Attire: Wrestlers should wear clean shorts, t-shirt, and wrestling shoes for each practice.

• Wrestling Shoes: Only wear wrestling shoes inside the wrestling room to keep them clean and in good condition. Change into your wrestling shoes once you are in the room.

• Headgear: Optional, good to get used to it now, many kids are hit and miss with this. LDR Headgear LLC is a popular choice. 

Hygiene: Wrestling involves close physical contact, so hygiene is crucial.

• Wrestlers must shower immediately after practice; waiting until the next morning is not acceptable.

• Skin Health: If you notice any new marks or skin changes, let a coach know right away. Skin issues are common, manageable, and nothing to worry about if addressed early.

Parent Participation: Parents are welcome to watch if they are not a distraction to their wrestlers (no street shoes inside the practice room). We ask that you refrain from socializing in the practice room with other parents as it can be a distraction to the wrestlers. If you are attending practice with siblings they are welcome to come and watch. We encourage this but if it becomes a distraction please move into the hall. 

Frequency: Tournaments are held nearly every weekend and provide great opportunities for young wrestlers to test their skills. Tournaments are at your own will registration to many of these events but we do anticipate having coaches available at some tournaments.

Finding Tournaments: Use Trackwrestling.com or Facebook for upcoming tournaments. SD Youth Wrestling Facebook page is a great resource for local tournaments, as well as finding other local youth clubs to follow on FB.

Trackwrestling Registration How-To Link

Trackwrestling Finding Brackets Tournament Day How-To

Fees: Wrestler Entry fees are generally around $20, but it can vary.

Required Gear: Wrestlers need wrestling shoes and a singlet for tournaments.

Coaching Support: Our coaching staff attends as many tournaments as possible. However, with so many matches happening simultaneously, it can be challenging to be at each mat. We appreciate any support parents can offer on tournament days to ensure our athletes get the guidance they need.

Starting Tournaments: There’s no rush to start competing. Skill levels vary widely, and jumping into tournaments too soon can be overwhelming. Please reach out to a coach if you’re unsure about tournament readiness.

Sports are supposed to be fun for children.  Unfortunately, many parents, fans, and coaches don’t realize that their actions, whether verbal or nonverbal, can have a lasting emotional effect on a child.  Too many youth athletes are leaving sports and activities because the fun is unfairly taken away by adults due to behavior.  Parents, fans, and coaches who follow this simple code can help reinforce what youth sports are all about and that’s having fun!! The following essential elements of character building and ethics in sports are embodied in the concept of sportsmanship in six core principles: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and good citizenship. We expect all our parents to follow and agree to practice the following:  

• I will not force my child to participate in sports.  

• I will remember that children participate to have fun and that the sport is for youth, not adults.  

• I will inform the coach of any physical disability or ailment that may affect the safety of my child or the safety of others.  

• I will learn the rules of the sport.  

• I (and my guests) will be a positive role model for my child and encourage sportsmanship by showing respect and courtesy, and by demonstrating positive support for all wrestlers, coaches, officials, and spectators at practice, or any related sporting event.  

• I (and my guests) will not engage in any kind of unsportsmanlike conduct with any official, coach, wrestler, or parent such as booing and taunting, refusing to shake hands, throwing headgear or using profane language or gestures.  

• I will not encourage any behaviors or practices that would endanger the health and well-being of any wrestler.  

• I will teach my child to play by the rules and to resolve conflicts without resorting to hostility or violence.  

• I will demand that my child treat other wrestlers, coaches, officials, and spectators with respect regardless of race, creed, color, sex, or ability.  

• I will teach my child that doing one’s best is more important than winning, so that my child will never feel defeated by the outcome of a match or his/her performance.  

• I will praise my child for competing fairly and trying hard.  

• I will never ridicule or yell at my child or other wrestlers for making a mistake or losing a match.  

• I will emphasize skill development and practices and how they benefit my child over winning.  

• I will promote the emotional and physical well-being of all wrestlers ahead of any personal desire I may have for my child to win.  

• I will respect the officials and their authority during a match and will never question, discuss, or confront coaches on the mat, and will take time to speak with coaches at an agreed upon time and place.  

• I will demand a sports environment for my child that is free from drugs, tobacco, and alcohol, and I will refrain from their use at all sports events.  

• I will refrain from coaching my child or other wrestlers during matches and practices, unless I am one of the official coaches or specifically asked of the team.  

*HYW will not tolerate behavior that is outside the parameters stated above. If encountered, both wrestler and parent will be dismissed from the club promptly!