mmeditz , I believe talking to your sons coach is essential in determining where a young wrestler needs to be placed. They have the experience to give an unbiased assessment of a kids ability. They also have a broader view of what’s best for your son, the integrity of the club, and the sport as a whole. As stated previously some kids develop more quickly then others, so the number of years wrestling can not be the only criteria.

My advice to any parent would be to enter as many open tournaments as possible, and leave the novice tournaments behind as soon as possible. Lets face it, in the 6-under division, aren’t all the kids novice anyway? Wrestling the best competition will advance a wrestlers skill.
Seeing where you want to end up, makes it easier to get there. If a kid can handle it, I believe it is better to lose matches against superior opponents then to roll around on the mat with wrestlers of similar skills.

Parents need to focus on improving their children’s skills, and less on winning metals. If parents and coaches explain the emphasis on improving skills with their kids, the young wrestlers will be better equipped to handle the losses and maybe the parents can offer positive reinforcement after defeats.