At what age or grade do you think a boy should start wrestling with a team or school or clinics? What would be too early? What would be too late? Thanks.
At what age?
- Thread starter EastIowaHawk
- Start date
my son started last year in kindergarten, and the only tournament we did was his club tourney at the end of the club season...and the only reason we even did that was because he wanted to, and it was free entry because he was a club member...outside of that, until he starts to express a desire to do more, that's about all I am going to invest in him at this point, I want it to stay fun, and something he looks forward to doing 1 or 2x a week....I am sure as he gets older, he'll want to do more clubs/tournaments, and we'll look, as a family, where the best opportunities lie, I'm not terribly worried about him winning a state title as a 1st grader, as long as he has the desire to stay in it at this age, he'll be closer than I ever was....
I agree with rival. At such a young age kids are wrestling for fun, not for competition. Kindergarten is a great place to start with the basics but one or two tourneys is plenty for a 5 year old.
I've heard that over in Russia that they don't start kids in wrestling until at least 10 years old or 4th/5th grade. I think it's hard for an excited dad to wait this long but there are many examples of guys who didn't start until Jr High (mark Ironside). I'm sure there are tons of examples of kids who started in kindergarten. My personal opinion is whenever the kid really wants to start and then keep the number of matches limited so the kid wants more even tho the season is over. Disclaimer...my son is 11 and chosen to play basketball but he also plays baseball and football. The Drs office also predict he will be 5'5 or taller. There is no rush imo
My son started at 2nd grade. By the time he was in 4th grade my four year old wanted to go to practice with his brother. So he started at 4. My older boy was into tournaments and we traveled every weekend during the season. When my youngest was in Kindergarten he started entering tourneys because he was there anyway so he way as well compete. Turned out he was more successful than his older brother.
They both wrestled through high school and enjoyed the experience at every level.
Several of my younger boys friends tried to wrestle in first and second grade and just didn't like it. I think it all depends on the kid, how much he likes it and how much fun the family makes the experience. I'd recommend exposing the child to it early and encourage some competition and see where he takes it from there.
They both wrestled through high school and enjoyed the experience at every level.
Several of my younger boys friends tried to wrestle in first and second grade and just didn't like it. I think it all depends on the kid, how much he likes it and how much fun the family makes the experience. I'd recommend exposing the child to it early and encourage some competition and see where he takes it from there.
Agreed. DON'T PUSH! This would probably be harder for an ex-wrestler than it was for me back in the day. I was an ex-basketball player so i didn't know enough about wrestling to overcoach. I'd say give them the opportunity; if they run with it great.
Other than Pizzaman who seems to be on this board to satisfy his own prurient desires, it appears the prevalent opinion is to wait for the child to ask. I disagree. Would you wait for your child to ask to learn how to read? Would you wait for them to ask how to do chores around the house? Would you wait for them to ask if they can mow the lawn? Of course not, you want to teach your child basic skills as early as you can and then encourage them to excel using those skills. How are they going to learn if they aren't exposed and encouraged to try?
It appears many of you are allowing the actions of a few over zealous parents to color your opinions of parental involvement in a child's activities. If you look around the rosters of the tough wrestling schools you will see that the rosters are dominated with kids who have grown up through their kids clubs. They have wrestled for years. That experience gives them a leg up on the competition. It also gives them confidence. In my opinion your child should be exposed to the sport early, when they are able to handle the physical and mental requirements of the sport and then they should be encouraged to try out the competition.
I had three boys go through the club. Wrestling was not for one of them and he chose other activities. The other two wrestled from K and 2nd grade. They both wrestled varsity in high school and the third is a big fan. Positive parental involvement is always a great developmental tool for your kids. Get them going.
It appears many of you are allowing the actions of a few over zealous parents to color your opinions of parental involvement in a child's activities. If you look around the rosters of the tough wrestling schools you will see that the rosters are dominated with kids who have grown up through their kids clubs. They have wrestled for years. That experience gives them a leg up on the competition. It also gives them confidence. In my opinion your child should be exposed to the sport early, when they are able to handle the physical and mental requirements of the sport and then they should be encouraged to try out the competition.
I had three boys go through the club. Wrestling was not for one of them and he chose other activities. The other two wrestled from K and 2nd grade. They both wrestled varsity in high school and the third is a big fan. Positive parental involvement is always a great developmental tool for your kids. Get them going.
There is a HUGE difference between the need for reading skills and the need for wrestling skills. You need to be able to read to have success doing much of anything in life. You can have a damn good life without ever even thinking about taking to the mat. Wrestling, just like any sport, is a recreational activity for kids. I wouldn't force my kid to wrestle when he wants to play basketball or do some other activity.
I was exposed to it at a very young age, as my parents went to all the high school meets when I was little. Naturally, I grew to like the sport and started wrestling when I was 5 years old because it's what I wanted to do. I stopped wrestling after fourth grade because I liked basketball better, but I was never forced into wrestling. I wanted to do it and found it really wasn't my thing (neither was basketball, as it turned out; I didn't play in high school and instead spent my winters focusing on hitting the weight room and working to improve in baseball, football and track).
You can encourage your kids to get involved with something, but I wouldn't sign my kid up for any sport unless he/she wanted to try it. That's not to say I wouldn't give them plenty of exposure to sports, though. I'd take them to local sporting events, so it's not like they'd have no idea what I was talking about if I asked them whether they were interested in getting started in wrestling/basketball/baseball/etc. If you give them that exposure, I'd think kids would be pretty keen to start participating in at least a few of those activities. Maybe they wouldn't want to do all of them, but at least a handful.
I was never pushed into trying a sport out, although if there was one sport I probably didn't have a choice with, it'd be baseball (my dad played in college, coached for years before I was born, umpired while I was growing up and then was my coach in high school). But it never came to that because I simply love baseball and always have. I played because I wanted to. With football, I definitely won't push, with all the risks we're learning more about now. That's one sport I'm not sure I'll let my kids play, even if they want to.
He graduated from West Waterloo in 1966. There was no kiddie wrestling in the late 50s/early 60s. 7th grade was when everyone started back then.
I didn't know that Ironside didn't start wrestling until JH.
I am not at all sure that youth wrestling is absolutely necessary IF there is a strong JH program. There is a high burnout/dropout rate as it is.
I didn't know that Ironside didn't start wrestling until JH.
I am not at all sure that youth wrestling is absolutely necessary IF there is a strong JH program. There is a high burnout/dropout rate as it is.
