What does my child need to wrestle?

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Every wrestler must have a USA Wrestling Membership card to participate. For practice, your child should wear wrestling shoes (no bare feet or street shoes are allowed on the mats), a T-shirt, and shorts without pockets. Please send a labeled water bottle with your child or there is a water fountain nearby. Headgear is optional but recommended if your wrestler would like to wear it. If your child plans to compete in tournaments, they will need a wrestling uniform (singlet) and wrestling shoes.

We also recommend bringing a sweatshirt or jacket to wear after practice, as wrestlers can cool down quickly after a workout.

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What is a USA wrestling card?

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A USA Wrestling card is an official membership pass and proof of registration from USA Wrestling, the national governing body for amateur wrestling in the United States. It allows wrestlers, coaches, and officials to participate in sanctioned club practices, camps, and tournaments. All coaches with our club are also required to have this card and it includes SafeSport training to ensure they are trained to coach children. This also includes a background check.

 

Key Facts About the Card

• Purpose: Acts as a verified ID and provides secondary sports accident insurance while training or competing.

• Validity: Runs annually from September 1 through August 31 and must be renewed every year.

• Requirement: Mandatory for anyone competing in folkstyle, freestyle, or Greco-Roman events sanctioned by the organization.

• How to Get One: Available for purchase online through the official USA Wrestling Membership System. You must have this to wrestle with Tigard Wrestling Club.

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What are the benefits of wrestling?

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There are many benefits of wrestling, your child will learn: self-confidence, diligence, work ethic, sportsmanship, self-discipline, perseverance and how to have a healthy level of competition. Physically your child can gain: improved balance, increased speed, increased coordination, increased endurance, improved agility, strength in all muscle groups. Wrestling has proven to help athletes excel in many different sports including Football, Baseball, Soccer and many more. We believe hard work leads to growth. Our coaches are firm, fair, and committed to helping every wrestler reach their potential. Practices are challenging, expectations are high, and athletes are encouraged to give their best effort every day. The lessons learned on the mat—discipline, resilience, and accountability—last far beyond wrestling.

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What if my child gets hurt?

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Wrestling is a contact sport. Jammed fingers, bloody noses, and sore muscles are common in this sport. Major injuries in all contact sports can occur, but are not common. We make an effort to monitor practices carefully so illegal holds or potentially dangerous predicaments are stopped at once. The USA Wrestling Membership card also provide secondary injuring insurance if your child is injured at practice or at tournaments. Our club has not had any major injuries in the past because we practice safe wrestling techniques.

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When does the season start and end?

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The primary wrestling seas​on starts in early November and ends mid-February.

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Do wrestlers cut weight?

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Our youth wrestlers do not cut weight. Our goal is to create a fun atmosphere that promotes a competitive drive, regardless of the athlete's weight. In addition, there are much stricter guidelines now for high school and collegiate wrestlers.

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What should I do to keep my child safe from skin infections?

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Good hygiene is the best way to prevent skin infections. Our mats are cleaned and disinfected before every practice.

To help keep your child healthy, have them shower with warm water and soap as soon as possible after practice, scrubbing thoroughly. If your child has an open wound or develops a rash or other skin condition, please keep them off the mats, notify a coach, and consult your healthcare provider before they return. Our coaches will remind them to shower immediately after practice. Practicing good hygiene is the best defense against skin infections.​

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What is the structure of the club practice and competition schedule?

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Our athletes are divded between those who are more advanced and have more experience and those who are beginners. The days your athlete will practice will be dependent on their skill level and age. Practices are around 90 minutes two to three times a week. At the end of November, the metro league tournaments will start. These tournaments are completely optional but allow your wrestler to practice moves they've learned at practice with those on other teams. Wrestlers who have entered these tournaments are matched within 5 pounds of their body weight and placed into a bracket with other wrestlers. 

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Do we need to participate in tournaments?

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Metro league tournaments occur most weekends and are offered to athletes at no additional cost but you are not required to participate. Tigard Wrestling Club coaches will be at every metro tournament and will be available to coach your child if they choose to participate. You will receive more instructions on how to RSVP for these tournaments via TeamSnap once the season starts.

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What if it's not a great fit for us?

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We understand that wrestling is a unique sport and you may want to try it out to make sure it's a good fit for your athlete. That's not a problem - your athlete is welcome to join us the first week and if they decide no to continue we will happily refund your Tigard Wrestling Club dues. If it's not a great fit, there is no commitment to continue. NOTE: Your wrestler still must purchase a USA Wrestling Card and these card fees are not collected by the club and therefore cannot be refunded.

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