Wrestling Health & Nutrition

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Wrestling is a close contact sport, and that means lots of germs can be swapped in a short period of time. For that reason, we ask parents to keep their children out of practice until they have been free of fever or stomach symptoms for at least 24 hours without the aid of medication, and to follow their doctor's recommendation on quarantine time when diagnosed with especially contagious illnesses such as the flu, covid, mono, strep, etc. 

Though wrestling does not result in as many injuries as other contact sports percentage-wise, there is a risk of injury. Should an injury occur during an NAEW practice, our board members will contact the parent(s) either immediately or after practice depending on the severity of the injury. Any child who sustains a head injury during practice or competition will be screened for a concussion based on CDC Heads Up guidelines, and parents will be contacted immediately. If a concussion is confirmed through medical diagnosis, NAEW follows CDC Return to Play guidelines regarding return to practice/competition. 

Skin irritation and rashes are, unfortunately, very common in youth wrestling and beyond given the close contact between competitors. As a best practice, wrestlers should shower with an antibacterial/anti-fungal solution as soon as possible after practice and tournaments. Defense brand soap also offers wipes and foam that can be used immediately after matches for added protection. It's also a good idea to have athlete's foot cream on hand to treat a suspected ringworm infection until your wrestler can be seen by a doctor. To reduce the risk of an outbreak among the team, we ask that any wrestler with a contagious or unknown rash (as well as coughing, sore throat or fever) stay home from practice until released by a doctor. That being said, we do have wrestlers with chronic, non-contagious skin conditions such as eczema, and we certainly understand those instances. (Along those lines, however, it's a good idea to get a written note from your wrestler's doctor stating that they are not contagious, in good overall health, and are eligible to participate in wrestling in case they are questioned at a weigh-in.)

As with any sport, nutrition plays a key role in wrestling outcomes. In the past, there was a huge push for wrestlers to lose potentially large amounts of weight all while maintaining a rigorous practice schedule. This lead to extremely unhealthy athletes and eventually the outlawing of weight cutting beyond a certain threshold in all upper-level programs. At the youth wrestling level, athletes and their parents have to be particularly careful with weight restrictions because we don't want to harm their future health. A healthy diet year-round coupled with meals and snacks specifically catered to wrestlers' needs during the season will yield a strong, clear-headed wrestler who is able to compete at his/her fullest potential.