JV Wrestling

[Anonymous]

My son has decided to give wrestling a try. We are not familiar with the sport and I’m trying to determine what I need to buy him ahead of time.

Can anyone recommend a brand of headgear and shoes? Is there anything else I need to buy? There has not been a parent meeting yet and I’m trying to prepare.

[Anonymous]

You may want to wait until the meeting because the coach may have specific brands/colors they want. Cliff Keen is a good site for headgear. cliff keen.com
Our coach wants the boys to practice in shorts without pockets.

My son has always worn Asics because he has wide feet and there are limited options.

Hygiene is very important in wrestling. You will want your son to shower immediately. No 5 minutes to sit, play with the dog, scroll on his phone, to the shower immediately. Our coach recommends using Defense wipes between matches and Defense body wash during wrestling season. Wash their wrestling gear immediately or I keep it separate, not in the main hamper. Wresting gear can easily collect bacteria and fungus and ringworm can spread quickly if not prevented.

[Anonymous]

Here's another good site for gear:
https://www.rudis.com/

I think we actually got the shoes on zappos because I wanted easy returns as I had no idea if it would be his normal shoe size or what. He actually did wear a wrestling shoe in his exact same shoe size.

We got this one:

https://www.zappos.com/p/mens-asics-snapdown-4-black-white/product/9956655/color/151

Maybe get two headgear in case he forgets one and LABEL THEM!

Also he needs a mouthguard.

They don't wear cups. Still not sure why but I leave that up to coach and DH to manage.

[Anonymous]

Thank you. I appreciate the recommendations and additional info.

[Anonymous]

I would recommend ASICS for beginners. Better price point if you don't know if you are that serious about wrestling.

Avoid the Adidas HVC model. Those won't make it through a season.

Adidaswrestling.com and Cliffkeen.com have good headgears.

If he has braces, you will need a mouthpiece that covers both.

Compression shirts and sweatpants without pockets. Sweatpants will help with the knee tenderness they will get when they first start.

[Anonymous]

Rudis and ASICS are this dominant brands. As the other posters said, ensure immediate showers after practice, and put some wipes in the bag for headgear. Many wrestlers prefer a knee pad (or two).

Good luck! It is a hard sport to watch as a parent, but it gives the athletes a unique confidence.