Raider Mat Club

Parents and Wrestlers,

We need coaches. If we can not get coaches, we might need to reduce the practice schedule. If you can assist, please let us know.

Welcome to the 2023-2024 wrestling season. With practice starting next week, we want to provide you with some information for the upcoming season.

Online Registration is Open.

Program Overview

The Raider Mat Club was founded in 2003. This organization has grown over the past 16 years due to our very dedicated group of wrestlers and their families. Despite the funding being cut for the high school team, our organization has flourished through donations and coaches volunteering their time. Unlike some other sports, you will see the middle school and high school wrestlers show up for some of our youth events to assist with running matches and tournaments. We are a family working together to grow and improve the program.

Practice

We practice in the mat room which is attached to the middle school gym. The walkway to the gymnasium is on the right side of the building. Proceed down the stairs and you will see the entrance to the main gym. Occasionally, when basketball is not in session, we will warm up in the gym and then enter the wrestling room. For this reason and to keep the wrestling room clean, please wear sneakers to practice and not your wrestling shoes.

Our youth program consists of wrestlers from kindergarten up through 6th grade. Because of the age differences the team will be split into two practice groups. Children in 3rd through 6th grade will practice on Tuesday and Thursday. Our K-2nd grade athletes will practice on Monday and Wednesday. We understand that you may have scheduling conflicts. If you encounter an issue please let us know and we will work with you to make accommodations. We do not want to see kids not participating because of a scheduling problem.

Practice begins promptly at 7:00 pm. Please have your child to the middle school 5-10 minutes early so that they can change into their wrestling shoes. Practice will end around 8:15 for K-2nd and 8:30 for 3rd-6th. Please be at the gym at least 15 minutes early so that coaches are not waiting for kids to be picked up.

If you decide to stay for practice, you must wait outside the wrestling room. This is required as clearances are needed for anyone in the mat room.

First practice Dates

- Practice, Registration and Parent Meeting before Thanksgiving Break

K-2nd grade TBA 7:00 PM. to 8:15 PM. Practice will be every Monday and Wednesday.

3rd-6th grade TBA . Practice will be every Tuesday and Thursday

When the school is closed for holidays or inclement weather, we will not have practice.

What Does Your Wrestler Need To Bring To Practice?

The only items that you will need to bring to practice are wrestling head gear and wrestling shoes. The wrestling shoes should NOT be worn to practice. We ask that you wear different shoes to practice (preferably sneakers in the event we run in the gym) and then change into the wrestling shoes immediately before entering the wrestling room. We do this so that we can keep the mats as clean as possible. It is also advisable that you bring a bottle of water to practice, but please no Gatorade or fruit drinks inside the mat room.

Uniforms

Each wrestler will receive a singlet to wear for the matches. These singlets must be returned at the conclusion of the season. Wrestlers that do not return their singlets at the end of the season will be charged a $50.00 fee. Additionally, every wrestler will receive a t-shirt. These shirts will be ordered once our roster is complete.

While we understand that some wrestlers may wrestle in post-season tournaments, we are requiring that the original uniform be returned.

Grooming

When your wrestler comes home after practice or a meet, it is essential that they shower. Although the mats are cleaned frequently, neglecting to shower following mat time may result in skin infection. Also, fingernails must be trimmed for practice as well as matches. If the referees observe long fingernails, they will not let your child wrestle.

Matches

The youth matches are held on Friday evenings in January and February. The first match of the season will likely be held on Friday, 1/7/2023. We await the final schedule from the league.

During Matches, Who Will My Child Wrestle?

We have a system. The league has adopted a computer program that pairs wrestlers based on age, weight, years of experience, and skill level. Although this system is not perfect, it is a good system. Most importantly, unless the opposing team does not have a similar wrestler to pair with your child, each wrestler will get mat time. MAT TIME = EXPERIENCE.

There may be times when we have a child wrestle a more experienced/more skilled wrestler (wrestle-up) or wrestle a less experienced/less skilled wrestler (wrestle-down). This is because the pairings are dependent on the other team’s roster and available wrestlers. Do not be disappointed if this happens. Once again, MAT TIME = EXPERIENCE.

The league has directed the coaches to submit their rosters before each match no later than Thursday. Because of this, I am asking that parents notify Coach Malone if their child is unable to wrestle at an upcoming match by no later than Wednesday prior to the match.

Tournaments

Throughout the season, we will notify the team of various tournaments being held. Most of these tournaments are optional and not required. We will enter the Schoolboy tournament as a team. The date for this tournament will likely be in late February.

Fundraising

We raise money, in part, through our snack bar. All parents will be required to work snack bar shift(s) during our home matches. A snack bar schedule will be distributed once registration is complete.

Photo Night

Photo night will be scheduled and scheduled and all wrestlers should attend, as we will be taking team/individual photos. Wrestlers will get their uniforms at this time as well.

Parent Responsibilities

We need your help for home matches and will be setting up a schedule for families to assist with setup, tear down, concessions, and other things throughout the season. If you can’t make a scheduled time we would appreciate if you can talk with the other parents and find a replacement.

The mat club wrestlers and families will be assisting with running the high school tournament on January 5th at the Middle School. We will need everyone to work during this event and will provide a schedule for this in late December. Again if you cannot work an assigned time please switch with another family or find someone to cover for you.

Coaches

We need coaches for K – 2nd grade. If we can not get other coaches we might need to reduce the practice schedule.

I welcome anyone that would like to assist us with coaching. In the event you are interested in coaching, please feel free to contact Head Coach James Malone via email at james.malone@salesforce.com

All coaches must obtain the appropriate clearances.

PA Child Abuse Clearance link:

https://www.compass.state.pa.us/cwis/public/home

PA Criminal Background Check:

https://epatch.state.pa.us/Home.jsp

FBI Finger Print:

https://www.pa.cogentid.com/index_pdeNew.htm

You must go to a FBI finger printing site to complete this clearance

NOTE: The fingerprinting is not required if you have been a continuous resident of Pennsylvania for the past 10 years and you execute an Affidavit indicating that you are not disqualified from service based upon a conviction of an offense under §6344.
If you obtained a background check for a fall sport, you will not need to re-do the clearance but you do need to provide your paperwork to the mat club.
I look forward to seeing our returning wrestlers and meeting our new wrestlers. Go Raiders!