Wrestling

Parents and Wrestlers,

My name is Ben Sivertsen, and I am the Wrestling Coach and 6th Grade Resource teacher for Washington Middle School. I grew up in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin and moved to Missoula in 2003. I graduated from the University of Montana with a BA in History and a minor in Russian Language with teaching licenses for History, Special Education and Foreign Language and have a Masters Degree in Curriculum and Instruction from UMT Missoula. I have been involved in the sport of wresting for over 39 years and have wrestled with, coached, or coached by; World Team members, Olympians, NCAA All-Americans, National and State Champions and everything in-between. This will be my 20th season involved with middle school wrestling in Missoula, my 18th with Washington. I was also an Assistant Coach at Hellgate High School for four years, Sentinel High School (volunteer) one year, and Meadow Hill (volunteer) two years.

Expectations:

Simple and based off one word, RESPECT.

Wrestlers for Washington will show respect for:

Others- be on time, have good sportsmanship, listen to coaches, work with the team, wear appropriate clothes (shorts and T-shirt)

Self- be on time, work hard in practice, be ready and willing to learn, have fun

Facility- be on time, help clean and set up/take down mats daily, wear only wrestling shoes or socks on the mat, keep the locker rooms clean

Discipline: 

Wrestlers that do not follow the above expectations will be warned first. If they do not comply or interfere with the practice to the point that it cannot continue, or safety is a concern, they will be asked to leave and parents will be contacted. Any wrestler asked to leave must have their parent/guardian meet with me before they can return to practice. Unexcused absences from practice, behavioral issues at practice or in the classroom, or unsportsmanlike conduct at competitions will result in extra conditioning after practice. Unless previously determined, wrestlers may not miss more than one practice in a week in order to participate in competitions.

Washington Middle School will provide shorts and T-shirts or a singlet to the team for the season. If there are not enough uniforms for all wrestlers, "wrestle offs" will be held to determine who gets a uniform. Uniforms must be turned in at the end of the season or the family will be charged $25 for a shirt, $60 for a singlet. Headgear and wrestling shoes are not required, although wrestling shoes or “grippy” socks are highly recommended. Wrestlers may purchase their own headgear for use if so desired. Singlets were donated by Missoula Motor Company. We thank them for their support! I  have a limited supply of "donor" shoes and headgear if needed.

Practice Schedule: Monday through Friday after school until 4:30, wrestlers will be ready to be picked up by 4:30 every day. Please pick your athlete up on time, as I have to get my own children from daycare. Changes will be made for days of competition.

Basic breakdown of practices:

2:50-3:00         Dress, roll out mats, roll call

3:00-3:15         Warm Up, Stretch

3:15-3:45         Technique/ Drills

3:45-4:00         Live Wrestling

4:00-4:15         Conditioning

4:15-4:30         Cool Down, Stretch, Roll up mats, Dress Out, Parents Pick Up

Any changes to the schedule or program will be communicated via handout and posted on the Washington Middle School website.

Schedule is posted online. Mixers will follow a basic “round-robin” format. Each wrestler will be placed in a group of similar size, age, and gender (in middle school, girls will only wrestle girls), usually four to a group. Each wrestler will wrestle the other three. If the mixer is at another school, wrestlers must ride the bus there with the team. There will be no placing or awards until the All City Championship and Copper League Dual Tournament. The Copper League Dual Tournament is a dual format (ie Washington vs. Meadow Hill) with teams consisting of 1 wrestler per weight class. This is a double elimination tournament with awards for first through third place. Only one wrestler will compete for the team in each weight class, this will be decided through wrestle offs. The All City Championship will be a bracketed, double elimination individual tournament that all wrestlers can attend and compete.

When the team is required to travel, a bus will take the players to the event, but a ride must be arranged for the wrestler after the competition. 

When Washington is hosting a mixer, we will need the entire team to stay after school to help set up, and the entire team to stay after wrestling to help clean up and put mats away. This usually takes until 7:00 or so, depending on the mixer. Please plan accordingly. If a wrestler cannot stay to help set up or clean up, they should not compete that day.