Welcome to the Midd-West Mustang Elementary Wrestling Program

This year we are proud to announce that the program has a new head coach.  The new head coach is Duane Schmoyer.  Duane and his family have been active in the wrestling program for over 30 years.  Elementary Sign-ups were  held at the open house events at the respective elementary and middle schools.  If you missed registration; you can click here to open and print the registration form.  Please complete the form and return it to PO Box 224, Middleburg, PA, 17842 along with a check in the amount of $30.

Coaches

If you are interested in helping to coach the elementary program we require two background clearances and that an application is submitted.

• PA State Police Clearance-Click here for form.
• PA State Police Clearance Website-click here to visit this website and enter your data and process the application electronically-Credit card required.
• PA Childline Abuse Registry-Click here for form.    
• Coach Application-Click here for form.
• Volunteer Coach Disclosure Statement-Click here for form.  (To be used prior to receiving background clearances, valid for 30 days.)

The information on this website is designed to aid you and your child in understanding the essentials of the Midd-West elementary wrestling program.  It is our sincere hope that all participants have a positive and rewarding experience.  The main objectives of this program are developing fundamental wrestling skills, overall fitness, good sportsmanship, personal achievement, good work ethic, and teamwork.  Your child will experience the excitement of competitive wrestling at practices, dual meets, and tournaments.

     There will be a parents’ meeting on November 3^rd at 6:30pm at the Midd-West High School gymnasium.  A practice schedule and group assignment for your child will be distributed that evening.  This will also give you and your child the opportunity to ask any questions prior to the beginning of the season.  The group that your child is assigned to may not be the one that he stays in for the entire season.  Wrestlers will be put into groups according to experience and/or weight.  Group assignments may change as the season progresses.

    Midd-West Elementary Wrestling is part of the Susquehanna Valley Elementary Wrestling League.  You click here to visit their website.   The SVEWL is an organization that promotes the sport of wrestling from grades Kindergarten to 6th grade.  Each week during the season the schools compete against each other in a dual match format, similar to the junior and senior high teams.    The varsity matches are run as a regular dual meet.  Each team has one wrestler at each of the 20 weights and is scored just like the high school matches.  Following the varsity match, there will be JV matches where all wrestlers will be matched based on weight, experience, and ability.  All matches are held on Sunday afternoons.  There will be a JV and a Varsity league tournament at the end of the season which we will attend as a team.

     This year the Midd-West Wrestling Association (MWWA) will be hosting 5 tournaments.  Tournaments are a lot of work but they are also a lot of fun and are worth the time and effort when it is all over.  We will need your help to make these tournaments a success.  We need help setting up and tearing down the gym, table help during the tournament, and volunteers to work at the concession stand.  In order to have adequate coverage for tournaments and matches as well as reduce the food costs that the MWWA incurs, we will once again send out postcards with your food donation item and your designated time to help at the concession stand. 

     Along with our own tournaments, we encourage the wrestlers to participate in a number of area tournaments.  A list of area tournaments are enclosed in the packet.  Tournaments are not mandatory; however, it has been our experience that the wrestlers enjoy them and the competition helps them become more proficient at the sport.  In return for your donated food item and working your shift at the concession stand, the MWWA will cover the registration fee for the Selinsgrove wrestling tournament.  Check out our website for tournament information, results, and schedule changes at www.middwestwrestling.com

Expectations of the Wrestlers

1. All practices begin promptly at scheduled times. This means
   your wrestling shoes are on and you are ready. Come early to change your shoes and go to the bathroom.

2. Notify a coach if you will not be at practice or match.

3. No juice, soda, or food of any kind will be permitted in the
   wrestling room. We are guests of the school and must take care of the facilities. Water only in the wrestling room.

4.  Please use rear entrances to wrestling rooms at both schools.
   Access to other areas of the building is not permitted.

5. Wrestling gear is recommended but not required. Shorts and t-shirts are fine for practice. Wrestling shoes or a clean pair of sneakers specifically for wrestling are required. Headgear is strongly recommended for the wrestler's protection.

6. No horseplay, foul language, or poor sportsmanship will be accepted at practices, dual meets, or tournaments.

7. Since wrestlers are in close contact and get very sweaty at
    practice it is a good habit to shower immediately after practice.  Also a heavy knit hat is a must after practice when it is cold outside and your wrestler has been sweating.

8.   If school is cancelled or dismissed because of weather all
   activities will be cancelled.  A scheduled early dismissal does not affect our practice schedule.

 Expectations of the Parents

1. Parents are not permitted in the wrestling room during practice. Parents need to wait for wrestlers in the gymnasium since our space is limited.

2. Do not drop off your wrestler until you know that a coach is there and come 15 minutes early to pick up your wrestler.

3.  If your child is sick or does not feel well, DO NOT send them to practice.

4. Parents must display good sportsmanship at all dual meets and tournaments.

5. Homework and studying for exams come first. Please make sure your wrestler has ample time for both. If a student receives a failing grade in Jr. and Sr. high, they are not permitted to wrestle. As in the past, wrestlers in 1st thru 6th grade that receive all A's and B's for the second marking period will receive a special scholar athlete T-shirt.

Equipment Advice

How do you pick out a wrestling shoe?  What's split sole?  What's the deal with lace guards?  Are knee pads required?  Will my child need a singlet?  What size headgear?  Confused?  Don't worry, here's everything you need to know.

Basics

To start with, if your child is just getting started, you need little to no gear.  I'd recommend a headgear and shoes, unless you want to wait a few weeks to see how they are going to take to the sport.  A tight fitting gym shoe (cross-trainer or running shoe) will do to start.  Just make sure to avoid any clothes or shoes with zippers, buttons, snaps or hooks.

Cost

As stated above, you can get by initially without purchasing any wrestling gear, but in general, the equipment cost for a first-year wrestler will average $60 to $100.  Equipment cost for the experienced wrestler can range from $70 to $150 or possibly more.

Headgear

The headgear does not protect the head -- it protects the ears.  The sole purpose of the headgear is to prevent the start or progression of cauliflower ear, which is extremely difficult to get at a young age, but you will find that some coaches require headgear.  Flip through a wrestling gear catalog and you will find about a dozen different styles of headgear, each with their own supposed advantages.  This might be obvious, but I'll say it anyway...No headgear, despite advertiser's claims, will make a wee bit of difference when it comes down to competition, safety, etc., with the possible exception of fit.  I recommend a headgear that fits snug, without a big enough opening on top for your wrestler's head to fit through.  Now and then you will see a headgear slip down over a wrestler's head possibly covering their eyes during competition, which can be a bit distracting.  To avoid this, stay away from headgears with the most space between the top and rear straps and adjust those straps short enough so there is no way it can possibly fit over the head.  So in the end, it really comes down to what looks "cool" and how much you are willing to spend.

Additional headgear notes:  If your wrestler has long hair (I mean really long) a "hair slicker" may be required.  It's basically like a hair net that's made to work with the headgear.  You may also notice the headgear mask or faceguard.  This is quite rare and only needed when wrestling with a facial injury such as a broken nose.

Shoes

Wrestling shoes can be expensive primarily because they are not produced in the same quantities as other types of athletic shoes.  The most important job of a wrestling shoe is simply to stay on while you are wrestling (regular gym shoes will fall off) and that they all do quite well.  You will see claims of "lightweight", "split sole", "comfort", "traction", etc.  Again, when it comes down to it, shoes make little if any difference in actual competition.  It mostly comes down to what looks cool, but here are a few things to consider.

Laces can get in the way because they come untied too often.  Most tournaments now require that laces be covered and you will see that in most newer shoe designs, but you can also wrap athletic tape around the ankle to cover the laces prior to competition, which is very common.  Traction can be important at times, but most shoes have the traction needed.  The split sole was introduced to offer flexibility for ease in bending the foot.  Sounds good, but I've never heard anyone say they notice much of a difference or that it even matters in competition.  The final bit of advice on wrestling shoes is to avoid buying shoes that are a size or two too big so junior can wear them again next year.  Loosely fitted wrestling shoes can impede performance.

Knee Pads

These are more for facilitating knee motion (ability to slide against the mat) than anything else.  There are some wrestling moves that can be executed easier with knee pads.  There are two reasons for wanting pads: 1) "I saw other kids wearing them and they look cool", or 2) "I believe I can score more takedowns with a kneepad, or two".  My advice to the parent is to wait until you hear #2.  Nonetheless, if you buy a knee pad or two, the fit is important.  They need to be tight enough to stay up during competition but you don't want a tourniquet either, and that difference can be a fine line.

Singlet (uniform)

Oh, so many choices!  Bottom line is that if this is your child's first year, then unless you have a good reason, wait until you find that a singlet is needed before you purchase one.  Midd-West will provide your child with a team singlet for use at tournaments and league matches.  Singlets are not to be worn in practice -- only in competition.  Gym shorts and t-shirt are the typical practice attire.   

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