Different Kinds of Wrestling Championship & Prizes

Summary: Wrestling as a competitive sport has been around for centuries. That makes sense, as wrestling doesn’t require any specialized equipment other than your own body, and you don’t need to organize an entire team of people to participate.

Is your child interested in joining a school wrestling team or local wrestling club? Wrestling is a tremendous opportunity to impart in your child important lessons about commitment, discipline and hard work while challenging him or her to stay in fantastic physical shape. There are many things you should know about wrestling and what your child will need to start on the mats.

Wrestling is Safe

If you are like many people, the first thing you imagine when you think of wrestling is the violent, choreographed mayhem of Nwa Championship wrestling. Forget that. The sport of wrestling has nothing to do with professional wrestling. Wrestling is a carefully refereed sport focused on grappling.

There is no punching, kicking or any other type of striking allowed on the wrestling mat. Because of this, there are very few serious injuries associated with wrestling. In fact, wrestling has a much lower rate of serious injuries than sports such as football, hockey, soccer or even baseball.

There are no running collisions that can cause concussions and because of the fluid nature of wrestling there are no repetitive motions that can cause major joint damage such as in baseball. Most wrestling injuries consist of sprains and strains.

What Your Child Needs to Start Wrestling

First, your child will need a team or club to wrestle and train with. Many middle schools and most high schools have wrestling teams. These teams usually hold regular afterschool practices and participate in weekly meets and tournaments. If your child is younger or his school does not have a wrestling team, you may find a local independent wrestling club.

There are several pieces of wrestling gear your child will need to practice and compete. For training, make sure he has loose fitting but not baggy exercise clothing free of metal buttons, zippers and other hard or sharp objects that can cause harm to him or other wrestlers. He will need a tight-fitting, one-piece garment known as a wrestling singlet.

Many teams will provide this. He will also need youth wrestling shoes and specialized wrestling headgear to protect his head and ears. Beginning wrestlers should choose soft-shelled headgear. For additional protection, you should consider purchasing kneepads and a mouth guard.

Once, your child is enrolled in a program and has the gear he is ready to compete. Be sure to talk to his coach for anything else you will need to know. Most importantly make sure your child has fun out on the mat.

Greco-Roman Wrestling

This is the most traditional style of wrestling which has been used in competitive arenas throughout the ages. Greco-Roman wrestling involves strictly upper body moves. You are not allowed to do things like sweep your opponent’s legs out from under them; in fact, you are not allowed to even touch their legs. Upper body strength and maneuvers are the keys to victory in a Greco-Roman wrestling match. Spectators enjoy the throws involved with this type of wrestling.

Freestyle Wrestling

This is the type of wrestling which is much more dominant in today’s realm of wrestling as entertainment for the masses. Pretty much anything goes in a freestyle wrestling match. Pins tend to happen quickly in this type of wrestling and the use of and attack on legs-or any part of the body-is allowed. Opponents are typically much more aggressive toward one another in freestyle wrestling than they seem to be in Greco-Roman wrestling.

Folk Style Wrestling

This is actually the style of wrestling people know best in America, as folk style wrestling is the model most followed in high school and college level competitive wrestling. Folk style wrestling is very similar to freestyle wrestling, with a few notable exceptions in rules of play and scoring methods.

For example, while both freestyle and folk use a point system in determining a champion, freestyle scoring awards wrestlers anywhere from 2-5 points for different types of throws, while folk scoring only awards points for pins. Championship belt can greatly influence a wrestler’s strategy in securing a win. From a spectator’s perspective, this can make a significant difference in the sheer entertainment value of any given wrestling match.

First of all, it is a sport that is based not on high-tech equipment giving one opponent an advantage over the other, but on sheer individual strength and skill. Greco-Roman still represents the sport of wrestling in its original form though it has evolved to include variations such as folk style and freestyle…even professional wrestling has its roots in ancient Roman times. Whether you are competing or watching, wrestling has been a part of human civilization since the beginning of history, and it’s a past time that’s likely here to stay.

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