Expectations of Our Wrestlers

While we have very few issues with behavior, we do have a system in place to deal with it. We will use the following for a behavior management system
(it is similar to a lot of systems you will see in elementary classrooms). 

• 1st Issue: A coach will give a verbal redirection

• 2nd Issue: A coach will place the wrestler in a five-minute time-out on the side of the mat

• 3rd Issue: A coach will remove the wrestler from practice for the remainder of the day

We will discuss the issue with parents also after the 2nd issue.
If a 3rd issue does arise and the wrestler is removed, he or she will then be welcomed back into the room at the next practice.
If behavior becomes a significant and consistent problem, the wrestler will be
asked not to return and will not be issued a refund of club fees.

Here are our expectations for behavior from our wrestlers: 

• Respect others, especially your parents, siblings, teachers, teammates, coaches, officials, and other adults

• Be a good teammate; wrestling can’t be practiced alone, so come to practice on time and give it your all each day

• Respect our facility and other facilities where we compete; remember that we are their guests

• Do well in school and maintain good grades

• Wrestle on the wrestling mats; don’t wrestle at school, at friends’ houses, or in your house
(unless you have permission from your parents)

• Come to practice prepared and on time; don’t forget your headgear, shoes, water, and clean clothes

• Practice good hygiene by wearing clean clothes to practice, keep fingernails clipped,
showering after practice, and reporting any skin conditions

• Pay attention at practice and don’t talk while coaches are teaching; raise your hand if you have questions

• Wash your hands after using the restroom

• Try the drills we teach; don’t ever say “I can’t”

• Be the model of good sportsmanship; be humble in victory and respectful in defeat

• Invite a friend to wrestle

• HAVE FUN

Health and Hygiene Guidelines

Wrestling is the only competitive sport that requires vigilant monitoring of skin conditions.
Contact sports in general are prone to outbreaks of skin diseases, which include ringworm, impetigo, staph, MRSA, and herpes.
Generally, these infections are borne from hot, humid, or damp surface conditions. Our program takes these infections seriously,
and USAW mandates skin checks of wrestlers before they are cleared to compete on the mat.

The Dundee Highlanders Wrestling Club seeks to provide sanitary practice conditions,
and we require the following preventative steps from all members:

• Shower immediately after practice

• Regularly wash practice clothes

• Wear clean shoes and clean clothes on the mats

• Maintain good body hygiene

We ensure that the wrestling mats are disinfected before and after practice, and this goes a long way to
heading off any potential skin or infectious conditions. As a general rule, we will not allow a wrestler back
onto the mats until the infection has been treated for 72 hours depending on the severity.
This is common courtesy to the other wrestlers in the room. If you or your wrestler notices anything that might
be questionable, please notify the individual and also report it immediately to the coach or director. 

We take every precaution at our club to minimize the risk of skin infections for our athletes.
The high school program cleans the mats before and after every HS practice with a disinfectant / sanitizer that is
formulated to kill organisms that cause skin infections. The Highlanders will clean mats before every club practice.
Club coaches also perform regular skin/ fingernail checks as is done at competitions to ensure the safety of our wrestlers.
Keeping our children healthy by avoiding skin infections is a shared responsibility of every coach, parent, and athlete. 

Research has shown that the following practices are keys to minimizing the risk of skin infections.
Although we have modified these to be specific to wrestling, they can apply to any sport that your child participates in:

Wear clean shoes on the mats. We require wrestling shoes while on the mats to ensure the safety of our wrestlers.
Prior to the wrestlers entering the wrestling room for practice, their shoe soles must be clean.
The easiest way to accomplish this is by wearing a different pair of shoes outside then change to the shoes being worn on the mat.
Don’t wear your wrestling shoes outside. Once wrestling shoes are worn outside, they are no longer wrestling shoes,
they become street shoes. As a matter of safety to all our wrestlers, we will not allow wrestlers to practice with shoes worn outside.
If within the first week or two of practice you don’t have wrestling shoes, a clean pair of socks should be brought. 

Wash your hands. Research has shown that one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of infections is to wash your hands. Clean hands often with soap and water. Use alcohol hand rub if soap is not available.
When we take a break and wrestlers use the restroom, we emphasize that they wash their hands before returning to the mats.
We encourage wrestlers to wash their hands before and after practice. 

Keep cuts and scrapes, no matter how small, clean and covered. We have a first aid kit to treat small injuries that occur in practice.
If your child has cuts / scrapes, please be sure they are clean and covered prior to coming to practice.
Keep fingernails clipped short to prevent scratching other wrestlers.

Showers should be taken immediately following practices and competitions. Taking a shower must be the first thing
an athlete does when they get home. Use of a shower mesh or wash cloth in conjunction with an antibacterial
soap / cleanser is strongly recommended. “Smell good” soaps are not recommended unless they are antibacterial.
Selsun Blue, Head and Shoulders, and Denorex have all been recommended
at one point to help reduce potentially transferred germs and funguses.

Wear clean clothes and equipment and keep them clean. Please ensure wrestlers come to practice with clean clothes and equipment. Clothes that have been worn outside playing in the grass, dirt, etc. can bring in soil borne organisms such as ringworm onto our mats.
Put your clothes directly into the washer, and don’t leave them lying around for an extended period of time.
Wipe your headgear off with an alcohol wipe after each practice. Be sure to wash knee pads frequently. 

You and/or your wrestler perform regular skin checks. If you notice any lesion, sore, or rash on their skin,
especially if it is red, swollen, or draining fluid, notify one of our coaches and contact your health care
provider immediately for diagnosis and treatment. We will do periodic skin and fingernail
checks of all our wrestlers, just as officials do for wrestling competitions.