Recommended Reading for All Wrestling Parents

"Parent's Guide to Youth Wrestling" by Bill Campbell, © 2000, article reprinted with permission from USA WRESTLING.

"The Ten Commandments for a Wrestling Parent" (author unknown)

"Why Wrestle?" (author unknown)

"How Safe Is Wrestling?"

"How a Match Works - What Takes Place in a Wrestling Match"

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Ten Commandments for Parents of Athletic Children
(Author Unknown)

• Make sure your children know that win or lose, you appreciate their efforts and are not disappointed in them. Be the person in their life they can look to for constant positive enforcement.

• Try your best to be completely honest about your child's athletic capability, competitive attitude, sportsmanship, and actual skill level.

• Help your child set realistic goals.

• Teach them to enjoy the thrill of competition just for the pleasure of being out there trying. Help them develop the feel for competing, for trying hard, and for having fun.

• Try not to relive your athletic life through your child.

• At games and events, be a cheerleader for your child and the other children on the team.  Control your own emotions.  Don’t yell at players, coaches, or officials.

• Don't compare the skill, courage, or attitudes of your child with other members of the team.

• Respect your child’s coaches. Communicate openly with them. If you disagree with their approach or philosophy, discuss it with them privately.

• Always remember that children tend to exaggerate both when praised and when criticized. Temper you reaction and investigate before over-reacting.

• Explain that courage is not the absence of fear, but means doing something in spite of fear. The job of the parent of an athletic child is a tough one, and it takes a lot of effort to do it well. It is worth all the effort when you hear your child say, "My parents really helped, I was lucky in that respect."