By Mona Desai

Youth wrestling is gaining popularity in the Triangle area at a rapid speed. Are you concerned that letting your child begin or get serious about wrestling could promote aggression or increase his risk of serious injury? Active Alex “wrestles” with some of these common misconceptions that surround the youth sport.

Will my wrestler be able to keep his aggression “in check” when he’s not on the mat? Wrestling coaches consistently drill the message to their players that aggression and competition are reserved for when you’re “on the mat.” Joe Cesari, Program Director at North Raleigh’s Capital City Wrestling Club, stresses this message as much as possible, especially with the younger kids. “We tell them that the double leg take-down they’ve learned is not something they should be doing on the living room carpet to their sister,” says Joe, who started wrestling as a kindergartner in Pennsylvania and eventually came to NC State to wrestle in college.

Coaches also discuss the importance of being leaders on and off the mat, and partner with parents to help deliver a consistent message. Wrestlers are told that they can be as aggressive as possible, within the rules and when competing, but when the whistle blows and time is up, “we teach and expect our wrestlers to respect the competition, shake their hands, thank their coaches and referees, and then really learn how to channel their aggression, win or lose,” says Coach Cesari.

Holly Springs Golden Hawks Youth Wrestling Club coach Gordon Hill makes the distinction that wrestling is a competitive sport rather than an aggressive one. Coach Hill tells us, “Our youth wrestlers are soccer players, swimmers, lacrosse players, choir singers, students, etc. Wrestling does not promote aggressiveness off the mat. Wrestling actually works to bring focus and discipline to these young men rather than promote unruly or chaotic behavior.“

What should I know about safety and the risk of injury in the sport? Wrestling is a safer youth sport than you might think. First off, wrestling focuses on unilateral training, which means there is equal emphasis on all the muscle groups. Experts agree that this type of training lowers the risk of injury because it engages both “pulling” and “pushing” muscles. Says Coach Cesari, “The training for wrestling focuses on strength, endurance and flexibility so wrestlers are some of the best-conditioned athletes.“ Youth athletes involved in sports that incorporate unilateral training, like swimming, wrestling and gymnastics, show fewer repetitive use injuries than in many other popular youth sports. Because players are so carefully matched up by weight and age, and because wrestling is a contact sport versus a collision sport, there are fewer, less serious injuries than in some other mainstream sports.

Safety is huge in wrestling, as is abiding by and enforcing the rules during competition. Says Coach Cesari, “In a competition, we have one referee just 2 or 3 feet away from two players giving them constant attention, whereas in a sport like football you have 3 refs on 22 players. The ref’s number one goal is to ensure the two wrestlers are abiding by the rules and nothing is being done to purposefully injure another player.”

The fact is, any “BODY” can wrestle! With proper training, education, and technique anyone can learn to wrestle and take it as far as they’re willing to in a safe, controlled environment. Coach Cesari says, “The sport teaches you how to be fit. There’s a saying in wrestling that ‘any BODY,’ can wrestle, meaning that whether you’re short or tall, stout or thin, you have the opportunity to train to wrestle.”

The days of binge dieting, extreme fasting, and wearing rubber suits to promote rapid, concentrated weight loss to compete are over in wrestling. Stan Chambers, who coaches for Cardinal Gibbons High School, Parish Athletics and Dynamic Sports Group (DSG) adds that at the AAU level, there are 85 to 100 different weight classes. “You don’t have to lose weight to compete. We focus on eating healthy, learning the moves and getting fit. Kids are paired up against kids in the same age and weight class, and the weight classes go up every 5 lbs.”

Coach Hill echoes the attitude that wrestling really can be for any “body.” “If you're not born tall or big there is a limit on how well you can perform in football or basketball. But wrestling is truly a sport where the harder you work, the better you can become. A great example is Anthony Robles, the wrestler from Arizona State University who won the NCAA National Championship last year at 125 lbs and was born with only one leg.”

Parents of wrestlers agree that the sport, while competitive, fosters a real sense of confidence and perseverance. Alan Hahn, father to North Raleigh Capital City wrestler Nicholas Hahn, age 12, describes Nicholas’ experience with wrestling as a real confidence boost, both athletically and academically. “He has really blossomed over the last year and I attribute much of that to his experience with and passion for wrestling.” Chris Williard, father to Ben, age 9 and Jake, age 5 who both wrestle for Capital City, says, “The biggest thing my kids get out of wrestling is the challenge. One and a half minutes on the mat is a long time. They know they have the choice to either give up or continue to fight, and they learn that when they don’t win, they have to try that much harder to improve.”

So you can feel “safe” to “aggressively” pursue wrestling if your child is interested. It’s for any “body.”

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