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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1. What clothing and gear
is needed to wrestle?
2. Who do the Beginning Champions wrestle against?
3. What age categories are used to group the
wrestlers?
4. What weight classes are used to group the
wrestlers?
5. How often will the wrestlers be weighed?
6. How do the coaches match up wrestlers for
individual bouts?
7. How do I tell the coaches if my wrestler will
be coming to a league meet on Saturday?
8. What time should I arrive at the meets on
Saturday?
9. How long does each league meet last?
10. At league meets, what do we do about food and
drink?
11. At the league meets, how will I know when it is time for my child to
wrestle?
12. Are family and friends allowed to go down
on the mat during a bout?
13. How long is each wrestling bout?
14. What things happen during the bout?
15. How are points scored?
15A. What do the hand signals that a
referee uses during the bout mean?
16. Can I send my wrestler to other open
tournaments instead of a league meet?
17. How many league meets must a wrestler
participate in order to qualify for the League Championships?
18. How much does the League Tournament cost to
enter?
19. What awards are given out at the League
Tournament?
20. What are the duals team and the duals
tournaments about?
21. What can I do as a parent to help my
wrestler?
22. What can I do as a parent to help the
Beginning Champions organization?
1. What clothing and
gear is needed to wrestle?
Wrestlers should wear a pair of wrestling shoes at
the practices and meets. If purchasing the shoes is an issue,
please see one of the coaches, as we do have some donated shoes
available as loaners. You may also use a pair of regular
sneakers, but they should be reserved for wrestling and not worn
outside for other purposes.
Only wrestling shoes or sneakers reserved
for wrestling should be worn
on the wrestling mats. Please bring the wrestlers to practices
and meets in another pair of sneakers or street shoes, and have them change into
the wrestling shoes once they get inside the building. Wearing
the wrestling shoes outside and then walking with them on the
mats exposes the wrestlers to all types of bacteria, which can
lead to infections and illnesses.
Shorts or sweats, and a t-shirt are
recommended for the practices, while the Beginning Champions
will provide a wrestling singlet and jacket for the meets.
At this age and competition level, headgear
is optional.
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2. Who do the Beginning
Champions wrestle against?
Beginning Champions belongs to the Central Penn Youth
Wrestling League. Wrestlers must reside within one of the
sixteen CPYWL school districts to be eligible for the league
tournament. All of the teams in this league contain
participants from grades K-6th grade. League matches
are held on Saturdays, starting in January and ending with the
Final League Championship the first weekend in
March. At the league matches, we will wrestle against 2 to
4
other teams. Individual bout scoring is kept, but there are no
team scores. We generally wrestle most of the other
schools in the league during the regular season. The league is
broken into a North and a South division, and these divisions
are used as a qualifying round for the League
Championship. The teams are divided as follows:
North South
Big Spring
Bermudian Springs
Boiling Springs
Biglerville
Carlisle
Chambersburg
Cedar Cliff
Fairfield
Northern
Gettysburg
Shippensburg
Littlestown
Waynesboro McSherrystown
West Perry
New Oxford (Beginning Champions)
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3. What age categories
are used to group the wrestlers?
The league determines the age of the wrestlers based on
January 1st of the current wrestling season (January
1, 2010). No junior high wrestlers are allowed to wrestle in
our league, pre-school through sixth graders only. The league
age groups are as follows:
Bantam 6
years old and younger
Midget
7 & 8 years old
Junior 9
& 10 years old
Intermediate 11
through 13 years old
Remember that these are names for our league age categories.
If you wrestle
at tournaments outside of league play, the age category names
might be the same, but the age requirements could be
different.
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4. What weight classes are used to group the
wrestlers?
The league follows the Middle Atlantic Wrestling Association
weight classes. They are specific to the age group of the
wrestler.
Bantam 40,44,48,52,56,60,65,73,UNL
Midget 46,50,54,58,62,66,70,75,80,85,93,105,UNL
Junior
54,58,62,66,70,74,78,82,86,91,98,105,112,120,130,UNL
Intermediate 65,70,75,80,85,90,95,100,105,110,115,120,128,136,146,160,UNL
The weight classes represent the maximum
weight allowed in the class. For example, a Bantam wrestler who
weighs 64 pounds would fall into the 65 pound weight class.
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5. How often will the
wrestlers be weighed?
1) An unofficial weight will be
taken at registration, or when the practices first begin. This
weight is used to organize wrestlers of equal weights into
practice groups.
2) A
mandatory league pre-season weigh-in
takes place each year before the first league match. The
2010 pre-season weigh-in takes place on December 14th
at 7:00 PM. This weight is
used to set up bouts for league matches during the regular
season.
3) A mandatory league
tournament
weigh-in occurs on the Tuesday evening before the Divisional
League Qualifier. For the 2010 season, this is on February
23rd. This weight will be used to bracket the
wrestlers by weight class for the duration of the League Tournament.
Since the 2009 season, another mandatory weigh-in
is required the morning of the Championship round, where a one
pound weight allowance is given. Scales are open two hours
prior to the start time of each Championship session(s), with
the official weigh-ins beginning one hour prior to the start
time. When the official weigh-in begins, the wrestler may
not step off the scale and attempt to lose weight. So get
there early before the official weigh-in begins to check your
weight if you are not sure.
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6. How do the coaches match up wrestlers for
individual bouts?
Every Friday, coaches from each of the programs that will be
wrestling on Saturday meet to create bouts for the wrestlers.
These are the same coaches that practice with the wrestlers
during the week, so they are familiar with the wrestlers’
abilities. They also have a statistics sheet, which shows each
wrestler’s age, grade, weight, years experience, and current
season record. Coaches always seek to match wrestlers of the
same age, of the same weight, of the same experience, and of
similar records to make fair and challenging bouts. If
possible, the coaches try to get each wrestler at least two
bouts for Saturday. However, there are times when exact matches
cannot be found on a given Saturday due to the availability of
like wrestlers from the other programs. Our coaches will work
with the coaches from the other programs, and may occasionally
move a wrestler up or down one weight class, or even in rare
instances, an age group, to get the wrestler a bout. Every
effort is made by the coaches to find the best available matches
for the wrestlers, so that each bout is a positive experience
and not a miss-match.
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7. How do I tell the
coaches if my wrestler will be coming to a league meet on
Saturday?
Once the regular season league meets begin, each night at
practice, there will be a sign-up sheet posted
on the doors of the wrestling room. Parents must come in one of
these nights, and sign the sheet to indicate that their wrestler
will be at the league match on Saturday. No wrestlers can sign
for themselves. The coaches use this sheet on Friday evening,
to work with the other teams’ coaches to create bouts for
Saturday.
If you missed signing the sheet, or your
child has become ill, or you have had a change of plans, you
must call one of the coaches to communicate this change. Please
notify the coaches as soon as possible, so they know whether or
not to create bouts for the wrestler on Friday evening. If
something would change Saturday morning, please call the coaches
an hour before the match begins. This allows the coaches some
time to find replacement bouts for the other team’s wrestlers.
If you signed up for a Saturday meet, and
you do not show or call, your wrestler will be ineligible to
participate in the following week’s meet.
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8. What time should I
arrive at the meets on Saturday?
Wrestlers need to arrive a half-hour before the meet start
time. This gives them a chance to get their bout assignments
and get warmed up. The coaches write their bout assignments on
the wrestler’s hand. Coming a half-hour early also gives the
coaches a chance to check attendance, and determine if any bouts
need rescheduled. Please do not plan to come when the meet
begins, because your wrestler may have been considered absent,
and his matches may have been given away to other wrestlers.
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9. How long does each
league meet last?
This varies on the number of teams that are wrestling, the
facility where the meet is hosted, and the bout numbers your
wrestler was assigned. League meets normally last 4 or 5 hours.
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10. At league meets,
what do we do about food and drink?
The facility that hosts the meet provides a wide array of
concessions. The wrestlers and their families will have time
between bouts to get something to eat and drink.
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11. At the League
meets, how will I know when
it is time for my child to wrestle?
A half-hour before the league meets start each Saturday, the
coaches write the bout numbers for each wrestler on the back of
one of their hands. The hosting school usually has three
wrestling mats set up in a main gym. Some schools may even
provide one or two additional mats in an auxiliary room or gym.
In the main gym, a bout number board is normally placed in
plain view. The board lists the next 4 or 5 bouts that are
scheduled to occur on each of the mats. Instead of using a
central bout board, some schools may place a bout tree on the
table at each mat, also showing the next 4 or 5 bout numbers on
that specific mat. The bout numbers are posted
sequentially, starting at 1, and running into the 200 or 300’s –
depending on how many bouts are scheduled that day. There
are times when there is a significant gap between the
wrestler’s bout number assignments. These are good times
to visit the concessions sales and the restrooms.
Concessions are normally located in the school’s cafeteria or
lobby.
It is very important that the wrestlers and
the parents watch the bout numbers to know when they are to
wrestle. If they miss their bout number when it comes up at a
mat, they may have to forfeit the bout. Not showing up to the
mat ahead of time also causes delays and extends the day for
everyone. When their bout number is posted, the wrestler should
begin to make their way to the appropriate mat. The wrestler
must check in with a Beginning Champions coach at or near the mat
to let them know that they have a bout coming up soon. If a
coach is not currently at that mat, the wrestler needs to get
the
attention of one of the other Beginning Champion coaches on
another mat, and tell them about their upcoming bout. The
wrestler is not allowed to walk out onto the mat for their bout until a
coach has been assigned to them.
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12. Are family or
friends allowed to go down on the mat during a bout?
No. Only coaches are allowed on the mat during league
meets. Spectators are encouraged to cheer loudly, but from the
stands or off of the mat.
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13. How long is each
wrestling bout?
The individual league bouts are three periods of one minute
each (1-1-1), with an optional overtime period. No riding time.
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14. What things happen
during the bout?
When the wrestler's bout number is posted for a mat, the
wrestler will make his way down to that mat. He must
notify one of the coaches that his bout is coming up soon, and
check in at the mat table on the bout prior to his own. At
this time the wrestler will be given a green or red ankle band,
which will be used by the referee to indicate scoring to the
score keeper. There will be three one-minute periods in
the bout.
The coach normally talks briefly to the
wrestler before going out on the mat for his bout. The
wrestlers start the first period in the neutral position,
where both wrestlers are standing facing each other with one
foot on the starting rectangle in the center of the mat.
The referee blows the whistle to start the bout, and one of the
wrestlers will attempt to take down his opponent first.
After the first period ends, the referee
will flip a disc to determine which wrestler will get to choose
the staring position for the second period. It is
critical for the wrestler to look at his coach for assistance
before making this decision on his own. There are
strategies to making a good choice here, and the coaches
experience and knowledge is vital. Four choices can be
made: neutral again, top, bottom, or defer. By
deferring, the wrestler gives his opponent the position choice
in the second period, while reserving his position choice for
the third and final regular period.
In the third period, the wrestler
who did not pick the starting position in period two gets his
choice. Again, it is important for the wrestlers to look
at their coaches in between each period for assistance on
position choice and other guidance.
If the third period ends in a tie, an extra
one minute period of sudden death overtime is used as a tie
breaker. The wrestlers start back in the neutral position,
and the first wrestler to score wins.
If the 1st overtime period ends in a tie,
then a 2nd 30 second overtime period is used. Here the
wrestlers will start in the referee's position (one wrestler on
top, and the other on the bottom). The wrestler who scored
first in the match will have the choice of top or bottom.
In this 2nd overtime period, the top wrestler wins if the bottom
wrestler does not escape, and the bottom wrestler wins if he
scores a point.
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15. How are points
scored?
During a bout, points are given to a wrestler when he
demonstrates control over his opponent. A wrestler does
this by controlling his opponent's hips. Points are
awarded for the following maneuvers:
Take Down (2 points) - From a neutral position,
where both wrestlers are standing, one wrestler brings his
opponent down to the mat and establishes control over him.
This is normally accomplished by attacking the opponents legs or
performing a throw.
Reverse (2 points) - A wrestler who
is being controlled takes control from his opponent. Often
the wrestler being controlled is being held and has his back to
his opponent. He then switches positions with his opponent
by coming around behind or rolling over on top to take back
control.
Near Fall (2 points) - A wrestler
exposes his opponent's back to the mat (back tilted towards the
mat at an angle of less than 45 degrees) for 2 to 4 seconds. You will
see the referee motioning his arm as he counts the seconds.
Near Fall (3 points) - A wrestler
exposes his opponent's back to the mat for 5 seconds.
After the referee counts to 5 seconds, no more points are
awarded.
Escape (1 point) - A wrestler who is
being controlled is able to separate and get away from his
opponent back to a neutral position.
Penalty (1 point) - A point came be
awarded to the other wrestler for various reasons such as an
illegal hold (full Nelson, locked hands, etc...) or stalling.
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15A. What do the
hand signals that a referee uses during the bout mean?
Click this
link for a list that shows what the hand signals mean.
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16. Can I send my
wrestler to other open tournaments instead of a league meet?
We encourage full participation in the league meets. In
a normal year, wrestlers must attend 4 out of the 6 scheduled
league meets to be eligible for the league tournament. If
a wrestler is going to miss more than 2 of the scheduled league
meets, they must have a legitimate reason or a doctor's note. There will be
several good opportunities during the season for the wrestlers
to attend other open and novice tournaments. Some of these will
be attended by Beginning Champion coaches and this will be
communicated in the weekly newsletters.
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17. How many league
meets must a wrestler participate in order to qualify for the
League Championships?
League meets should be given a priority status and every
effort should be made to honor league commitments.
Wrestlers cannot miss more than 2 of the 6 league meets in order
to be eligible for the league tournament.
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18. How much does the
League Tournament cost to enter?
The Beginning Champions organization pays the league
tournament entry fee for each of its wrestlers. For the
2010 season, Beginning Champions will pay $12 for each
wrestler that participates in the Qualifier, and another $12 for
each wrestler that participates in the Championship round. This money
comes from registration, fund raisers, and concessions sales.
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19. What awards are
given out at the League Tournament?
Awards are given to the top four winners in each weight
class and T-Shirts are given to all participants.
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20. What is the dual
team and the dual tournaments about?
The Beginning Champions program hosts one dual tournament
and travels to several others throughout the season. The dual
tournament provides a format where teams take turns wrestling
each other, putting their best wrestlers in each weight class
out on the matt. Team scoring is kept at these tournaments and
awards are given to the top teams. Teams normally get 4 or more
matches in one day. This is an excellent opportunity for the
more advanced wrestlers to get quality experience.
The coaches choose which wrestlers will be
given the opportunity to participate on the dual team. The
coaches select the wrestlers based on their performance in
practice and at the meets on Saturdays. When the skill level of
wrestlers in one weight class is comparable, they will be given
the opportunity to wrestle-off for a spot on the dual team.
The dual team roster can change during the season, as the weight
classes from one tournament to another differ, and as the skill
level of the wrestlers improve at varying rates.
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21. What can I do as a
parent to help my wrestler?
Be positive, encourage, and support your kids as they
wrestle. Celebrate with them when they experience success, and
help keep their chins up when the results are disappointing.
Wrestling is a fun and challenging sport, one that can have its
ups and downs. It takes some courage for a youngster to step
out on that mat by themselves, in front of all of those people,
and face someone who wants to pin their back to the mat!
Unfortunately the kids can sometimes focus on wins and losses,
and can get down when things don’t go well. Stress the
positives at these times, like pointing out how close a bout
was, or how they did a new move, or highlight how they scored
some points, or how proud you are for their effort to hold off a
pin against a tough competitor. If they keep trying, they will
continue to improve each week. The program and coaches do not
emphasize winning or losing, but trying your best, learning,
having fun, and demonstrating good sportsmanship.
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22. What can I do as a
parent to help the Beginning Champions organization?
It takes a lot of work to make this organization run and be
successful. The program normally has between 70 and 100
wrestlers each year. At special events, like hosting a league
meet or a tournament, the need for help is compounded. Along
with all of these great kids, come some great families and
friends that can chip in a little to make things work smoothly.
Don’t sit idle and let a small number of families do all of the
work for the program. This will eventually burn them out, and
rob others of the rewarding opportunity to participate. You
will hear more about the ways you can help at parent meetings
and newsletters.
Some areas to think about and where help is always needed:
·
Event set-up and tear down
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Concession stand
·
Event/tournament help
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Practice supervision and coaching
·
Fundraiser
·
Banquet
·
Parent Helpers
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