Q: How can I stay up to date with everything going on at the Zeeland Wrestling Club? 

A: We do our best to keep all parents and athletes up to date with everything going on in the world of the ZWC.. If you haven't already done so, please visit our Facebook Page. This includes practice updates, schedules, cancellations in the event of adverse weather, etc. We also follow the Zeeland Public School calendar. If there is no school scheduled that day, there is no practice.

Q: What should my child wear to practice? 

A: This is of course weather dependent, but your child should have either shorts / sweatpants, T-Shirt/sweatshirt, and then wrestling shoes. For wrestler’s safety, please do not have your child wear a hoodie to practice. Fingers can get caught in the hood while practicing. If your child does wear one, we will just ask them to remove it once we are finished warming up.

Q: Can my wrestler compete in tournaments if they are ready? 

A: Absolutely. The club has a set schedule of where we are heading around the state and will have a coach provided at those specific events. Competition is a good measuring stick but is not our primary goal. We have 4 events on the schedule that we encourage you to attend first and see how it goes!

Q: What time should I have my wrestler practice? 

A: Practice starts right at the time stated for each session. We recommend getting there 5-10 minutes early to ensure your child has time to get his shoes on and is ready to go once we start practice.

Q: Can I stay and watch my child practice? 

A: Due to limited space, parents must wait outside of the practice room. We also have found over decades of coaching kids that they tend to be more engaged, and focus their energies when it's just them, their peers, and the coaches. If you would like to learn more about helping out during practice, please see one of the coaches at a practice to learn more.

Q: What does a typical practice look like? 

A: All of our practices follow the same format. 15 minutes of active warm up including body awareness drills, 30-35 minutes of wrestling instruction, and we wrap up each practice with 10-15 minutes of games or activities that reinforce the topics we just covered. The goal is to make it so that your child WANTS to come to practice. Wrestling is hard enough as it is, so we take any and every opportunity to inject a little fun.

Q: Are there any other coaches that help out at each practice? 

A: One of the things we pride ourselves with at ZWC is the breadth and knowledge of our coaches. With so many contacts in the sport we will have special guest coaches, Zeeland Alumni, and athletes stop in to help with practice. You never know who could walk through those doors, and parents rest assured your child will have some of the best wrestling instruction in the region.

Q: Can my daughter wrestle? 

A: Absolutely 100%!!! Women's wrestling is the fastest growing female sport in the country, and we've had a number of girls train with us over the years. If you have any questions or concerns about this do not hesitate to reach out. Wrestling is one of the best confidence boosters a young girl can get.

Q: What makes Zeeland Wrestling Club different from other local wrestling clubs? 

A: While difficult to answer in a paragraph, the primary difference is the approach we take to athlete development. The vast majority of the clubs around Michigan are built around a competitive season whereas we focus on developing the fundamental skills required for a wrestler to be successful in the long run. While we love to compete, we've unfortunately seen too many young kids have a bad experience in their first few tournaments and end up leaving the sport. We will however be more than happy to help you and your child pick a few tournaments a year to attend if desired. If done right, and with the proper expectations, these will be some of the lasting memories you will have with your little warrior! Simply follow these links for more information: USA Wrestling's Youth Development Model. If you have further questions on our approach, please send us an email. We'll be happy to answer any of your questions.