Ask Cael: how much is TOO MUCH??

Story Published Thursday, February 11th, 2010

name: D.J.

question: Youth wrestling, how much is TOO MUCH?? I am a Youth wrestling coach in Ohio (K-6TH Grade). As Im sure you know, the wrestling programs in OH,PA & NJ are solid and currently produce a majority of the nations top ranked highschool wrestlers. This is mainly due to the level of intensity,support and enrollment at the youth level. It is common to see kids start wrestling at Kindergarten and 1st grade, as a result the competetion by 3rd&4th grade is fierce (9 yr olds w/4-5 yrs eperiance). My question is, at what age do you feel is good for a kid to start attending wrestling camps? We all want our team to do well but in my opinion youth wrestling is more about laying the foundation for highschool and college. Its great to have our young kids make it to state,(camps would help them get there) but Im concernd about ‘burning them out’ by wrestling 5 months then hitting summer camps.
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Hi D.J.

I think you have to look at each individual to decide how much is too much for a young wrestler. You hit the nail on the head when you say youth wrestling should be about laying the foundation for high school and college. I agree completely. Kids need to have fun. Wrestling should start as a recreational sport just like any other sport. Then as kids become more competitive, you find higher level competition for them. I think kids should start participating in sports at a young age to have fun, develop coordination, and help them develop a love of exercise, competition and hard work. The emphasis needs to be on fun though. That is the key.

Wrestling is no different.

Youth wrestling is getting more and more competitive. They have more national championships and huge tournaments then ever before. It is probably tough not to get caught up in all that but I wouldn’t. in the big picture it really doesn’t matter who the best 3rd grade wrestler in the country is. At least it shouldn’t if the goal is long term success. Sure it is nice to see that a kid has a good feel for the sport and can compete at a young age but the attitude in which they are raised and coached is far more important. A lot of the best young wrestlers in the country don’t last very long because they aren’t having fun.

I would make sure my young athletes are playing several sports as well. I played every sport growing up. My parents were really busy chasing us around town but I am very grateful for their sacrifice and willingness to do that. Doing that should help with “burnout.” Also, by switching up practices and keeping kids on their toes will help too. Routine is boring and as a coach it is easy to fall into routines.

I don’t know what your schedule is, but it probably would be a good thing to give the kids some time off during that 5 month stretch. Even if it is just for a week or two. That would probably refresh their minds and keep them hungry for more. It also depends on how many days a week you are practicing when you are looking at giving them breaks. it’s amazing how much an energetic, fresh mind will improve the quality of workouts and even technique.

When it comes to summer camp I think it depends on the individual. When a wrestlers is willing to give up one of their summer weeks to go to wrestling camp it says a lot about their commitment. Plus, camp is supposed to be fun! It changes up the wrestlers training environment and training partners, builds confidence, and sharpens technique. It is a healthy change of pace.

With young kids I think it is important to pick the right camp. I would think a technique camp would be great. A lot of the intensive camps around the country focus a lot on running and exercises outside of wrestling. That can be good for mental toughness but I figure a kid can run at home for free. Young kids probably don’t need to be running long distances anyways. As a young kid at camp I know I screwed around more then I didn’t, but I did get better at them.

Ultimately I think if you make your kid’s think it is their idea to go to camp, they will get more out of it. If kids think going to camp is a novelty (which it is) they should enjoy it and get more out of it.

T.J. it sounds like you know what you’re doing. We need more coaches like you.

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