Number of Matches

How many matches are too many—or not enough? The best way to answer this age-old question may be with an analogy, says Mike Moyer, Executive Director of the National Wrestling Coaches Association.

"Kids don't get smarter by taking tests every day," Moyer notes. Instead, they improve by learning new things, practicing them, and preparing hard in advance of the test. The same principle, he adds, applies to sports like wrestling. "Wrestlers don't just get better because they compete in more matches than other kids.” As further proof, Moyer points to the college ranks. Elite Division I programs like Penn State, Iowa, and Cornell schedule relatively few matches in a season, and make a point of resting their student-athletes throughout much of the year to give them physical and mental breaks, and time to heal.

For Doug Wyland, a sports medicine specialist and orthopedic surgeon at the Steadman Hawkins Clinic of the Carolinas, it's not the specific number of matches in a season that draws his attention. Wyland was an NCAA finalist and two-time All-America wrestler for the University of North Carolina in 1989 and 1990 and now has two sons, ages 8 and 10, who wrestle. He’s more concerned about the pressure to compete in high-level local or national tournaments on a regular basis.

"The physical competition will not wear their body out at that age, but the mental stress and drain will burn them out," Wyland says. And there's another factor at play. The more competitions and matches a wrestler competes in, the more he or she has to make weight. That kind of constant weight monitoring should not be the focus, especially at the youth level.

"Little boys and girls need to grow," Wyland explains. "They need to learn how to eat correctly.” Instead, more time practicing and setting achievable goals is what is important, especially in the development of a youth wrestler. "Instill the importance of a good work ethic, values, self-discipline and a sense of pride. …Those are the building blocks of making it to the next level."

Shoehorning more and more competitive matches into a season can also lead to more illness, explains Dr. B.J. Anderson, a medical advisor for Minnesota USA Wrestling and tournament physician for the USA Wrestling Cadet & Junior Nationals in Fargo, North Dakota. He believes the increase in competitions, and large tournaments, contributes to more infectious disease breakouts. "If we go from one big tournament to another six or seven days later we run the risk of spreading more infectious agents to larger number of athletes," Anderson says. "That’s why we see so many skin problems mid-to-late January.” He proposes a rule of eight days with no competition after a tournament, allowing for any undiagnosed skin infections to be controlled within a team, instead of potentially being spread to another team, or worse yet, spread in another dual or tournament setting.

The head coach of one Division III collegiate program said understanding how many matches is right for each wrestler really does depend on the age, athlete, how much weight management is necessary, and the intensity of the matches or tournaments. Some coaches at the youth level recommend 20 to 30 matches per season as the maximum, noting that parents can still control the amount of weekend tournaments and events a child participates in. In high school, the situation can vary as each state sets its own competition/match guidelines. In Minnesota, for example, it’s 36 matches and 18 competitions. In Ohio and Pennsylvania, a points-based system is in place, with dual meets, tournaments and tri-meets all counting for different points. Once a wrestler reaches the point limit set forth by those state associations, they can no longer compete except for the post-season. In California, the maximum amount of matches per high school season is 40. In the state of Michigan, new rules have capped the maximum matches one wrestler can compete in a season at 42.

The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) prefers to let individual states arrive at their own final number, according to B. Elliot Hopkins, the NFHS’ Director of Sports, Sanctioning and Student Services. But, Hopkins adds, the NFHS does monitor the number of overall matches and competitions closely because overuse is a concern in all sports, including wrestling.

"Wrestling is extremely robust and increased exposure through continuous wrestling is not particularly good for a young, developing high schooler," says Hopkins. "We have to be resolute in making unpopular decisions at times for the good of all wrestlers. …Sometimes a scheduled break does wonders mentally and physically for a young person. Together, we can make this sport safer and more enjoyable for all participants."

So, how many matches per season is right for each wrestler? That's a debate that doesn't seem close to being solved anytime soon.

"I'm not sure any of us know the exact number of matches that one should compete in during a season," Moyer says. "It does really depend on the kid, the age, skill level, and a combination of factors. But I do know one thing, and we do need to spend less time competing, and more time teaching."