Don Valley Wrestling Practices

Additional Practices This Season

There will be additional practices this season each Saturday at Newtonbrook Secondary School, located at 155 Hilda Ave, North York, M2M 1V6. This is located near Steeles Ave. and Yonge St.
These practice begin at 11:00 a.m. and run until 1:00 p.m. Enter the school at the rear parking lot. Walk left down the hall to the gym. These practice are offered by Beat the Streets and are run by Mr. Kilimnik, coach of the Newtonbrook wrestling team.

Also, due to a coaches' meeting, there will be no practice on tuesday, November 12. Wrestlers are invited to attend a practice that day at SATEC @ W.A. Porter Collegiate Institute, located at 40 Fairfax Crescent, Scarborough, M1L 1Z9. This practice is also offered by Beat the Streets.

Wrestling Practices

Building a wrestling team is not easy. We hope to have new wrestlers each season join our teams. Most of the new wrestlers might not have wrestled before. This is fine. We do not expect a new wrestler to be a champion during the first year of competition. What we hope to see is a reasonable number of young participants who would like to take an interest in the sport.

Wrestling is a tough sport. It requires a high level of total fitness. Each wrestler must develop strength, stamina, balance and flexibility. This can only be achieved by attending as many practices as possible.

When I was at university, I remember working out in the fitness room and I was talking to a fitness instructor about the time when I was wrestling. The fitness instructor made this remark: "I would rather run two back-to-back marathons than wrestle one two-minute round." This might give the new wrestlers an idea of what they are getting themselves into. However, the level of fitness that is required is within the reach of most healthy students. By attending practices regularly, your fitness level will increase.

For pre-season fitness advice, see the pages on Physical Fitness.

The Practices

In our practices, we will be working to develop competitive wrestlers. However, at the beginning of the season, do not expect to be wrestling from the first practice. We will begin with building basic skills such as stance, movement, control, and shooting. We will then work at developing the basic takedowns and holds. Gradually, we will build from drilling with moderate resistance to all-out matches. So, be patient. The wrestling will come.

We will be conducting practices each Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from 3:45 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

On an evening of a practice, you will come to the gym quickly in your gym attire. You should try to be at the gym as soon after your last class as possible and help set up the mats.

Each wrestler should have complete, clean gym attire. You should also bring a water bottle and keep it by the mat side. We want you to keep hydrated but we do not want to waste time by running out into the halls for a water break. Do not share your water bottle.

Wrestlers will not be permitted to practice while wearing jewellery. If you have any body piercings with inserted rings or jewellery, they must be removed before practice.
Also, you should keep your fingernails short.

Wrestlers should not come to practice with any infectious illnesses. Wait until you recover. Also, do not come to practice with any skin infection, such as ringworm. This must be cleared up before you continue to come to practice.

During the practices, you are expected to devote your full attention to the practice. You will not be talking to friends who are looking on. You will not be making or receiving phone calls. You should take care of all other business before or after practice.

Finally, after a practice, shower.