Middle school is the time when a young wrestler begins to transition from noncompetitive to competitive wrestling, preparing himself for the demands of high school sports and beyond. Along with the transition to serious competition, young wrestlers are required to put away their gym shoes and T-shirts for proper wrestling gear that meets the regulations of the wrestling association they compete under.
Shoes
According to authors Thomas Ryan, Julie Sampson and Bruce Curtis in their book, "Beginning Wrestling," a shoe must fit tightly on a young wrestler's foot like a sock. However, it should not cut off the wrestler's circulation. Because a wrestler in middle school is still growing, he may need shoes that are a slightly larger than his feet to allow growth during the three- to four-month season. The shoes must provide sufficient ankle support as well.
Singlet
A singlet is the spandex or nylon one-piece uniform that a wrestler wears during competition. It stretches from the shoulders to just above the knees and is designed to keep a wrestler from tangling his limbs in loose clothing during a match. It should stretch across the body tightly, but still allow the wrestler to stand up comfortably. Males typically wear an athletic supporter under the singlet, while girls may wear a sports bra that contains no metal parts.
Headgear
While youth wrestlers can often get away without having headgear, this piece of equipment becomes vitally important at the middle school level and beyond. Most wrestling associations require headgear because it protects the wrestler from traumatizing shocks on hard falls and from cauliflower ear, which is a growth of painful fibrous tissue in the outer ear caused by hard blows to the area.
Athletic Tape
Wrestling at the middle school level and beyond requires participants to secure their shoelaces during competition. This prevents injury and delays in matches due to shoes coming untied. A wrestler should have his own roll of tape so he can get in the habit of taping his shoes before every practice. This reduces the chance that he will forget during a real competition and be assessed an equipment penalty or disqualified.
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