When and where is practice?
Practices are held at the Maple Grove Senior High Wrestling gym . Please park in the lot on the north side of the school. Practices are typically Tuesday and Thursday evenings. There may be a few dates when we are unable to secure the space on a Tuesday or Thursday. In those cases, we move it to Monday or Wednesday. The time depends on the age group, (insert times based on coaches' meeting). Our advanced group practices from 7:00 - 8:15 pm.
What equipment does my wrestler need?
Your wrestler will want to wear shorts and a t-shirt to practice. Wrestling shoes are strongly encouraged (and required for competition). Before the season, be on the lookout for posts on our Facebook page from other families that may have outgrown shoes to wear. Otherwise, the Dick's Sporting Goods in Maple Grove typically has a few styles in stock. Beginning wrestlers may also wear socks.
If you plan to allow your wrestler to compete in tournaments, it's a good idea to invest in headgear, too. The coaches can tell you more about the different types and help you adjust it to fit your wrestler.
I know nothing about wrestling. How do we get started?
No problem! During the parent information night, we'll share with you an idea of what to expect during the season. Unlike many youth sports, competitions can be attended based on your availability and your wrestler's interest level. Some wrestlers only come to our team practices; others attend tournaments every weekend. More on that below!
Will my wrestler participate in tournaments?
The team usually pays for wrestlers to attend at least one tournament during the season. Your wrestler can attend any open tournament - there is one nearly every weekend in the metro. Closer to the beginning of the season, they are posted on The Guillotine (https://theguillotine.com/). We also publish a list of tournaments that the coaches will be attending so you know where you’ll have mat side support. Because they are optional, the cost of entry for those is not included in our program fee. If your wrestler attends any tournament noted as a MN/USA Qualifier tournament, he or she will also need a MN/USA membership.
If you are new to the sport, you and your wrestler may want to attend a tournament first as spectators. Together with the Maple Grove Varsity Wrestling Booster Club, our club hosts a tournament in Maple Grove on the Sunday after Thanksgiving.
What if my wrestler really enjoys competing?
Toward the end of the season, you'll hear much more about the MN/USA State Folkstyle Wrestling Tournament. Many of our wrestlers participate in (and even place in) this weekend-long event that takes place in March in Rochester, Minnesota. Again, it is completely optional, but is a fun team-building experience for our wrestlers. To participate, your wrestler first needs to qualify by earning points at a "qualifier". You can learn more about qualifying for the MN/USA State Folkstyle Tournament here; https://cdn1.sportngin.com/attachments/document/0089/0682/Qualification_Procedures_for_2019_MN_State_Tournaments1.pdf?_ga=2.51073386.239301762.1571608382-730049809.1571608382
We also offer a duel team experience. We create a team of wrestlers at 13 different weight classes. Our team faces off against teams from neighboring towns. We typically attend 2-3 duels per season. Interested wrestlers compete for their place on the team during "wrestle offs" (mini wrestling tournaments) that take place during practice.
We only registered for the 10-week program. Can we change our mind later and participate in the full season?
We offer the 10 week option because we want younger participants to feel a sense of accomplishment without losing interest during a longer season. If your wrestler is loving the program, he or she can absolutely register for the remaining portion of the season. We send plenty of reminders as we near the 10 week mark!
I've heard there are different styles of wrestling. Which style will my athlete learn?
During the winter season, our focus is on Folkstyle wrestling. This follows the same rules as high school and college wrestling. This is the dominant style in the US, but no other nation competes under Folkstyle rules.
How are points scored in wrestling?
These videos explain how points can be scored in a typical match.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7PwUvfmAHA&t=85s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbWB1mPa69c&t=219s