WHEN DOES THE WRESTLING SEASON START AND END?

AWC will start the first week in October and runs through mid-February.  There are kids in the club who compete in state and national competitions.  If your wrestler decides to compete in these events their season could last until mid-March.

Does my wrestler need headgear?

Head gear is optional in practice and at most local tournaments.  If a tournament requires head gear, it will be posted on their registration information. 

Will my wrestler always practice at the same location?

No. We have 4 locations among the Ankeny Schools where AWC holds practice. Unfortunately, with all of the different middle school and high school activities throughout the district, it is sometimes difficult to keep practices at the same facility. We ask that you check the website each week to make sure of the location of your child’s practice!

When will our schedule come out?

AWC practices at 4 locations.  Ankeny High School, Ankeny Centennial High School, Southview Middle School and Northview Middle School.  All of our practices times are run through Ankeny Community Ed Department.  Because there can be multiple events taking place at these sights, they handle all of the outside scheduling of these practice sites. Ankeny Community Ed usually sends our schedules back mid October.

What should my wrestler wear for practice?

T-shirt (tucked in), shorts, socks and wrestling shoes will be needed for practice. Headgear is optional, but not required.

Can my wrestler wear their wrestling shoes outside?

No, wrestling shoes should only be worn in the wrestling room.  Please carry all wrestling shoes into the building and put them on in the hallway before practice.  Please do not allow your child to wear his wrestling shoes outside. 

Why do I need to volunteer?

AWC does not participate in a fundraiser. Our club tournaments are our primary fundraising activity.  We need people volunteering at these events to help them run smoothly.  We also ask parents to help be ‘door monitors’- open the doors to our facilities-so our wrestlers are able to get in and out with ease during the cold winter months.  We appreciate all volunteers, as it helps our youth wrestlers as well as the club.

What are "Beginner" Tournaments?

Each Beginner tournament will have their own specific qualifications. The AWC Helmkamp Beginner Tournament requests wrestlers to have no more than 10 matches in their lifetime. Please be sure to read each tournament criteria prior to registering your child. 

Is the AWC affiliated with the school district or the Ankeny school wrestling teams?

No, Ankeny Wrestling Club is a stand alone nonprofit club.  We partner and help with each schools wrestling programs in any capacity we can.

How do I enter my wrestler in either of the AWC home tournaments?

AWC hosts 2 tournaments during the season. The Helmkamp Beginner Tournament in December and AWC Tournament in January. Both of these tournaments require online registration through Track Wrestling. Registration opens approximately 2 months prior to the tournament. Go to www.trackwrestling.com to follow the prompts and find the tournaments by date, then you will be required to fill out registration information and pay the entry fee online at that time. 

What night will my wrestler practice?

Practice groups are divided according to age/grade level. Each group will practice on a routine weekly schedule which will be available to parents via the AWC website mid-October. This schedule will have the date, time and location of practices for each age group.

Why does my wrestler have to weigh in?

Wrestling requires a lot of partner driven activities. In the interest of safety, coaches work towards pairing the children up according to similar weight and skill level, as best as possible. We will weigh in each wrestler at the beginning of the year, which also help us if you sign up for an event through AWC. 

Why can’t we wear normal shoes in the wrestling room?

Bacteria are harbored on the soles of our outside shoes. This bacteria can easily get transferred to the mat and make it unsafe for our kids to practice. Rocks from outdoor shoes can damage the wrestling mats, which are very expensive to repair/replace. Please make sure you ALWAYS take off your outside shoes when you are entering any of the wrestling rooms.

IF MY WRESTLER MISSES A PRACTICE DURING THE WEEK, CAN I ATTEND ANOTHER LEVEL OF PRACTICE?

Due to numbers we would like the child to stay in the practice he/she was designated for.  If you have an exception, please get with your club coach and get it okayed beforehand. 

Why does my wrestler need to bath immediately after every practice?

Even though we clean the mats after every practice, there is always potential for bacteria to transfer to your child’s skin during practice.  Bathing immediately after every practice, will help limit your child susceptibility for any type of skin disease.

How do I sign my wrestler up for tournaments?

The best way to find a listing of the local and surrounding tournaments online at: https://iawrestle.com/youth-tournaments/. New tournaments are added weekly throughout the season. Registration is handled differently by each individual tournament. Registration information should be available via the posting on https://iawrestle.com/youth-tournaments/ Some tournaments require mail in the registration, while others have online registration via www.trackwrestling.com.

Does my wrestler need wrestling shoes?

We would prefer kids have wrestling shoes on while in the wrestling room. We have a member buy and trade at the beginning of the year for anyone who would like to sell their used shoes. This is a great opportunity to purchase inexpensive shoes.

Does AWC go to tournaments as a club?

The club coaches will plan to attend a few different local tournaments where they will available to coach the club wrestlers.  We will try to communicate these tournaments to you in advance so you have ample time to plan and get your wrestler registered. Wrestling tournaments are available each weekend, and parents are able to register and accompany their child to tournaments at their discretion.  We will have our own Helmkamp beginner tournament in December as well as our annual AWC tournament in January.  Most coaches will be at these tournaments to help coach your child. 

What are Dual tournaments and how can my wrestler participate?

Dual tournaments are team wrestling events, consisting of one wrestler representing each team at predetermined weight classes. Weight classes start around 50 pounds and usually increase every 5 pounds or so for elementary and middle school wrestlers. These are highly competitive events!

AWC has participated in a couple different dual tournaments over the last several years, some of which are out of town and require an overnight hotel stay. AWC will communicate information to parents regarding participation in these events in advance. If there are multiple wrestlers at the same weight, kids may have to wrestle a match against other individuals from within AWC in order to earn a spot on the AWC Dual Team.  

Does my wrestler need a singlet?

No. Most local tournaments do not require singlets. Club singlets will be available for purchase at the beginning of the season if you desire. Also, gently used equipment will be available at the parent meeting for purchase.

DOES MY KID HAVE TO PARTICIPATE IN TOURNAMENTS?

No, parents know their kids better than us.  If you believe your kid is not ready to compete, keep them in practice until they are.

Can I join AWC if I live outside Ankeny?

 Ankeny Wrestling Club serves Ankeny residents, and Ankeny Community School District students and employees.