How long is the season?
Our season usually starts in the first week of March and continues until
the third week in April. Wrestlers who do well in the regular season can
attend additional tournaments that can extend into the last week of June,
but if this is your first year of wrestling, your season will likely end
either in the third week of April when our regular season ends or in the
second week of May when the State Championships are usually held.
What wrestling styles are taught?
We teach and practice Freestyle
and Greco-Roman wrestling.
How old do you have to be (or can you be) to wrestle with the club?
We've had wrestlers from age 4 to ... well, let's just call them "mature
wrestlers". Most members of the club are between the ages of 5 and 18. If
you're outside that age range and still like to wrestle, or want to get
(or stay) in shape, then you're welcome to come and check us out. We
divide our practices into two separate nights, one for wrestlers ages 12
and under, and the other for the older wrestlers (ages 13+). If you have a
child that is 5 years old or younger, then we will definitely need your
help in coaching them. We strongly encourage all parents to get on the mat
and help out during practices. I'm talking to you too, Moms.
What is the practice schedule?
[CAUTION: THIS IS LAST YEAR'S PRACTICE SCHEDULE.]
Wrestlers ages 12 and under will have practices Tuesdays and Thursdays at
6:00pm. The practice will last 1 hour for wrestlers ages 8 and under, and
1.5 hours for ages 9-12. Wrestlers ages 13 and over will meet Mondays and
Wednesdays at 6:00pm, and go for 2 hours each night.
Where are practices held?
All of our practices are held in the Shasta High School
Wrestling Room.
This year (2008) the older wrestlers may split between practicing at
Shasta and at Enterprise. Details are TBD.
Where are the tournaments?
The "local" tournaments are held in Redding, Anderson, Palo Cedro,
Orland, Chico, Red Bluff. If you do well, and want to compete in the
state tournaments, you'd be travelling to San Jose or Turlock.
Do I have to attend all practices and or tournaments?
No. Come to as many practices and tournaments as you'd like. Obviously,
the more you practice and compete, the better you will become, but it's up
to you. You also are free to come to the practices but skip all of the
tournaments.
How much does it cost? Do we have to sell anything? (Yuck! Fundraisers)
This year the club fee is "TBD", but for a ballpark figure, it was $50
last year. We're hoping to keep the fee low again this year, as we
understand that money is tight for everyone in our current economic
downturn (recession?). I would guess that it will be somewhat more than
$50 this year, but we won't know for sure until we get closer to the
start of the season. It will certainly not be $250 or higher, as is
charged for football and volleyball. Wrestling is a great bargain. :)
Apart from the club fees you will have to pay to compete in each
tournament if you decide to compete. Tournament costs are $7 for the
first wrestling style you compete in, and $4 for the second style.
Usually we like our competing wrestlers to wrestle both styles (Freestyle
and Greco-Roman), so the tournament fee is normally $11. If you're going
to compete, you'll also have to buy a weigh-in card for $2 (one time
fee). Fundraisers - this is still TBD.
Is the club just for boys?
Definitely not! Boys and Girls, men and women, are all welcome.
What equipment do I need?
We practice in regular gym clothes (athletic shorts and T-shirts), and use
wrestling headgear and shoes. We should have some headgear available for
purchase at the practices, but you can also find them at any of our local
sporting goods stores or on the internet. You can also use knee-pads if
you'd like, but they certainly aren't mandatory. Mouthguards are also a
great thing to consider, but again, we don't make their use mandatory. In
the wrestling tournaments our wrestlers normally wear a wrestling singlet.
Our team has several team singlets that we loan out (with a deposit being
held) for the entire season. Ask one of the coaches if you'd like to get a
loaner singlet.
I'm overweight, out of shape, and I've never wrestled. Can I still join?
Wrestling is a great sport to get you into shape and help you to lose
weight. We don't expect any of our wrestlers to know how to wrestle before
they come to us. We start with the basics and go from there.
Who can I contact for questions not answered here?
Coaches Jet Thomas and Kevin Nagy are probably the best resource; their
email addresses and contact information can be found in the "contacts"
section of this website.