Youth Wrestling

[NVGator]

Some of you know I have 2 young boys (5.5 & 7) and we played football this past fall. The good chunk of the team is enrolling in youth wrestling (freestyle/Greco Roman) for the winter. It focuses on technique, strength and discipline.

I watched this video below from Coach Petersen and wondered how many kids go through wrestling? Then I asked myself if this was only a Midwest/West Coast thing? I don't ever remember wrestling being a thing when I was a kid or any of my friends. Is it bing in the South? Is it just more popular with caucasians vs. other races? Again, it's a popular thing here and all of the coaches I'm coaching with in football wrestled all through grade school.

Would love to hear thoughts.

 

[stephenPE]

UF had a wrestling program when I was in school. Then gave up around 1977 or78. They always got a good football player because of it. Many FLa high schools have wrestling. Brandon used to be the standard in fla high schools. I love HS wrestling. It is a real sport for individuals. When I WAS at UF in the college of Phys Ed. I had to wrestle the gator QB, and then the wrestling coach made you wrestle him. GREAT Wkout........

 

[bradgator2]

On a whim, I decided to tryout for the wrestling team as a freshman in HS. I actually enjoyed it as it is a pure competition against another human. I hit my stride my junior year, going undefeated in the Gateway (Jacksonville) and cleaning house through districts and regionals. That's when I discovered that north and central FL is weak. Them boys from south Florida started wrestling when they are your kid's ages. As a senior, made the Florida Times all-team. There are many life skills that I still follow because of the coaches I had in that sport.

I would say 75% of our team were guys on the football team. By the end of the season, we could pretty much out run anybody on the cross country team and track teams.

We had a girl tryout my senior year. The first week... hell week... was especially brutal. She didnt make it to the end of the week.

 

[bradgator2]

UF had a wrestling program when I was in school. Then gave up around 1977 or78. They always got a good football player because of it. Many FLa high schools have wrestling. Brandon used to be the standard in fla high schools. I love HS wrestling. It is a real sport for individuals. When I WAS at UF in the college of Phys Ed. I had to wrestle the gator QB, and then the wrestling coach made you wrestle him. GREAT Wkout........

When I was there, they still had a pretty strong intramural program. Obviously, non-competition but very well organized. It was fun to relive the high school days. It's a real religion in the midwest.

The great workout comment is an understatement.

 

[BMF]

On a whim, I decided to tryout for the wrestling team as a freshman in HS. I actually enjoyed it as it is a pure competition against another human. I hit my stride my junior year, going undefeated in the Gateway (Jacksonville) and cleaning house through districts and regionals. That's when I discovered that north and central FL is weak. Them boys from south Florida started wrestling when they are your kid's ages. As a senior, made the Florida Times all-team. There are many life skills that I still follow because of the coaches I had in that sport.

I would say 75% of our team were guys on the football team. By the end of the season, we could pretty much out run anybody on the cross country team and track teams.

We had a girl tryout my senior year. The first week... hell week... was especially brutal. She didnt make it to the end of the week.

That's my experience, growing up in NE Florida (we didn't start wrestling until the 10th grade). I wrestled for two years (85/86 & 86/87 season - at Wolfson). We had a huge team, so I got my ass handed to me (I wrestled 140/147, and at 5'11 I was getting beat by the shorter stockier/stronger kids)...but I learned a lot and had fun. The guy ahead of me in the 140 was state runner-up our senior year. I only wrestled the varsity matches maybe 4 times in two years. That's impressive you were all-Gateway. Wolfson hosted the tournament one year (maybe my sophomore year?) and it was very competitive. In the 80's the pecking order was Wolfson, Ed White, Orange Park, and maybe Terry Parker.

 

[bradgator2]

That's my experience, growing up in NE Florida (we didn't start wrestling until the 10th grade). I wrestled for two years (85/86 & 86/87 season - at Wolfson). We had a huge team, so I got my ass handed to me (I wrestled 140/147, and at 5'11 I was getting beat by the shorter stockier/stronger kids)...but I learned a lot and had fun. The guy ahead of me in the 140 was state runner-up our senior year. I only wrestled the varsity matches maybe 4 times in two years. That's impressive you were all-Gateway. Wolfson hosted the tournament one year (maybe my sophomore year?) and it was very competitive. In the 80's the pecking order was Wolfson, Ed White, Orange Park, and maybe Terry Parker.

Yeah, I was at Forest in the early 90s. Our coach was a former Olympian and just a complete badass. Orange Park was always good but not in the Gateway. Mandarin was just coming online and they had all the rich kids. At that time, it was always us vs Wolfson vs Mandarin. We had an odd opening slot at 130 my freshman year and I was lucky that was the 1st year that freshman went to the high schools. I was a runt at 112 pounds and simply got murdered. Sophomore was naturally 119. Junior was kinda tough to stay at 119. As a senior, I pretty much didnt eat for 6 months and was running 10 miles a day to remain at 119.

 

[BMF]

Yeah, I was at Forest in the early 90s. Our coach was a former Olympian and just a complete badass. Orange Park was always good but not in the Gateway. Mandarin was just coming online and they had all the rich kids. At that time, it was always us vs Wolfson vs Mandarin. We had an odd opening slot at 130 my freshman year and I was lucky that was the 1st year that freshman went to the high schools. I was a runt at 112 pounds and simply got murdered. Sophomore was naturally 119. Junior was kinda tough to stay at 119. As a senior, I pretty much didnt eat for 6 months and was running 10 miles a day to remain at 119.

Forest had a good team back then too. Mandarin opened a couple of years after I graduated (I would have attended Mandarin if it was open when I was in school). I had a good friend who was the 119 guy, he was good. I think he won the Gateway our senior year (I forget, maybe runner up). I didn't wrestle as a senior - or play football, which is one of my regrets in life. I broke a collarbone my junior year and was hampered through wrestling season because of it....and I became a Jax Beach lifeguard and it was all down hill after that! (weed, beer, surfing, and booty!)

 

[bradgator2]

Forest had a good team back then too. Mandarin opened a couple of years after I graduated (I would have attended Mandarin if it was open when I was in school). I had a good friend who was the 119 guy, he was good. I think he won the Gateway our senior year (I forget, maybe runner up). I didn't wrestle as a senior - or play football, which is one of my regrets in life. I broke a collarbone my junior year and was hampered through wrestling season because of it....and I became a Jax Beach lifeguard and it was all down hill after that! (weed, beer, surfing, and booty!)

Booty is all powerful. But those regrets in life are interesting.

Along those lines, there was a kid at Fletcher that was incredibly on the same path as me. In my 4 years in high school, we met 9 times through team vs team and tournaments and I was 9-0 against him. Although we were probably fairly well matched in the end. Since we won the Gateway the year before, we were hosting the tournament my senior year. Naturally, he and I are in the finals. Like you mentioned, the conference finals were a really big deal and a complete sellout packed house back then. For our match, we ended up tied at regulation and go into overtime. Tied again and go into 2nd overtime. For 2nd overtime, they'll place one guy down. First one to score wins. If nobody scores, the guy on bottom loses. Which was me. A life defining moment for me was listening to that entire crowd going truly ape shiit nuts because I lost. To this day, that memory will push me through any physical challenge.

I am currently training for a race and last night was 100% track work with a coach. I got through my last 300m sprint thinking about that fuking crowd.

 

[SeabeeGator]

Booty is all powerful. But those regrets in life are interesting.

Along those lines, there was a kid at Fletcher that was incredibly on the same path as me. In my 4 years in high school, we met 9 times through team vs team and tournaments and I was 9-0 against him. Although we were probably fairly well matched in the end. Since we won the Gateway the year before, we were hosting the tournament my senior year. Naturally, he and I are in the finals. Like you mentioned, the conference finals were a really big deal and a complete sellout packed house back then. For our match, we ended up tied at regulation and go into overtime. Tied again and go into 2nd overtime. For 2nd overtime, they'll place one guy down. First one to score wins. If nobody scores, the guy on bottom loses. Which was me. A life defining moment for me was listening to that entire crowd going truly ape shiit nuts because I lost. To this day, that memory will push me through any physical challenge.

I am currently training for a race and last night was 100% track work with a coach. I got through my last 300m sprint thinking about that fuking crowd.

Loser.

 

[cover2]

NV, great sport for your kids IMO. Wrestling has gotten pretty big in GA over the last 20 years or so. Our team has been competitive and we've had some really good performances in the state tournaments, but one of the biggest benefits is seeing the kids that start young and grow into the sport and how they grow and mature into confident and successful young men. They learn self-discipline, team work, and the benefits of physical fitness. Regardless of their won/loss record, they learn one of life's most important lessons...never, ever give up. What Coach Peterson says in the clip is true. The football players we have that wrestle are tougher on the average. Lot of benefits. Good luck and enjoy these times with your kids. They're over too fast.

 

[bradgator2]

Loser.

That's hurtful.

 

[stephenPE]

The PE teacher that inspired me taught us wrestling back in 1967. It was so much fun. I wish we had it in my HS but we only had track, football and basketball. I earned 9 letters total in those three. Brad's stories about making weight always blew me away. How they would sweat their asses off to stay at weight. Crazy as hell. I taught a girl that wrestled for the HS in Starke. Little thing but tough as a boot. That was before girls did that sort of thing.

 

[Gatordiddy]

I heard it does wonders for your ears - or is that UFC I’m thinking of?

 

[Gatorbreath]

I find wrestling to be disgusting - sweaty dudes hugging and grabbing each other on filthy, sweat-sodden mats.

But dudes wrestling youths per the thread title? That's just perverted.

 

[Great White Buffalo]

There's certainly an interest in wrestling in the southeast, but it pales in comparison to the Midwest or northern states like Pennsylvania. Pretty much the further west or north you go, the greater the interest. I've got a nephew that's top 100 in the country that's going to a prep school in Chattanooga because he doesn't get good enough competition here in dwagja. Cover is correct, his growth in terms of maturity and self-discipline is nothing short of amazing.

Regarding demographics, I'd say it's much more Caucasian at the younger ages, but starts to level out once the kids get into high school.

 

[GatorInGeorgia]

I heard it does wonders for your ears - or is that UFC I’m thinking of?

Both.

 

[Detroitgator]

Some of you know I have 2 young boys (5.5 & 7) and we played football this past fall. The good chunk of the team is enrolling in youth wrestling (freestyle/Greco Roman) for the winter. It focuses on technique, strength and discipline.

I watched this video below from Coach Petersen and wondered how many kids go through wrestling? Then I asked myself if this was only a Midwest/West Coast thing? I don't ever remember wrestling being a thing when I was a kid or any of my friends. Is it bing in the South? Is it just more popular with caucasians vs. other races? Again, it's a popular thing here and all of the coaches I'm coaching with in football wrestled all through grade school.

Would love to hear thoughts.

In Michigan, and the Midwest down to Oklahoma, outside of the big cities (like Detroit, Chicago...) in high school, football was king, followed by wrestling. After football season, the football teams typically split up between basketball and wrestling and again, outside of the "urban" areas, wrestling matches had HUGE draws and the three day State finals (then in East Lansing, then Grand Rapids) were like a mini-spring break where high school kids would fill the hotels 10 to a room for 3 days of debauchery and watching the wrestling at MSU/GVSU (they are now held at Ford Field and it killed the vibe).

Useless trivia: For Dan Enos's (Miami OC) family, I was closer with his older brothers Gary and Lorne, who both played football/wrestled. Danny always wanted to wrestle too from the time we were small, but his dad wouldn't let him because he didn't want to risk a shoulder/knee injury to Danny from wrestling (#2 sport for bad injury second to cheerleading).

Bottom Line: Wrestling was huge. 4 of us drove from Dearborn to University of Iowa for their summer camp two years in a row. Second year was 1984 when Dan Gable was coaching the US Olympic Team. He said, "Fuk Colorado Springs" and he and the entire Olympic team were at Iowa for the camp. Pretty amazing guy.

Here's what Ford Field looks like going into Day One...

 

[GatorInGeorgia]

Some of you know I have 2 young boys (5.5 & 7) and we played football this past fall. The good chunk of the team is enrolling in youth wrestling (freestyle/Greco Roman) for the winter. It focuses on technique, strength and discipline.

I watched this video below from Coach Petersen and wondered how many kids go through wrestling? Then I asked myself if this was only a Midwest/West Coast thing? I don't ever remember wrestling being a thing when I was a kid or any of my friends. Is it bing in the South? Is it just more popular with caucasians vs. other races? Again, it's a popular thing here and all of the coaches I'm coaching with in football wrestled all through grade school.

Would love to hear thoughts.

It’s a great sport and it’s definitely bigger in the NE, Midwest and west, compared to the South. It used to be bigger in the South until late 70s/early 80s when some of the bigger schools shut their programs down but there was still some decent competition in Florida high schools to be found, although nothing like the north & Midwest.

Petersen is correct...a guy that is a legit wrestler is going to be physically & mentally tough. Wrestling practices make football practices seem like a lazy day in the park. The level of conditioning is on two entirely different levels.

There are also no breaks other than a brief maybe 30 second break between periods in a wrestling match unlike in football, where, when a play ends you get to jog back to the huddle and catch your breath for 45 seconds (obviously one exception being if you get too close to the edge of the mat & are deemed out of bounds). No break either like in football when the play is not in your area (think a RB that breaks free 20 yards down field...offensive linemen may still be hanging out at LOS because their part of the play is over). In wrestling, you’re always in the center of the action. Three rounds, 2 minutes each where you’ve got another individual the same weight as you pushing against you, trying to take you down, grinding you into the mat from top position or trying to escape/reverse from bottom position while you trying to grind him down will wear you out very quickly.

It’s one on one, in the middle of a gym filled with people and you don’t have a helmet hiding your face if you get thumped. No blaming your kicker for missing the game winning FG, no blaming the QB for throwing 3 INTs, no blaming the defense for not tackling and giving up 50 points. It’s you and the other guy. If you lose, it’s on you.

Some cross over benefits for other sports including football is it helps out with footwork and agility. It helps out getting low to the ground, and it will definitely help develop muscle groups that football practice won’t.

I’d recommend your kids give it a try. It’s a great sport.

 

[Detroitgator]

It’s a great sport and Petersen is correct...a guy that is a legit wrestler is going to be physically & mentally tough. Wrestling practices make football practices seem like a lazy day in the park. The level of conditioning is on two entirely different levels.

There are also no breaks other than a brief maybe 30 second break between periods in a wrestling match unlike in football, where, when a play ends you get to jog back to the huddle and catch your breath for 45 seconds (obviously one exception being if you get too close to the edge of the mat & are deemed out of bounds). No break either like in football when the play is not in your area (think a RB that breaks free 20 yards down field...offensive linemen may still be hanging out at LOS because their part of the play is over). In wrestling, you’re always in the center of the action. Three rounds, 2 minutes each where you’ve got another individual the same weight as you pushing against you, trying to take you down, grinding you into the mat from top position or trying to escape/reverse from bottom position while you trying to grind him down will wear you out very quickly.

It’s one on one, in the middle of a gym filled with people and you don’t have a helmet hiding your face if you get thumped. No blaming your kicker for missing the game winning FG, no blaming the QB for throwing 3 INTs, no blaming the defense for not tackling and giving up 50 points. It’s you and the other guy. If you lose, it’s on you.

Some cross over benefits for other sports including football is it helps out with footwork and agility. It helps out getting low to the ground, and it will definitely help develop muscle groups that football practice won’t.

I’d recommend your kids give it a try. It’s a great sport.

^All this... and while I was away eating dinner, I thought about the conditioning (we THOUGHT we were in good shape after football season) and the one-on-one, no excuse aspects.

@NVGator One other useless trivia point: Billy J's son (who you also met) did football/wrestling in Fallon. In wrestling, I think he placed (top 4) in the NV state championships... he may have even been champion his senior year, but I can't remember.

 

[Bait'n Gator]

My boys are 4 and 8. The 8 year old started in our small towns rec league when he was 6. It's only a couple of weeks and there are usually 5 or 6 kids in each age/weight group. This past year we enrolled him a traveling league it covers 6 or 7 counties in our area. It's a couple of the middle school and high school wrestling coaches from various counties that run it every year. There were roughly 25 or so kids in each of those age/weight classes. I'm going to brag a little now but in the 2+ years he's been competing he's never lost a match.

We're going to start the 4 year old in the traveling league this year as well. I don't know if my nerves are going to be able to handle it though. Not to sound cliche but there are few things more intense than watching your child compete in something like wrestling. My 8 year old his a helluva football player as well, plays QB and OLB on his rec. all-star team this year and watching him play football is nothing like wrestling. I get a little nervous for him on each play during the games but in wrestling I think my heart is about to beat out my chest. Even if he wasn't very good it'll still be worth it, I'd recommend it to anyone with a capable child.