Wrestling

General Info

Wrestling is a recreational program for boys and girls enrolled in preschool through 6th grade at Gilbert Schools in Gilbert, Iowa. Players who live in the Gilbert school district and attend an area private school or homeschool are also eligible to participate. 

Practice Schedule

• Foundations: Monday & Thursday, 5:45 - 6:45 p.m.
• Experienced: Monday & Thursday, 6:45 - 7:45 p.m. and Tuesday, 5:45 - 7:45 p.m.
• First and second graders are allowed to practice with the Experienced group on Tuesday sessions with approval from the coaching staff.

Additional Information: 

Registration fees of participants of head coaches will be refunded.

Participant shirts are Sport-Tek t-shirts and 100% polyester.

At GYS we pride ourselves on not turning any child away interested in wrestling due to financial needs. Contact gysiowa@gmail.com to take advantage of our scholarships to cover registration fees. Please consider contributing to GYS Wrestling to help us help any child that needs financial assistance.

Wrestling FAQs

• Who are the GYS wrestling coaches?
  • Jake Seibert and Nathan Graves are the GYS Wrestling program coordinators. Nathan is the Gilbert High School Head Wrestling Coach with Jake serving as a volunteer assistant coach. Jake and Nathan have been GYS coaches for the past few years and both have sons and daughters who participate in the program. Other volunteer coaches with children participating in the program will assist at leading practices. 
• My child is in 3rd-6th grade, but has never wrestled before. Can I still sign them up for the Experienced group?
  • Yes! All levels of experience are welcome and participants will be matched with partners close to their size and skill.
• What does my child wear to practice?
  • Comfortable clothes (e.g. t-shirt and shorts) and clean socks. Wrestling shoes are optional. There are some shoes available at practice. Singlets are only worn for tournaments and headgear is recommended for tournaments. 
• Does my child have to attend every practice for their age group?
  • No, however, wrestling is a very technical sport; repetition and time on the wrestling mat is essential for growth and skill development. We do understand it is a long season and there are plenty of other things going on. Do what is best for your child and get them there as much as what works for your family.
• Do boys and girls practice together or separate?
  • At each practice, participants are matched with partners close to their size and skill. We will try to match girls together as much as possible, but they will likely practice with boys as well. 
• Is tournament attendance required to participate in GYS Wrestling?
  • No, tournaments are not required, but they are strongly encouraged to help kids gain experience. Most importantly, we want your child to be in the driver’s seat when deciding whether to compete. Every kid develops physically and mentally at a different pace, which can shape their tournament experience. For wrestlers around age 9 and older, tournaments become more important, especially if they love the sport and want to keep progressing. Our priority is keeping kids safe, helping them enjoy the sport, and fostering a lifelong love for wrestling.
• How does a typical wrestling tournament work?
  • When first arriving to a tournament, athletes will weigh in just with their singlet on so that tournament organizers can place athletes in appropriate brackets. Most brackets will be four-man brackets, so athletes get three matches, unless otherwise stated. Each match for an athlete will be assigned a bout number. The bout number will tell you when you are up on a mat. Once the bracket has completed, wrestlers and their family go to the awards area to receive their medal. 
  • Registrations and tournament details are managed through the Track Wrestling website. If you attend a tournament not managed through Track Wrestling, brackets are typically posted outside of the gym with a bracket number. Each mat-side table usually has some sort of sign to indicate which bracket numbers are active at their mat.
  • Your registration fee includes entry into three tournaments. This will include the Gilbert Youth Tournament on Friday, December 5, 2025, and two others. The other two tournaments will be announced as clubs publish their dates for their tournaments.
• Do tournaments have separate boys and girls divisions or do girls wrestle against boys?
  • Due to the growth of girls wrestling, it is becoming more common for girls to have separate brackets. However, each tournament can make their own decisions on this and you should look at the information published for each event that you are looking to have your child attend. Some clubs have started girls only tournaments.
• Can my child participate in other tournaments besides the three included?
  • Every weekend there are dozens of opportunities all over the state for your child to wrestle. Outside of the three tournaments the club will pay for, we cannot guarantee that a coach will be available to support your child. However, you are welcome to enter them on your own. We will do our best to let others know where we are attending from week to week.
  • You can find more information about available tournaments on the Iowa Youth Wrestling website here: https://iawrestle.com/youth-tournaments/, the Iowa Youth Wrestling Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/iowayouthwrestling/, and/or Track Wrestling in the Events section.