High School Wrestling Guide
- February 18, 2022
- TFG Team
- Wrestling
In this article, we will fully cover the topic of school wrestling, as we will be explaining what school wrestling is, where, and when it started? if it is popular? and if it’s worth it. We will also review the best school wrestling shoes available in the market.
Table of Contents
First, What Wrestling Is?
Wrestling is a combat sport involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins, and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is an uncooperative struggle between two competitors who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position.
There are many different styles of wrestling, but most involve different forms of grip fighting in order to unbalance and manipulate the opponent’s body. The aim is to pin your opponent to the ground or expose their back in a position where they are unable to defend themselves.
The origins of wrestling go back tens of thousands of years and almost every culture has developed some form of wrestling as a sport and way of settling disputes. Rules and weight categories for wrestling were established during the early history of the sport, but regulations have changed over time.
What Is High School Wrestling?
High School Wrestling (scholastic wrestling) is a sport where people under the age of 20 compete against each other in a specific weight class. The goal of high school wrestling is to pin your opponent and/or be more successful than them throughout the season with wins and records. Each state has its own rules and regulations when it comes to high school wrestling, but for most states, it’s either a “team dual” format or an individual tournament.
High School Wrestling History in a Nutshell
High school wrestling started back in the 1880s, but there wasn’t an official state championship until 1921. Prior to 1921, many schools held “unofficial” matches to determine their own champion.
There are approximately 300,000 high school wrestlers and over 10,000 high schools that compete each year. Athletes from all 50 states and Washington D.C. wrestle in high school with the most prominent state being Pennsylvania, Texas, and California respectively.
Scholastic wrestling was first included as a medal sport in the 1904 Olympics held in St. Louis, MO. It was contested at the Summer Olympic Games on four occasions before being transferred to the Winter Olympics in 1928 where it has competed ever since.
How Does High School Wrestling Work?
you must live in a U.S. state that has an official high school league or is sanctioned by a state association of a regional or national promotion to be eligible to participate in high school wrestling. A person may only wrestle for the public high school that they attend.
What Do You Do in High School Wrestling?
In high school wrestling, you have a choice of either competing as an individual or for a team. You can attend a dual meet if your school is scheduled to wrestle another team on a certain day. In the dual meet format, a head coach picks his/her starting lineup and alternates their wrestlers each match by pulling them from the mat after a win or by their accumulated points after a loss.
If your school is participating in a tournament, the athletes are placed on a team based on the coaching staff’s discretion where you wrestle everyone from your weight class. There are usually six matches per wrestler at tournaments with two wrestlers competing against each other simultaneously on adjacent mats.
Is There Female Wrestling in High School?
Yes, there is female wrestling in high school. Female wrestlers are not allowed to participate in the men’s division, however. The official rule book for scholastic wrestling states that male and female competitors should be separated during matches so boys wrestle boys and girls wrestle girls.
Can I Start Wrestling at the Age of 15?
Most states require you to be at least 14 years of age before competing in high school wrestling, so yes, starting at the age of 15 is possible. However, there are some states that allow wrestlers to compete as early as the 9 the grade.
Is High School Wrestling Folkstyle or Freestyle?
High school wrestling is an American style of folkstyle wrestling, but can also be freestyle if both athletes agree to compete in that fashion.
Folkstyle wrestling is the style of high school wrestling, but it’s also known as collegiate wrestling. All folkstyle wrestlers are required to wear a helmet with a face mask, ear guards, knee pads, and shoes at all times during the competition.
This style of wrestling is similar to freestyle in that they both allow the use of the wrestler’s or his opponent’s legs in offense and defense. Folkstyle wrestling is officiated differently than freestyle in that it also allows for unfettered use of the hands, but they can only be used to control your opponent’s upper body.
High School Wrestling Season
The high school wrestling season typically starts in November and ends in early February with state championship tournaments. Teams are allowed to compete at more than one tournament thus extending their season into March or possibly April if they qualify for multiple tournaments.
How Do Beginners Wrestle in High School?
At the high school level, beginners are usually asked to forfeit their first match. Thereafter, you’re expected to wrestle up one weight class (one age group) per competition if possible. If you’re not moving up in weight, coaches tend to place beginners on lower teams where they get more practice time and can work on developing their skills.
Is Wrestling in High School Hard?
Yes and No. There are some schools that place a tremendous amount of importance on their wrestling program, which can be very challenging at times, but there are others where it’s basically an afterthought.
If you attend a poorly run high school wrestling program you’ll probably find yourself coached by someone who does not care about their athletes or the sport which can make it very difficult for you to improve your level of competition.
Is Wrestling Fun in High School?
High school wrestling is extremely fun. The only way you’re going to enjoy it, however, is if you develop the right mindset and learn how to compete at your very best every time.
This requires a great deal of time, effort, and dedication. Make no mistake about it- you will never master this sport in just one year or even two years which is why most athletes wrestle for four years.
Is High School Wrestling Popular?
Yes, high school wrestling is quite popular in some regions of the country more than others. If you’re thinking about joining a wrestling team at your local high school we suggest showing up on a random day and talking to the coaches or athletes that show up for practice. You’ll get a very accurate impression of what it’s like to be a wrestler at that particular school.
Is Wrestling Dangerous?
As with any sport, there are risks involved when participating. However, injuries can vary from mild to severe and are life-threatening depending on the situation.
Wrestlers have suffered concussions, broken bones, torn ligaments and muscles, and even paralysis from participating in high school wrestling. Injuries occur because of the intense physical activity involved with wrestling.
Is High School Wrestling Violent?
No, it is competitive. You are taught how to keep control of yourself at all times. There are techniques that you learn on the mat to help you gain control over your opponent without causing serious injury if it’s done correctly.
Wrestling is an ancient sport dating back thousands of years where the objective was to choke one another until they passed out. Over time it evolved into the sport that exists today.
What Happens if I Get Hurt in High School Wrestling?
If you get injured during the course of wrestling, either at practice or during a match, let your coach know immediately so that they can assess your condition and determine if you need to sit out for the remainder of the season or for a longer period of time.
High School Wrestling Gear
Scholastic wrestling gear includes headgear, mouth guards, practice and competition singlets (two-piece or one-piece), shoes, and kneepads. You might be wondering how you can get all of the things you need to participate in a high school wrestling match.
Most schools have an approved vendor where students can order the wrestling gear they need for wrestling season online or over the phone some schools provide their athletes with uniforms while others only provide wrestlers with shoes and kneepads.
What Can I Expect at My First Practice?
At your first practice, you will usually be expected to attend an orientation where coaches and athletes meet with their parents. After the orientation, you will learn how to stretch (which is very important for wrestling) and be put on a wrestling team based on your age, weight, and skill level.
How Do You Do Wrestling After High School?
In order to have a successful wrestling career after you graduate from high school, it’s important that you do the right things throughout your high school career.
Work hard in the classroom and make sure your grades are as high as they can be because colleges want students with great transcripts which is what will give you a competitive edge over other potential college athletes.
Finally, Is High School Wrestling Worth It?
Yes, high school wrestling is definitely worth it if you want to develop the mindset of a champion and compete at a very high level. While some people might think that participating in scholastic wrestling is not as cool as playing other sports such as football or basketball, those athletes miss out on developing important life skills that will help set them up for success in the future.
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