Downingtown
Wrestling Club
Parent Information
Packet
2009-2010
Our Philosophy
The Downingtown Wrestling Club was established to provide Downingtown area youths
the opportunity to experience the great sport of wrestling, to instill qualities of leadership, good
sportsmanship, self-discipline, compassion, mental and physical fitness and respect. Our goal is
not for every child to win every match, but for each child to strive for and achieve his or her own
personal best. Winning is not measured by which wrestler has his hand raised at the end of the
match, but by the wrestler who gave his best effort and improved in the process.
that will carry into adulthood
Practice
Practice Times and Locations
Practice will start Tuesday, November 17, 2009. Practice will be held Tuesday and Thursday
evenings beginning at 6:00 p.m. Novices (1st year wrestlers and those under 8 years old) will
practice until 7:15 p.m. Advanced wrestlers and others selected by the coaches (Intermediates)
will practice until 8:00 p.m. All regular practices will be held at the Downingtown Education
Center gymnasium at 445 Manor Avenue, Downingtown. Please enter through the side entrance
closest to the high school unless directed otherwise.
Please do not drop your child off unless there is a coach in the gym. You may stay in the gym
during practice. For first year wrestlers and those under 8 years old, it is a good idea for you to
stay, at least for the first few practices. Please remember, however, that the coaches require the
undivided attention of the wrestlers during practice. Please do not ‘coach’ your child from the
sidelines. Please respect the volunteer coaches’ time and effort, and refrain from loud
conversations or other activities that may inhibit the communication between coaches and
wrestlers. Wrestlers who do not cooperate with coaches instructions will be asked to leave the
mat.
The tournament team will practice Monday evenings from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the
Downingtown East High School wrestling room, at 50 Devon Drive, Exton. Please enter through
the back of the building and only park in designated parking areas.
Please note that we follow the Downingtown Area School District school closure policy.
If DASD schools are closed or dismissed early due to weather, we will not practice. Further, we
will not have practice on the following dates:
November 26
December 24
December 31
February 15
Practice Groups
During practice wrestlers will be divided into two groups: The Novice/Intermediate
group and the Advanced group. Novices and Intermediates will be on one side of the gym and
Advanced on the other. Novices and Intermediates will focus on introducing the basic concepts
and skills. Technical skills from each position will be taught with emphasis on takedowns. Skills
are broken down into steps and proper technique is stressed. Repetitive drilling is an integral part
of training. The wrestler will be expected to compete in all club scheduled competitions. In order
to progress to the Advanced group, wrestlers should have at least 2 years wrestling experience,
the ability to perform specific technical skills, the ability to learn and apply new skills quickly
and have had a fair level of success in competition. More emphasis is placed on conditioning,
power, speed and proper technique in live wrestling. More attention is focused on individual
strengths and weaknesses. Team leadership and discipline are expected. Coaches will make an
assessment of each wrestler’s skill level and assign them to the appropriate group. All first year
wrestlers will begin in the Novice group. A wrestler may be moved from one group to the other
throughout the year based on the coaches assessment.
DWC will also have a tournament team. The tournament team will be selected and run
by the Advanced coaches. They will practice Monday evenings. This team will represent the
DWC in team dual tournaments. A team dual tournament involves each team wrestling other
teams, one at a time, with each team having one wrestler in each designated weight class. A team
score is kept. All decisions on tournament team participation are made in the sole discretion of
the Advanced coaches. You will be notified if your child is selected for the tournament team.
Practice Rules and Standards
Practices start at 6:00 p.m. sharp! This means all wrestlers should be dressed, shoes on,
and ready to warm up by 6:00 p.m. At that time, wrestlers will stretch and limber up as a group.
By 6:20 or so we will divide up into two groups (Advanced and Novice/Intermediate) and begin
drills and live wrestling. We produce very skilled and competitive wrestlers in the short time we
have to practice. We need your help to have your kids on time and ready to go. Please bring a
water bottle to practice. All wrestlers must stay at the end of practice to help roll up the mats.
Wrestlers who fail to help with be warned, and further failures may result in dismissal from the
team.
Practice Gear
Please wear a snug fitting tee shirt and gym shorts or a singlet. Wrestling shoes should be
carried to practice. Never wear street shoes (sneakers) on the mat, or wrestling shoes outside. If
you do not have wrestling shoes, sneakers may be worn provided they are not used as street
shoes. Please ask the coaches if any used wrestling shoes are available. Often, our wrestlers who
outgrow their shoes make them available for other wrestlers.
Health
All cuts, scrapes, burns, and assorted wounds should be covered when wrestling. No watches,
bracelets, chains, or piercing are to be worn on the mat as well as no jeans (cutoffs), zippers, or
buttons. Loose clothing can be dangerous to hands and fingers. It is difficult to check the
execution of proper technique when practice gear is too loose. Kneepads, headgear, and
mouthpieces are recommend but not mandatory for practice. You will, however, be required to
have headgear for your child to wear for our Saturday meets. Mouth guards are mandatory for
children with braces. Most local sporting goods stores (Dick’s, Sports Authority) carry youth
wrestling headgear. Never share equipment or towels.
At Home
After a practice or match, everyone should bathe with an antibacterial soap. We mop the mats as
often as possible to keep the germs down but you still must do your part also. All practice gear
should be laundered after each use. Wrestlers should keep their nails clean and trimmed short. If
you notice any rash or pimples, please have your child examined by your family
physician/pediatrician and promptly inform the coaches. Your child will need a doctor’s
clearance to practice if any skin condition is present.
Weight
The DWC does not encourage nor condone unhealthy dieting practices known as “cutting
weight” by our wrestlers. Our Saturday ICWL match pairings are based on the wrestlers’ actual
weights, not by weight class, so there is no reason to try to get to a lower weight in a short period
of time. Most tournaments do place wrestlers into weight classes for purposes of preparing
brackets. Proper technique and mental attitude honed through hours of practice are far more
important than the weight of the wrestler. In fact, unhealthy dietary habits resulting in sudden
weight loss will do more to harm a wrestler’s performance than any edge gained from wrestling
lighter opponents.
DWC Staff
At Downingtown Wrestling Club we are all volunteers. Your staff includes the following
volunteers:
Dave Massimini
Andrew McDowell
Joe Shafer
Paul Rennie
Maria McDowell
Stacey Massimini
Director and President
Director
Director
Vice President
Treasurer
Secretary
davidmassimini@msn.com
andrew.mcdowell@sap.com
jshafer2@comcast.net
paulrennie@comcast.net
mariavmcdowell@gmail.com
davidmassimini@msn.com
Bradley Richmond
Brad Breese
B.J. Orsi
Victor Barra
Head Coach
Assistant Head Coach
Novice Coach
Novice Coach
keriannchie@hotmail.com
breeseinc@comcast.net
worsi35@aol.com
vicbarra@verizon.net
Team Matches
The DWC is a member of the Intercounty Wrestling League (ICWL). The ICWL
schedules meets between its member clubs on 6 consecutive Saturdays, beginning January 9,
2010. These meets usually involve three teams, with one of the teams hosting the meet. The
ICWL is comprised of other youth wrestling clubs from the Philadelphia area. You will be
responsible for providing transportation for your child to and from each meet. The longest travel
time is approximately one hour. Each Tuesday before a Saturday meet, you will receive an email
asking if your wrestler will participate in the upcoming meet. It is imperative that we receive a
yes or no response before Wednesday of that week so that we can submit a roster to the other
teams and pair the wrestlers for individual matches. Attendance at Saturday meets is strongly
encouraged. These meets allow the kids to apply the techniques they have learned in a ‘live’
wrestling situation. Competition will help them improve as wrestlers and also increase their selfconfidence. Wrestlers are not required to weigh-in before the ICWL Saturday meets. Each club
is expected to provide a roster with accurate weights for its wrestlers, and our coaches will weigh
our wrestlers several times throughout the year to ensure accurate weights.
Wrestlers must wear a Thunder singlet to all meets and tournaments. Your child should
put on a singlet and a t-shirt at home as there are no locker rooms for our use. Wear sweat clothes
over the singlet. Use a gym bag to hold wrestling shoes, sweat clothes, headgear, water bottles,
etc. Your child should wear a t-shirt, at least, between matches to stay warm. Wrestlers must
arrive 45 minutes before the meet begins to allow enough time for warm ups.
Each child will generally have two to three matches in a Saturday ICWL meet. Some
weeks a wrestler may only have one match, depending on the size of the other teams and the
weight/age of the wrestler. The league has developed a process for pairing wrestlers based on
age, weight, years of experience and ability. Each week, the coaches of each team spend hours
developing the pairings that will result in the most competitive matches for all wrestlers. Please
have the courtesy to show up for your matches, and if you can not attend due to an emergency,
please provide the coaches with as much advance notification as possible. Matches are usually
from 8:30 a.m. to around 1:00 p.m., although please be sure to check the calendar on the DWC
website as times may vary. The match ups of the kids will be posted somewhere in the gym area,
sometimes in an adjacent hallway or lobby. Bring a pen and paper to record the match numbers.
The numbering system consists of a three digit match number. The first indicates which mat, the
next two indicate the match number. For example, match 321 will be the 21st match on mat 3.
Experienced parents, please help the new ones!
Matches are officiated by certified PIAA referees. At most meets you are permitted to sit or stand
near the mat to watch your child’s match. Please follow the parents’ code of conduct (attached)
at all times. Most importantly, please let the coaches coach your child. Your job is to provide
encouragement and support when the match is complete, win or lose.
Singlets/Sweats
Wrestlers are required to wear a Downingtown Thunder singlet during all ICWL matches and
tournaments. We will be taking orders at the start of each season. Singlets stretch, and most
children can get at least two seasons out of one singlet. We will also offer Downingtown
Thunder sweats for sale. Purchase of sweats is not mandatory, however we encourage each
wrestler to wear them any time our team is attending a meet or tournament. Sweats are also
available for purchase by family members. Please contact the President with any questions.
Tournaments
The ICWL sponsors post-season Novice and Open Championship tournaments. There are various
tournaments throughout the season that your child can participate in. The cost is typically around
$20 per wrestler, which must be paid by the parents. These tournaments generally start at 8:00
a.m. and can last all day, depending on how far your wrestler advances. You can enter your child
in as many tournaments as you like. Keep in mind your child’s comfort and skill level, as some of
these tournaments are more challenging than others. Some tournaments are designated as novice
for first or second year wrestlers only, while others offer high-level competition. Our coaches
will be available to help you to select the most appropriate tournaments for your child as the
season progresses. Feel free to discuss the options with the DWC coaches. We will attempt to
select certain tournaments to attend as a team and make coaches available to attend these
tournaments. Information will be provided as the season progresses.
Fundraising
The Downingtown Wrestling Club is a non-profit corporation that relies on the generous
donation of time by our volunteers. In addition to time, we also require funds to pay the various
expenses required to keep the club in operation. Only part of these expenses is covered by
registration fees. The remainder must come from donations. We hold one major fundraising
event per year, a Beef-and-Beer in January. More details will be provided as we get closer to the
date. Please plan to attend – not only will you be helping us provide your kids with a great
wrestling experience, you are guaranteed to have a great time! We will require each family to sell
two tickets to the event. If you are able to otherwise donate in any way to this fun event, please
contact the club President.
Volunteers
DWC will host approximately 3 ICWL meets each year. We will also host one team dual
tournament in January. We can not run these meets and tournament without parent volunteers.
We require parents to help set up, tear down, work at the snack bar and act as timers, scorers and
scorekeepers. We will send a volunteer sign-up sheet via email each week before a home meet or
tournament and ask parents to fill the required jobs for designated time slots. If we do not get
volunteers, we will assign parents to work where and when needed. If you consistently fail to
volunteer, we will politely remind you of your obligation. Repeated failure to volunteer may
result in expulsion of your child from the program. In addition, if any parent is interested in
coaching or serving in another capacity, please contact the club President. We can always use
help.
Communication
Our primary means of communication will be our website at
www.downingtownwrestlingclub.com. We will also communication via email, so please ensure
the President has your updated email address. We will occasionally have parent meetings before
or after practice to discuss import issues, and you will be informed in advance via email of the
time and date of any such meeting. If you would like to communicate with the coaches or
volunteers, you can catch them after practice or use the email address provided above.
APPNEDIX 1
Match Scoring
TAKEDOWN: from a neutral position, one wrestler gains control over his opponent down on the
mat while the supporting points of either wrestler are inbounds... 2 points.
ESCAPE: when the defensive (down) wrestler gains a neutral position and his opponent has lost
control, while the supporting points of either wrestler are inbounds... 1 point.
REVERSAL: when the defensive (down) wrestler comes from underneath and gains control of
his opponent, either on the mat, or in a rear-standing position, while the supporting points of
either wrestler are inbounds, and control has been established... 2 points.
NEAR FALL: criteria for a near fall are when any part or both shoulders or both scapulae or the
defensive (down) wrestler are held within 4 inches of the mat or less, or when one
shoulder/scapula is touching the mat, and the other shoulder/scapula is held at an angle of 45
degrees or less with the mat, or when the defensive wrestler is held in a high bridge or on both
elbows.
NEAR FALL... 2 POINTS: when the Near Fall Criteria is met for a 2-second count.
NEAR FALL... 3 POINTS: when the Near Fall Criteria is met for a 5-second count
FALL/PIN: when any part of both shoulders/scapulae of either wrestler are in contact inbounds
with the mat for 2 seconds, a fall, or pin, is earned and the match is over.
TECHNICAL FALL: when a wrestler has earned a 15-point advantage over his opponent, a
Technical Fall has occurred and the match is over.
STALLING: one warning is given for stalling, and then penalties begin for subsequent calls: 1
point for the first and second penalty, 2 points for the third penalty, and disqualification for the
fourth penalty.
PENALTIES: penalties and warnings are cumulative throughout the match. Each infraction has
its specific penalty. The penalty for an illegal hold, technical violation such as locked hands
(except false starts (2) or incorrect starting position), unnecessary roughness and wrestler's
unsportsmanlike conduct in the match is awarding the opponent of the offender one match point
on the first and second offenses, and two match points on the third offense. A fourth offense shall
result in disqualification.
FLAGRANT MISCONDUCT: results in disqualification of the individual and immediate
removal from the premises. Any individual so disqualified in a tournament is not entitled to any
points that he has earned previously in the tournament.
APPENDIX 2
Downingtown Wrestling Club
Code of Conduct
As a parent, guardian or coach of a child who is being permitted to participate in the
Downingtown Wrestling Club, I agree that I will observe the following Code of Conduct. I
further understand that if I fail to observe this Code, or engage in any other acts that are
detrimental or injurious to the club, my child may be suspended or dismissed from participation
in the program.
1. Downingtown Wrestling Club and my child's coaches' shall ensure that the wrestlers on their
team, and wrestlers on other teams, are provided a positive atmosphere in which they can safely
learn and enjoy the sport of wrestling. Downingtown Wrestling Club and the coaches will
reinforce the importance of sportsmanship, and observance of the rules of the sport and I will
support the club and coaches in their efforts to implement these principles and instill these values
in the club’s wrestlers.
2. All Downingtown Wrestling Club practices, meets and tournaments are drug and alcohol free
and the schools in Downingtown Area School District are tobacco free so there is no smoking
anywhere on the school district property. Any child, parent or guardian found in violation will be
subject to suspension or dismissal from the program.
3. Every member of the team is encouraged to voice support and encouragement for each child
and to applaud their performances, in an appropriate manner regardless of their team.
4. It is inappropriate to berate, use inappropriate language, direct verbal abuse toward, or engage
in heated or extended argument with any child, wrestler, coach, referee, team official, parent or
relative of any other wrestler. Any person who cannot conform to these requirements may be
suspended or dismissed from the event or from the program.
5. No person shall direct aggressive behavior or physical violence toward any person, coach or
official at a club-sanctioned event. Downingtown Wrestling Club shall exhibit a zero tolerance
policy and will employ any means necessary to enforce this including the use of police support.
6. Every person is expected to affirmatively support the coaches and officials in their efforts to
provide an organized and enjoyable experience for the children participating in our program.
7. Dual meet attendance is critical and each parent/guardian shall assure that their child is present
and on time for all dual meets which he or she is participating. If a child cannot be present or will
be late for a dual meet the parent shall notify the President via email or telephone to assure that
the coaches are informed sufficiently in advance for them to make appropriate plans. Parents shall
not tell coaches or rely on other parents or friends to convey attendance information to the club.
8. Parents are encouraged to communicate any observations, suggestions or concerns to the club
at a suitable time and place. Please refrain from distracting the coaches while other members of
our team are wrestling, as each child deserves the full attention and support of the coaches while
they compete. Concerns regarding the coaches can be directed to the President or any Board
member.
9. Kids are expected to be kids and to have fun but they must listen and be respectful to the
parents, coaches and officials. Each wrestler shall demonstrate good sportsmanship and must
shake hands with his/her opponent at the conclusion of each bout regardless of the outcome.
10. Where there is an officiating issue the coaching staff shall be the only ones to interact with the
referee. Parents shall refrain from challenging or questioning the calls from the official. If a score
or call is in question it shall be handled in accordance with the rules and the coach shall request a
conference with the referee at the scoring table. Coaches shall not question or discuss calls from
the corner but will do so with respect at the scoring table as required by the rules.
Each parent, guardian, coach, sibling and wrestler is an ambassador of our club and this code
applies at all times when you are representing our club weather it is a home dual meet or an
individual tournament. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a way that will
reflect positively on our organization.
Match Etiquette
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Your wrestler wants to have you there. It is important to him even if he doesn't say it.
Whenever possible, be there for him.
Do not expect your child to win every (or any) match. It is your duty as a parent to give
your child a big hug after every match, WIN or LOSE. If you cannot do that and winning
is more important to you than showing your child that you love him or her no matter
what, then disregard the previous point. Your child wants to win. It's more fun than
losing. But if your wrestler thinks that their losses are a bitter disappointment to their
parents, not just a learning experience for them, they will not enjoy or participate in
sports for long.
In most dual meet and tournaments, the coaches will set up in opposing corners during a
match. This offers a place for the wrestlers to look for guidance and minimize confusion
during the match.
Let the coaches coach your wrestler. It is your job as the parent to be your child's biggest
fan. Encourage them, listen to them, but be careful about suggesting ways that they can
improve their wrestling. Too many suggestions may make them feel that you are not
satisfied with them, or are disappointed with them. The coaches usually have an accurate
idea of the things your wrestler needs to learn, and is in a better position to teach your
child. Your job is to be their parent.
Refrain from cheering for your son or daughter from the opposing team’s corner. It is
very distracting to the coaches to have an opposing parent yelling over them and they
deserve room to coach their wrestler. We expect the same when we are coaching. If the
coaches are not in opposing corners make adjustments to give them the room they need.
Avoid confrontations with other parents and opposing teams. Wrestling is a very
emotional sport and victory and losses are very personal and can evoke strong emotions.
Very nice people can be consumed in the moment and offend you or your celebrations
could offend them – please temper your emotions for the sake of the kids.
If you disagree with a coach’s decision - do not question their actions during the match.
Your son or daughter will be distracted and it will undermine their confidence and their
ability to compete. After the match has concluded ask the coach for a moment to discuss
your concerns. Please remember the coaches are trying to the best of their abilities to help
your son or daughter have a good wrestling experience.
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Coaches and parents should find a place to cheer from and stay put. Do not run around
the perimeter of the mat during a match it is distracting to the coaches, the wrestlers, the
officials and the other parents.