About the Orting Jr. Wrestling Program
Orting Jr. Wrestling is a non-profit organization run by individuals who love the sport of wrestling. Orting Jr. Wrestling is open to anyone between the ages of 5-12. Orting Jr. Wrestling is a great feeder program for the High School Wrestling team. Many of the kids from the club have gone on to be state champions. A few have gone on to wrestle in college. The Orting High School took home 1st place as a team last year and has taken 2nd at state as a team the pervious 3 years in a row. The program is designed for first time wrestlers and advanced. Your child will be matched with someone not only in their weight class but their skill level. We have several coaches to work with the kids and encourage parents and families to get involved with the program. It’s a great individual as well as team sport for kids. This sport is designed kids of all sizes big and little. The weight classes are for ages 8 and under 45-110, for 9 and over 58-175 lbs. Our program teaches wrestling skills in a competitive but fun environment. Practices include sessions of conditioning, technique and instruction, drilling, situational exercises, and live wrestling.
What are the tournaments all about?
Many recreation programs hold tournaments each year. In the PCJWL we usually wrestle three Round Robins, three to four Dual meets and a couple of bracketed tournaments. These tournaments are usually held on Saturdays. All the kids that don’t make Varsity and JV will wrestle in the Rising Stars Tournament. The Rising Stars Tournament is designed for first and some second year wrestlers only. Tournaments require each wrestler to "weigh-in" prior to the event. Wrestlers will be placed in weight brackets based on their ages and wrestle in a single elimination style format. A tournament can be a very short day or a very long day! First year and even some second year wrestlers are strongly encouraged to participate ONLY in the Novice tournament. At the end of the season we take one Varsity and one JV wrestler at each weight class to sub divisions, the top four placers in our division advance to Divisions, the top four placers then go on to League Championships.
What should we expect from Saturday matches? (Round Robins)
These meets usually consist of three to six teams, with multiple matches going on simultaneously. Team scores are not kept. There are paid referees and official time keepers for most matches. There will be one or two OJW coaches on the mat to assist your child when they wrestle. Parents, siblings, and other wrestlers should not be on the mat during the matches. Depending on how many wrestlers attend, there are usually 100 to 150 matches which takes about 3 to 5 hours to complete. Wrestlers need to be in the gym early to receive their "match number assignments" which will be written on their hand.
At the Round Robins, we as coaches will match the kids up by weight and experience but there are exceptions to this. If there are only a couple kids at that weight we have no choice but to put them together. We also sometimes will move a more experienced wrestler up a weight class to wrestle less experienced kids. Our main goal is to have advanced kids wrestler against each other and beginner kids against each other. Each wrestler should have three matches during the day. These matches will be an all day event. When your child is done wrestling you can stay on and cheer other kids on your team.
What should I expect at Dual Meets?
Dual meets are a varsity wrestler from our team against a varsity wrestler from an opposing team and same with the JV. We have challenge matches to decide who is Varsity and JV. During dual meets the kids aren’t matched up by experience necessarily it’s our best wrestler vs theirs. Very rarely will I put up a first year wrestler on the Varsity squad. If I do I look at their maturity level and if they can handle a struggle. The last thing I want is a first year wrestler to quit because they aren’t having success.
What should I do during our meets?
As a parent, your role is to cheer on your wrestler and his teammates. This should be done in a manner respectful to the opposing wrestlers, teams, and families and should also be done from the stands. Also be sure not to bring valuables into the gym during matches. Remember you are representing the Orting Jr. Wrestling club and the Orting Community. Please conduct yourself with integrity and class at all times.
How can I help?
We desperately need volunteers for the home meets. We will be needing people to set-up, clean, and break-down the mats, run the scorer's tables, set-up, work, and break-down the concession stand, sell 50/50 tickets, etc. We will hold a parents' meeting specifically for our home matches and look for each parent to volunteer some time at one of the home matches. How well we run our home matches is a direct reflection on the OJW program so your participation is greatly appreciated!
Skin Policy and Hygiene
Wrestling is a contact sport. It is not uncommon that wrestlers eventually experience a skin disorder of some kind. This can be spread from athlete to athlete or from equipment that is not sanitized. We will do our part by making sure wrestling mats are clean. The mats are cleaned daily by the high school. You can also help prevent this problem by making sure that your child’s workout gear is clean and that your child showers immediately after each practice or event. Although most skin lesions generally do not have long term consequences, we feel that we must take every precaution to prevent spreading of skin disorders. If we notice that a wrestler has a skin lesion, rash, or other disorder, that wrestler will not be permitted to wrestle again until a completed “Physician Release for Wrestler to Participate Form” has been submitted. If you notice any skin rashes or lesions, please seek medical attention and also notify the coaching staff immediately.