I am a mom of a wrestler that wrestles 8 and under and I have had several conversations with my father about practices and tournaments.

Here is my question to anyone perferably someone high up:
How long should a wrestler at any age practice? Are there
any rules that say that wrestler should only practice so
long so many times a week?
As far as tournaments are concerned my father said that he was told wrestlers that young don't even listen to the coaches on the side that there is no point in the coach being there. How much truth is there to that?

My son is a decent wrestler for his age and I want him to continue as long as he is enjoying it but I don't want to practice him too much or do something to make him lose intrest.

Will you guys please help!?

Kotahsmom,

As a parent, you want to provide the best training in any sport for your son or daughter, I know we do. But I believe you should leave that decision up to your child. Talk to him, make sure he what he wants to do. Our son has practiced up to five days a week, with three different coaches. He wrestles 10 & U, and he has made a decision that wrestling is his sport. During off season he plays soccer or baseball, but continues to wrestle. This something that he decides, we just have provided the avenues for him to persue his goals. Be supportive. As for tournaments, I have heard the same thing that your father has, and have asked my son, he says that it's not that they don't listen, they can't hear a coach, but they will follow wrestling jesters from their coach when they look at them for guidence. A wrestler ultimately decides what he is going to do however, and the more experience they get the more instinctive it gets for them. My advice is to talk with your child and make the decisions together.

Hope this helps.

Ginny Wagh
KCWC

My rule of thumb has always been about 5 minutes for every year old on actual instruction, wrestling drills, situation wrestling and live go's. So figure if your child is 8 that would be forty minutes of wrestling stuff. Count in stretching, and warm-up another 10-15 minutes. At the end Always have something FUN to close out the session, a game of tag, sharks and minnows or a mini take down tourney. You really need to be organized to pull off a structured practice in little over an hour but this is enough time. A couple times of week should be plenty for a young kid. They will get all the practice they want in high school… Top shelf high school programs usally only go two hours tops with conditioning.

Your Dad is 90% right! There is on special occasions that you will find a kid that will listen to a Coach on the side of the mat in regards of what’s going on in the match. Mostly they are looking for encouragement and praise. I think you should be more of a cheerleader than a Coach. Actually watch the match keep tabs for rule and score mishaps, and enjoy your work from the week. Go back to the wrestling room for the details on instruction. Kids are no different than adults when comes to things, they are very task orientated. So they are going to focus in on their match and not their surroundings.

Now I'm sure you will hear all kinds of things and opinions but this is just that! An opinion of many years of experiences of mine!

Mark Miller
Manhattan Wrestling