wYc wrestlers of all ages compete in weekly season tournaments.  The majority of the tournaments we compete in are local. In the past we have wrestled in locations such as: Aurora, Naperville, Plainfield, DeKalb, Batavia, Minooka, and Morris.  We have also competed in some tournaments that are further away such as: Pontiac, Peoria, Princeton, Rock Island, and Rockford.  Families are able to select which tournaments they wish to attend. We encourage wrestlers to participate in as many tournaments as they can, but we also understand the time committment involved.

Most of the tournaments we participate in are held on Sundays, with a few scattered Saturdays.  Wrestling tournaments can involve as many as 200 to 800 participants. To avoid confusion and assist coaches, wYc tries to sit together in the bleachers during the tournaments.  These tournaments can last from 4 to 8 hours, depending on the age of your athlete and how well they are performing in their matches.  At most of the tournaments we attend, wrestlers can expect to have 2 or 3 matches.

For all of the tournaments we attend, wYc registers their wrestlers in advance.  This can be done online at yorkvillewrestlingclub.com under the "Registration" tab.  This online system allows us to collect the fees and tournament information that we need to turn in to register as a team.

Wrestlers are generally required to weigh-in one or two hours before every tournament.  These mandatory weigh-ins are typically held the morning of the tournament, although a few tournaments will allow weigh-ins the evening before.  At weigh-ins, wrestlers must fill out a color coded weigh-in card that indicates their age division.  At the weigh in desk, wrestlers are also asked their wrestling record and number of years of wrestling experience.  Wrestlers nails are examined to make sure they are not too long.  Their skin is also checked to make sure the wrestler is free of any skin infections that could be passed to another wrestler.  Wrestlers found to have any skin problems may not be allowed to wrestle.  See your wYc coach prior to any tournament if you have any questions or skin issues.  Once these are checked, the wrestler proceeds to be weighed.  The wrestler is weighed only in their singlet, without any shoes.

After all wrestlers are weighed in, the tournament officials create the brackets in which the wrestlers will compete. A completed bracket sheet or vertical paring wall chart will show specific pairings for each match.  After each round, these sheets are updated to show pairings for the following round.  Winners continue to advance, while those that loose two times are usually eliminated - this can vary between tournaments.

Once the brackets for each wrestling division and weight class have been completed, the tournament officials will post them in the bullpen.  Wrestlers will be called to the bullpen using a system determined by the tournament officials. It may be by wrestling division, bracket number or a bracket letter.  It is important for wrestlers to listen for when they are called to the bullpen.  Once they are called, they proceed to this area and begin to warm-up.  Typically only coaches and wrestlers are allowed in this area.

In the bullpen, wrestlers are assigned to the mat where they will be wrestling.  Wrestlers are brought out of the bullpen in their bracket groupings by runners who take them to the table on the mat where they will be competing.  At this table the wrestlers check in and get ready to compete.  The group of wrestlers they check in with, is the bracket group they will be wrestling with for that tournament.  Parents need to watch closely for when their wrestler exits the bullpen so they know which mat their wrestler will be competing on.  Sometimes wrestlers will also come out with their coaches.  If your wrestler does not come out with a coach, don't worry a coach will meet them at the table on the mat where they will be wrestling.  The match cannot be started without a wYc coach to represent your wrestler on the mat.

Tournaments are organized in rounds, so wrestlers are given time to rest between matches.  Many of our wrestlers use this time to watch their friends compete, hang out, play video games, read or have a healthy snack before they need to warm up again.  We recommend putting your wrestlers name on their shirts and any gear they bring. It is easy to get things mixed together with other wrestlers. The bleachers can become crowded, as they are often filled with gear bags, coats, clothes, coolers, blankets, pillows as well as eager wrestlers.

Once a wrestler steps onto the mat, a referee starts and stops the match, awarding points when appropriate.  When the match is over, wrestlers shake hands and return to their coaches.  Winners must sign the score card at the scoring table.  For more information on matches, see the "Match" tab under General Information.

After all matches in a weight class have been completed, trophies or metals are awarded for 1st, 2nd, 3rd and sometimes 4th, 5th, and 6th place. Awards can be presented at the scoring table immediately after the match, or as announced from the head table. Some tournaments will also award the match champions a bracket board listing all athletes that the winning wrestler competed against during the tournament.