Kids Club FAQ

Q: Why youth wrestling?
A: Wrestling is mankind's oldest sport and in many countries it is the most popular sport. Youth wrestling is booming in West Michigan.
Practice and competition opportunities are growing every year. West Michigan wrestling is becoming one of the fastest growing
wrestling communities in the country. Youth wrestling gives young athletes an awesome sport to compete during the winter months.
Wrestling helps with physical conditioning, body awareness, and is fun to learn.

Q: Why choose the Jenison Wrestling Kids Club?
A: The Jenison Wrestling Kids Club is one of the most progressive youth wrestling clubs in Michigan. The Kids Club is only three years
old and it has grown and added structure every season. The Kids Club strives to serve all levels of youth wrestlers and offer them a
fun and competitive atmosphere.

Q: My son has never wrestled before…is it to late to join?
A: The Jenison Wrestling Kids Club wants all levels of wrestlers and we are always trying to grow. It is never too late to join and/or
sign up. Come up to practice and give it a try and see if you like it. We are always trying to add coaches in hopes of helping all of our
wrestlers regardless of their ability improve and have fun.

Q: Do we have to go to all of the weekend tournaments?
A: The weekend tournaments are generally run through separate organizations and are attended on a voluntary basis by our wrestlers.
During the 2008 season we had a large group of wrestlers attend weekend tournaments while others opted to just attend practice.

Q: What age group can join the Jenison Wrestling Kids Club?
A: The Kids Club is designed for wrestler's eighth grade and under.

Q: How does wrestling compare with Team sports such as soccer, baseball and basketball?
A: Wrestling is considered an individual sport, but includes many of the benefits of team sports. Wrestling differs from most team
sports in that during competition, athletes must rely entirely on their own individual abilities for success. Those that dedicate the time
and effort will eventually achieve at a level directly proportionate to the investment they have made — even if their teammates
prepare and perform at a different level. Similarities exist in that teammates still depend on each other in team competition. Team
victories in meets and tournaments are determined by the number of individual victories, and the extent to which each match was won
or lost. Wrestlers also develop an appreciation and respect for teammates that have been through the same challenges, and a strong
sense of belonging and camaraderie with teammates and other wrestlers. Other team sports may be better for developing interactive
player-to-player skills such as passing and blocking, but wrestling can offer benefits that other team sports lack. The individual nature
of the sport provides an outstanding opportunity for young athletes to develop a sense of responsibility and self esteem while learning
the relationship between effort and achievement.

Q: Can wrestling have an effect on character development?
A: Success factors in sports, or anything for that matter, are part God-given (i.e. height and size) and part acquired (i.e. endurance).
Success in wrestling depends most on acquired factors, and unlike most other sports, wrestling does not favor athletes of any
particular height, size, weight, muscle type*, race or social class, and does not rely on superior vision or hearing. Wrestlers learn, by
the nature of the sport, that long-term success has much more to do with the investment made than the “natural” gifts one is given.
Wrestlers learn the value of preparation and hard work, and the role it plays in achieving one’s goals. Wrestling provides real-life
experiences that build and strengthen the following character traits:

· Self Reliance

· Mental Toughness

· Work Ethic

· Competitive Spirit

· Responsibility

· Self Discipline

· Goal Orientation

· Confidence

In order to keep this in perspective, one must realize that character development is a slow process, driven by a variety of positive and
negative influences with varying degrees of impact. Sports can play a significant role in character development, but other influences
may have an even greater impact. Wrestling, in itself, is not a character development solution, but years of participation can provide
positive influences. A person’s overall character includes many other dimensions, such as integrity and compassion, that may have
little if anything to do with sports.

Q: What physical effects can the sport of wrestling have on children?
A: Sports offer opportunities for children to improve their strength, flexibility and coordination, while having fun. Most sports activities
rely more on some muscle groups and less on others. For example, most sports focus primarily on pushing motions (leg/arm
extension) such as throwing, hitting, kicking, jumping and running. Experts believe that unilateral (equal emphasis on all muscle
groups) physical development is especially important in young athletes. Isolated development at an early age, over a long period,
increases the risk of injury and limits long-term foundational growth. Swimming, gymnastics and wrestling are among the few sports
that engage both pulling and pushing muscle groups. Of all the sports choices a parent and child can make, wrestling is perhaps the
best sport for overall physical development because it involves all muscle groups, and requires the greatest balance of athletic skill. In
other words, wrestling does more to improve basic things such as strength, balance, speed, agility and intensity, and is not as
specialized as most other common sports.

Please email any questions or concerns to admin@jenisonwrestling.com