacation, and holiday practices will begin at 8:00am unless announced otherwise.
C. Practice times for other days, such as early release and institutes, will be announced at
practice as early as possible.
D. Being on time includes having all clothing and gear on and ready, and prepared to begin
warm-up.
3. Wear clean clothing to every practice
A. P.E. uniforms will not be allowed under any circumstances.
B. Clothing from other high schools may not be allowed.
C. Practice clothing must be suitable for the specific demands of wrestling.
4. Work hard at every practice, and follow all directions of the coaching staff.
5. Behave and speak in a manner appropriate to the school environment.
Competition
All team members are expected to:
1. Attend every dual meet.
2. Wear approved Lake Zurich attire at all times
A. LZ wrestling warm-ups are considered most appropriate.
B. LZ wrestling t-shirts are appropriate.
C. Other attire must clearly and visibly display the words Lake Zurich.
3. Assist in set-up and break-down of the gym at home meets
A. Wrestlers at all levels will assist in setting up mats.
B. Wrestlers at all levels will assist in returning mats to the storage room.
4. Remain at the event until its conclusion, or until excused by the coaching staff
A. Wrestlers will need approval prior to the beginning of the event for permission to leave
early.
B. Leaving a competition without permission of the coaching staff will be considered an
unexcused absence.
5. Remain in the gym at all times unless given permission to leave by a coach
6. Be on the team bench at all times except for warm-up and immediately after a match.
7. Take the bus to all away dual meets
A. All district and school policies concerning bus behavior will be enforced.
B. The entire team will be held responsible for any garbage left on a bus.
C. Tournament competitors will ride the bus
8. Notify the coaching staff if leaving with a parent or legal guardian.
9. Model sportsmanship and appropriate behavior at all times.
10. Use appropriate language at all times.
Academic Eligibility
All team members are expected to:
1. Be aware of the Lake Zurich High School academic eligibility policy.
2. Prioritize their time and effort to maintain academic eligibility
A. Notify the coaching staff if in danger of failing a class.
B. Attend all necessary study sessions to regain eligibility.
General Conduct
All team members are expected to:
1. Act in a manner appropriate to a Lake Zurich wrestler. (No horse play, appropriate language, etc)
2. Be responsible for maintaining and returning all program equipment issued, including singlets,
warm-ups, and head gear.
3. Model sportsmanship at all times.
4. Abide by the letter and the spirit of the Lake Zurich High School co-curricular code of conduct.
5. Follow all directions of the team captains
6. Follow the direction of all members of the coaching staff at all times.
Off-Season Program
A component of the philosophy of the Lake Zurich Wrestling program is that, while there is a place on
the team for participants of all ability levels, all participants are expected to put forth 100% effort to
remain eligible to compete. In line with that philosophy, all wrestlers interested in a varsity position
will be expected to invest a level of work and commitment appropriate to a varsity level team. The
coaching staff should be kept informed of any and all efforts to improve that may occur outside of the
school setting.
The coaching staff maintains a record of each athlete’s efforts to improve. Incentives are awarded for
various levels of effort in the off-season. Backpacks, special t-shirts and other such items are an
example of such incentives.
Ways to earn wrestling insentives include:
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Participation in a summer wrestling camp
Attendance at a freestyle or summer practice
Attendance at open wrestling gyms
Competition at an off-season wrestling tournament
Lifting (in the school’s weight room only)
Enrolling in P.E. lifting
Other athletic or wrestling-based experiences with prior approval
Attending a private wrestling/ training facility
If you have any questions about these requirements, please speak with a member of the coaching staff.
IHSA Wrestling Weight Control Program
Beginning with the 2003-04 school year, the IHSA has implemented its weight control program that
includes body fat testing. The program is designed to determine the minimum weight class a wrestler
may participate in throughout the season. The establishment of a minimum weight class is based on a
body fat measurement of 7% for male wrestlers and 12% for female wrestlers.
The IHSA is concerned for the safety of the young people who participate in our wrestling program.
The establishment of minimum weight classes along with a maximum weight loss per week allows
high school wrestlers to participate in the healthiest manner possible.
Revised 11/2012
Excerpts from:
Parents Can Help Their Kids, By Steve Fraser, October, 2005
Wrestling is one of the greatest sports there is for helping young kids build their character, develop self
confidence, improve discipline, and strengthen their will to succeed. The life skills and success
principles that young wrestlers develop while learning to wrestle are very valuable in progressing in
life.
Whether they won national wrestling/world titles or not, the mental, physical and emotional attributes
honed by the wonderful sport called “wrestling” are what make up the real benefit to all who
participate. To bottom line it…wrestling makes champions in life!
Now, as a parent who wants to see their youngster be happy and successful in life, how can you help?
Parents, as we all know, play an extremely important role in the development of our children. Parents
are the main influence to their loved ones. In wrestling, it is very important foster the right wrestling
atmosphere. Having a supportive and positive attitude about your son or daughter participating – is
crucial in helping them learn to love this tough and grueling sport. How you react to their progress,
their wins, and their losses is very critical. How are you able to keep your child’s winning and losing in
perspective? What if your child is being treated a bit rough by their opponent, or if the referee makes a
bad call against your child? How will you react? Parents are sometimes unprepared for the strong
emotional reaction they have to watching their child compete. Obviously one reason for this strong
emotional feeling is that parents want their young wrestler to do well. They want their child to win.
They may think it is a reflection of them. Parents may think that their son or daughter’s failure is
their own failure.
What parents need to realize is that their personal dream for their child’s glory, although not entirely
unselfish, is natural. However, parents that can be aware of their own pride and are capable of being
amused by their imperfections will help to keep themselves under control. Flying off the handle or
straining relationships with coaches or other parents is not good for your child. Just like you don’t want
your child to embarrass you, you don’t want to embarrass your child.
Kids in wrestling are very intuitive to what their parents are thinking. In addition, kids imitate their
parents and absorb the attitudes that are displayed by their parent’s actions. If parents are too into
trying to control the coaches, referees, and other parents and are upset or angry a lot, it is hard for the
young wrestler to enjoy the sport.
Kids' wrestling is supposed to be fun where they are focusing on the fundamentals of the sport. If kids
first learn to like the act of grappling they will continue to learn the very difficult skills. Wrestling
requires learning many skill sets. Technique, balance, tactics, strategies, mental toughness are all
intertwined skills that must be learned before one can have great success in the sport. This takes time!
Wrestling is not learned overnight. This is why, especially at a young age, it is imperative that kids
stay focused on having fun and learning the basics. The winning will come later.
The Parents Guide To Kids Wrestling, published by Human Kinetics Publishers, Inc., lists seven items
that all parents should consider when determining where they stand as far as how they are helping their
young wrestler. If you can honestly answer yes to all of the following questions then you are well on
your way to helping your child in wrestling… and in life.
1. Can you give your child up? That means trusting the coach in guiding your wrestler’s wrestling
experience. It means accepting the coach’s authority and the fact that he may be gaining some of the
wrestler’s admiration that once was directed towards you.
2. Can you admit your short comings? Sometimes we err as parents and our emotions speak before
we think. We judge to quickly, only to learn we made a mistake. It takes character for parents to admit
they made a mistake and to discuss it with their child.
3. Can you accept your child’s triumphs? It sounds silly, but some parents, fathers in particular are
competitive with their wrestlers. If their wrestler does well in a match, the father may dwell on the
minor mistakes, describe how the wrestler’s older wrestler did even better, or recount Dad did it “way
back when.”
4. Can you accept your child’s disappointments? Sometimes as parents we are targets for our child’s
anger and frustration. This goes along with the job. Accepting their disappointment also means atching
them lose a match when their friends are winning, or not being embarrassed into anger when he/she
breaks out into tears after losing.
5. Can you show your child self-control? The coach has a tough enough job teaching good
sportsmanship to youngsters especially if the parents are losing control and showing poor
sportsmanship themselves.
6. Can you give some time? Some parents are very busy and have trouble being there frequently.
Probably the best solution is never promise more then you can deliver. Ask about your child’s
wrestling experiences and make every effort to watch at least some of your child’s matches.
7. Can you let your child make their own decisions? This is an essential part of a child growing up,
and can sometimes be a real challenge for parents. It means offering suggestions and guidance, but
finally, within limits, letting the child go his / her own way. All parents have ambitions for their
children, but parents must realize that they cannot mold the child’s entire life. The great thing about
wrestling is that it helps your child to start making his/her own decisions and living with the
consequences.
The fact that your child is wrestling is wonderful. They are learning to work very hard, make tons of
sacrifices, and dedicate themselves to the extreme demands that this tremendously difficult sport has to
offer. Truly there is no tougher sport in the world. With your support and encouragement, your child
will reap the many benefits gained by participating and will not only succeed in the game of wrestling,
but also in the game of life.
Expect to Win!
“All that we send into the lives of others comes back into our own.”
-Edwin Markham