On behalf of all the coaches, we are excited to begin a new season of wrestling. Our club has experienced tremendous growth over the last couple of years and we are working hard to accommodate this growth. Last year, for example, we had 42 members, almost triple the prior year. So far, this year’s membership should meet or exceed that number. Please be patient while we evaluate this year’s roster and put together a program to best teach the sport of wrestling to the unique experience and skill levels we have this year. Over the season, we will have five coaches helping out, and should conditions warrant, we will add additional practice nights and/or break up practices by experience and skill.
Our number one goal is for your wrestler to enjoy the sport and want to come to practice and compete. With that said, we do not want you to feel any pressure that your wrestler has to attend each and every practice or sign up for tournaments. In fact, many of our experienced wrestlers are still finishing up football and will play basketball over the winter as well. Practices will be structured with a fair amount of conditioning, strength, balance, and agility exercises followed by teaching and drilling moves and live wrestling. Please help us monitor how your wrestler is responding to these activities by asking how they are doing and providing us feedback. We want to develop confidence in their ability and in engaging a wrestler of similar age and weight. While we make every attempt to match up skill, age, and weight, it is not unusual [in practice] to have to wrestle older, heavier kids because of available pairings. However, wrestling in competition is between two kids of similar weight and age. We just have to make sure that your wrestler is gaining confidence and is not getting frustrated in practice.
Tomorrow night may be a little bit crazy. For those of you not familiar with Dunwoody High School, it is under renovation and parking is limited. In addition, there will be an open house in progress for next year’s high school students. We practice on the stage adjacent to the gym. The gym is on the right side (south side) of the school when facing it. Please enter the school at the gym and proceed to the stage at the back. If you can get their early to take care of paperwork, please do. Laura Lynn and I will be there by 5:30 pm. The basic plan for tomorrow night is to collect paperwork, weight your wrestler, start and end practice on time, and have a brief parents meeting at the end of practice.