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Our program is designed to provide a basic wrestling knowledge base to our young athletes. We depend on volunteer assistance in the form of board members, coaches, and team parents. Many parents have volunteered to help the team in various ways – we appreciate your assistance and we will contact you when a need arrives.
Some parents have volunteered as parent coaches. They will assist the head coaches in conducting practices and meets. We have also enlisted the help of some Merrimack High School wrestlers that will serve as mentors and also assist the head coaches.
Our program is open to boys and girls in K – 6 grades. Each wrestler will compete according to his/her weight and age. At times we will also take a wrestler’s ability into account. We do not have weight categories and wrestlers do not have to “make weight”.
We will compete in meets as a team and optionally in tournaments on an individual basis. Meets will be scheduled with teams from neighboring communities. Every wrestler present for a meet will wrestle at least once in that meet. We are not part of a league and we do not keep team scores at the meets. Tournaments will be announced and each wrestler will decide to enter or not. There will be entrance fees associated with tournaments that must be paid by the wrestler.
Our focus will be multifaceted (order does not represent priority after #1):
1) First, of course, is the safety and welfare of each wrestler. Rest assured that your wrestler is supervised at all times by staff trained in first aid. Today we will discuss our “No One-on-one” contact policy.
2) Provide the best wrestling instruction possible in an environment conducive to learning wrestling. Working on a basic understanding of wrestling, building strength and endurance while making the instruction fun.
3) Highlight the importance of nutrition and exercise in wrestling as well as in general health.
4) Endeavor to enhance the self-confidence, self-esteem, and self-discipline in each wrestler.
Our team will be divided into two or more practice squads (Squad #1: K-3 and Squad #2: 4-6). This will allow the older wrestlers to advance at a faster rate than the younger (and in most cases the less experienced) wrestlers. Squads will meet individually two times a week and come together for meets to wrestle as one team. Practice times and places will be posted.
We are developing an award program that will reward wrestlers for completing defined levels of instruction.
Wrestlers are expected to help prepare for and cleanup after practices.
Of the many sports your child can participate in, wrestling is perhaps the most misrepresented, misunderstood, and underrated. The ratio of participation to public awareness is remarkably lopsided. Each year hundreds of thousands of kids participate in this sport, yet the average person knows as much about wrestling as they might know about rugby or polo -- which combined, involve far fewer athletes. Our purpose is to generate new interest and awareness among parents whose children want to participate in this exciting and rewarding sport.
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