FAQs
When and where is practice?
Practices are held at the Maple Grove Senior High Wrestling gym . Please park in the lot on the north side of the school. Practices are typically Monday and Wednesday evenings. There may be a few dates when we are unable to secure the space on a Monday and Wednesday. In those cases, we move it to another day that week. The time depends on the team your child is assigned to.
What equipment does my wrestler need?
Your wrestler will want to wear shorts and a t-shirt to practice. Wrestling shoes are strongly encouraged (and required for competition). Please makes sure that wrestling shoes are not worn outside of the wrestling room/gym, as this helps to keep germs and grime off of the mats. No street shoes are allowed on the mats, so if you don't have wrestling shoes, please wear socks during practice. Before the season, be on the lookout for posts on our Facebook page from other families that may have outgrown shoes to wear. Otherwise, the Dick's Sporting Goods in Maple Grove typically has a few styles in stock.
If you plan to allow your wrestler to compete in tournaments, it's a good idea to invest in headgear, too. The coaches can tell you more about the different types and help you adjust it to fit your wrestler.
I know nothing about wrestling. How do we get started?
No problem! During the parent information night, we'll share with you an idea of what to expect during the season. We also host a Wrestling 101 session early in the season, where you can get more info and ask any questions. Unlike many youth sports, competitions can be attended based on your availability and your wrestler's interest level. Some wrestlers only come to our team practices; others attend tournaments every weekend. More on that below!
Will my wrestler participate in tournaments?
The team usually pays for wrestlers to attend several tournaments during the season. Your wrestler can attend any open tournament - there are mulitple tournaments nearly every weekend in the metro. Closer to the beginning of the season, they are posted on The Guillotine (https://theguillotine.com/open-tournament-calendar/). We also publish a list of tournaments that the coaches will be attending so you know where you’ll have mat side support. Because they are optional, the cost of entry (typically $15-$20) for those is not included in our program fee. If your wrestler attends any tournament noted as a MN/USA Qualifier tournament, he or she will also need a MN/USA membership as well.
Our club hosts a tournament in Maple Grove on the Sunday after Thanksgiving.
What if my wrestler really enjoys competing?
Toward the end of the season, you'll hear much more about the MN/USA State Folkstyle Wrestling Tournament. Many of our wrestlers participate in (and even place in) this weekend-long event that takes place in March in Rochester, Minnesota. Again, it is completely optional, but is a fun team-building experience for our wrestlers. To participate, your wrestler first needs to qualify by earning points at a "qualifier".
We also offer a dual team experience for both K-3 and K-6. We form a team of wrestlers at different weight classes, and our team faces off against teams from neighboring programs. We typically attend 3-4 dual tournaments per season. Coaches will communicate more on this early in the season. Feel free to ask a coach, if interested.
I've heard there are different styles of wrestling. Which style will my athlete learn?
During the winter season, our focus is on folkstyle wrestling. This follows the same rules as high school and collegiate wrestling. This differs from freestlye and Greco Roman wrestling, which is what you'll see in the Olympics.
How are points scored in wrestling?
These videos explain how points can be scored in a typical match.
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