The equipment athletes wear in regulation wrestling is designed primarily to protect the wrestlers. Tight-fitting singlets minimize the chance of catching a finger in the folds of clothing, which can result in a broken digit. The headgear protects the ears from an injury called cauliflower ear, and provides some limited protection against concussion. Although the equipment may seem hard to put on to the uninitiated, it doesn't take much time at all to make it a second-nature activity.
Singlet
Step 1
Strip down to your undergarments. Men should leave on a pair of undershorts. Women should wear shorts and a sports bra, or shorts and a T-shirt.
Step 2
Arrange your singlet properly. It should hang without any twists, looking much like a women's one-piece bathing suit.
Step 3
Slide your legs into the leg holes one at a time, like putting on a pair of bicycle shorts. Check that it's on right-side forward. Usually, the front neck scoop runs slightly lower than the back.
Step 4
Pull the straps up over your shoulders.
Headgear
Step 1
Set the headgear over your head like a helmet. The two straps of the headgear should pass across your forehead and behind the base of your skull. The chin strap and snap should be near the hinges of your jaw.
Step 2
Run the chin strap beneath your jaw and snap into place on the opposite side of your face.
Step 3
Hold the ear cups by pressing them gently against your head. Try to twist your head without moving your hands. If your head slides around without moving the ear cups, remove and adjust the straps. They're too loose.
Tips and Warnings
- Adjust the fit of wrestling headgear by loosening or tightening the straps. Depending on the style, you do this by moving the straps through slits in the ear cups, or by adjusting a plastic strap in the same way you size a baseball cap.
Things You'll Need
- Headgear
- Singlet
- Undergarments
References
- Andy Brick; Wrestling Coach; Hillsboro, Oregon
- Jason Brick; Judo and Wrestling Coach; Hillsboro, Oregon
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