Clinic, White Team and Blue Team — winter registration is open. Every wrestler is placed where they'll grow, never rushed into more than they're ready for.
Instruction in body awareness and movement plus initial instruction in elementary wrestling techniques. The program is non-competitive and aims to introduce children to the sport.
Elementary to advanced instruction with friendly, practice-based competition called “Jamborees” — focused on developing technique and introducing competitive wrestling. Second graders with no experience may be better suited to Clinic.
The level of wrestling varies from beginner to highly competitive, and coaches work with wrestlers based on skill level.
No wrestler is ever forced into a match or tournament they aren't ready for.
Grade is the starting point, not the rule. A second grader in their first season isn't grouped the same as a second grader who's wrestled for two years — placement between Clinic, White and Blue is set by our coaching staff based on experience and readiness. Headgear and other match equipment must be worn at practice as well as competition.
Want to coach? Here's what it takes.
Volunteers must register in Community Pass as a Coach under Coaches Registration, submit a background check (not necessary if already completed for another Recreation sport), and complete the Rutgers Safety Clinic — dates are listed in Community Pass under Coaches. Reach out with questions →
From zero-pressure scrimmages to our highest level of league competition.
King of the Mats — unofficial, no referees, no scores kept. Multiple matches happen at once across the mat against several other teams, feeling more like a supervised scrimmage than an event. Coaches actively watch and assist, sometimes stopping to correct positioning in real time. Zero pressure: kids can try a new move and lose without it "counting." A great low-pressure entry point — often a first-year wrestler's very first time facing an opponent from another town.
Official matches with referees — the first real taste of "counted" competition for most kids. Matchups are based on skill and aggression level, not just weight or age. Coaches from both sides work together beforehand to pair similar profiles. The bridge between in-house competition and full varsity-style competition.
The "varsity" of our youth program — our highest level of competition. Our top wrestlers compete for spots on this team; it's earned, not automatic. It signals to families and the wrestler that they're performing at the top tier of the program.