TEAM POETA IKWF PARENT HANDOUT
Dear Parents,
We officially changed our name to Team Poeta this youth season, but we still plan on continuing the strong tradition of success that came from when we were known as the Wrestling Factory. Last year we were fortunate enough to finish off a stellar season with some truly extraordinary state tournament results. As a team, we ended with 2 IKWF state place winners as well 5 IESA State champions. Some of these athletes will be joining us again this season and some will be moving on to compete for High School state titles, but all of their careers have really just begun. What sets Team Poeta ahead of other youth club is our ability to teach high level technique, as well as instill a work ethic that will allow each athlete to thrive at not only the youth level but also the high school, and for some, the NCAA level. We accomplish this through drilling, sparing, live wrestling, watching films, wrestling related games, and most importantly providing a fun and engaging atmosphere.
This year you can expect a larger emphasis on the fundamentals of wrestling as well as well as more time spent catering to the needs of each individual athlete, so that they can each develop their own unique style. This is best accomplished when there is communication between the parents and myself. If you ever have any questions, comments, or would simply like an update on how your athletes is doing in the practice room do not hesitate to contact me.
-Coach Brunson
Phone: 541-285-1663
EMAIL: Callie- poeta@poetatrainingcenter.com Zac Brunson- zbrunson13@gmail.com
COACHES: Zac Brunson & Roman Vodoviz
USAW Wrestling Memberships can be purchased and renewed at www.usawmembership.com
You must have your card in order to practice and wrestle at tournaments.
You must follow each very specific steps in order to obtain a first-year wrestlers card. Please affiliate yourself with ‘Team Poeta’
Tournaments
Tournaments are not mandatory, but if your wrestler does want to compete- we recommend beginner wrestlers choose 2-3 and for older wrestlers, please leave the number of tournaments attended at their discretion. They should attempt a few, but it is okay if they are not comfortable with competing often. This year each wrestler will need to be paid and registered online in advanced through our website or trackwrestling.com (depending on the tournament). Most tournaments are $20 per wrestler. If you see an Elite tournament on the calendar and you are unsure if your wrestler should be attending that, please talk with Coach Brunson. He will always be honest and fair.
Callie will send out the weekly email with all information for each tournament and how to sign up. It will either be through our own website or through trackwrestling.com. We like to see the team sitting together at tournaments.
Most weigh-ins are very early and some of the tournaments are 30 minutes to an hour away, so please make sure your wrestler is on time. They will not allow late comers.
When tournaments start they will call the tots group to the “bullpen” which is a designated area to hold the wrestlers and group them before sending them out to the mats. As a parent, please watch for which mat your wrestler is walking to. The matches start quick! This will be the same process for all groups (bantam, intermediate, novice, senior) Then they will return back to the first group, and start over. Most will get 3 total matches throughout the day.
Practice
Our little ones (kindergarten & 1st graders) will practice Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5-6pm.
Our older, more experienced wrestlers (usually 2nd-8th graders) will practice Monday-Thursday 6-7:30pm. If you are also practicing with your middle school, please make sure you are consistent with which days you attend our practices.
Parents will have a chance to watch practice from the upper balcony a few times throughout the season, but we ask that only wrestlers and coaches are in the practice room otherwise. We have a great waiting room with a TV monitor to watch your kids from. You will be allowed to watch from the balcony the first Tuesday of the month, starting with Nov 12th and then Dec 3rd, Jan 7th, & Feb 4th. Most parents just drop off, but please make sure you are back by 7:30pm for pick up.
What to bring to practice: Bag dedicated to all wrestling gear with wrestling shoes, water bottle, towel/soap (if showering), & headgear.
Wrestlers will be expected to have their shoes on and bags in a locker and be ready to warm up by the start time of the practice. As a parent, your homework is to help your wrestler practice putting their shoes and head gear on. This will help our coaches tremendously during practice and at tournaments.
During practice, they will be expected to be respectful and to do as instructed by the coaching staff. They will also be expected to work hard and ask many questions. Practices will be fun, but also hard work. Wrestling is not an easy sport, but it is rewarding in so many ways. We will play games, wrestle live, be taught lots of technique, review film and so much more.
Please make sure the parent/wrestler commitment is the same. It is important that you do not allow your wrestler to dictate when they feel like practicing. You do not want to push them, but you also want them to be accountable and committed. Even though it is a long season, they should really only miss practice when they are sick or hurt (if they didn’t go to school for health reasons, please do not send them to practice). It is not necessary to email or call us if your wrestler is not coming to practice, but if it is because of a serious injury or they will be out for an extended period of time, then please let Coach Brunson know.
Apparel
Our full line of gear is available through our online store at www.poetatrainingcenter.com. Please note that the orders are due November 19th. This ensures we are able to get our gear around Christmas-time. These make great holiday gifts (family members are always asking for present ideas- give them the link!)
Please label gear, especially head gear, water bottles & backpacks. Wrestling shoes should not be worn outside of the wrestling room.
Treatment of Teammates
Wrestlers will be expected to treat all of their teammates with respect regardless of their abilities or skill level. Bullying of any form will not be tolerated and persistent bullying will lead to removal from program. This hasn’t been an issue with our club and we would like to keep it that way. If your wrestler has any issues, please reach out to Coach Brunson or email Callie right away. We also will not tolerate any negative behavior from parents to their wrestlers or the coaches. Sometimes coaches make decisions that they feel are best for the wrestler. If a parent disagrees, please speak to Coach Brunson in private.
Treatment of Facilities
Team Poeta has the most state-of-the-art youth wrestling facility in the country and is expected to be treated with respect. Wrestlers will be expected to clean up after themselves and to follow all facility rules. The weight room and the sauna may only be used with a coach present.
Hygiene & Health
Wrestlers will be expected to bring clean workout clothes to every practice and will be expected to shower at the facility or at home immediately following practice. If showering at our facility, please have your wrestler bring their own towel and shampoo AND have them bring it home, we will not be responsible for any items left at the gym. The wrestling mats are cleaned daily, but in the event of a skin infection notify the coaching staff, as well as set a doctor's appointment to begin treatment as soon as possible. Coaches will take the appropriate steps to make sure any skin infection do not spread, which will likely include removal from practice. Please check your wrestlers skin and head/hair daily. They must be using an antifungal if there is an infection, and possibly a prescription for some cases. Head & Shoulders Clinical Strength can help prevent ringworm. Also, please keep fingernails trimmed.
Wrestlers will be expected to wrestle a reasonable weight class that they can achieve through proper nutrition and work. Weight cutting that relies on starving, dehydration, or the use of the sauna will not be tolerated. Healthy changes in diet should be made now, not the week before competition.
Extra Notes:
Our 5thAnnual team sleepover is Tuesday, November 26th. The kids look forward to it every year. The wrestlers will bring their overnight bag and stay after practice Tuesday night for the sleepover. We will have practice early the next day 830-10am (10am Practice PICKUP) for all Team Poeta wrestlers (INSTEAD of 6-730pm that night). Please make sure your wrestler is mature enough for this kind of evening. $10 and includes pizza. They will play games, watch movies and have fun.
Each year we Volunteer at Feed my starving children in Libertyville in place of practicing. We will hand pack bags of food for those less fortunate. We invite all wrestlers, parents, and any siblings over the age of 5 to join us for this great event.
We officially changed our name to Team Poeta this youth season, but we still plan on continuing the strong tradition of success that came from when we were known as the Wrestling Factory. Last year we were fortunate enough to finish off a stellar season with some truly extraordinary state tournament results. As a team, we ended with 2 IKWF state place winners as well 5 IESA State champions. Some of these athletes will be joining us again this season and some will be moving on to compete for High School state titles, but all of their careers have really just begun. What sets Team Poeta ahead of other youth club is our ability to teach high level technique, as well as instill a work ethic that will allow each athlete to thrive at not only the youth level but also the high school, and for some, the NCAA level. We accomplish this through drilling, sparing, live wrestling, watching films, wrestling related games, and most importantly providing a fun and engaging atmosphere.
This year you can expect a larger emphasis on the fundamentals of wrestling as well as well as more time spent catering to the needs of each individual athlete, so that they can each develop their own unique style. This is best accomplished when there is communication between the parents and myself. If you ever have any questions, comments, or would simply like an update on how your athletes is doing in the practice room do not hesitate to contact me.
-Coach Brunson
Phone: 541-285-1663
EMAIL: Callie- poeta@poetatrainingcenter.com Zac Brunson- zbrunson13@gmail.com
COACHES: Zac Brunson & Roman Vodoviz
USAW Wrestling Memberships can be purchased and renewed at www.usawmembership.com
You must have your card in order to practice and wrestle at tournaments.
You must follow each very specific steps in order to obtain a first-year wrestlers card. Please affiliate yourself with ‘Team Poeta’
Tournaments
Tournaments are not mandatory, but if your wrestler does want to compete- we recommend beginner wrestlers choose 2-3 and for older wrestlers, please leave the number of tournaments attended at their discretion. They should attempt a few, but it is okay if they are not comfortable with competing often. This year each wrestler will need to be paid and registered online in advanced through our website or trackwrestling.com (depending on the tournament). Most tournaments are $20 per wrestler. If you see an Elite tournament on the calendar and you are unsure if your wrestler should be attending that, please talk with Coach Brunson. He will always be honest and fair.
Callie will send out the weekly email with all information for each tournament and how to sign up. It will either be through our own website or through trackwrestling.com. We like to see the team sitting together at tournaments.
Most weigh-ins are very early and some of the tournaments are 30 minutes to an hour away, so please make sure your wrestler is on time. They will not allow late comers.
When tournaments start they will call the tots group to the “bullpen” which is a designated area to hold the wrestlers and group them before sending them out to the mats. As a parent, please watch for which mat your wrestler is walking to. The matches start quick! This will be the same process for all groups (bantam, intermediate, novice, senior) Then they will return back to the first group, and start over. Most will get 3 total matches throughout the day.
Practice
Our little ones (kindergarten & 1st graders) will practice Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5-6pm.
Our older, more experienced wrestlers (usually 2nd-8th graders) will practice Monday-Thursday 6-7:30pm. If you are also practicing with your middle school, please make sure you are consistent with which days you attend our practices.
Parents will have a chance to watch practice from the upper balcony a few times throughout the season, but we ask that only wrestlers and coaches are in the practice room otherwise. We have a great waiting room with a TV monitor to watch your kids from. You will be allowed to watch from the balcony the first Tuesday of the month, starting with Nov 12th and then Dec 3rd, Jan 7th, & Feb 4th. Most parents just drop off, but please make sure you are back by 7:30pm for pick up.
What to bring to practice: Bag dedicated to all wrestling gear with wrestling shoes, water bottle, towel/soap (if showering), & headgear.
Wrestlers will be expected to have their shoes on and bags in a locker and be ready to warm up by the start time of the practice. As a parent, your homework is to help your wrestler practice putting their shoes and head gear on. This will help our coaches tremendously during practice and at tournaments.
During practice, they will be expected to be respectful and to do as instructed by the coaching staff. They will also be expected to work hard and ask many questions. Practices will be fun, but also hard work. Wrestling is not an easy sport, but it is rewarding in so many ways. We will play games, wrestle live, be taught lots of technique, review film and so much more.
Please make sure the parent/wrestler commitment is the same. It is important that you do not allow your wrestler to dictate when they feel like practicing. You do not want to push them, but you also want them to be accountable and committed. Even though it is a long season, they should really only miss practice when they are sick or hurt (if they didn’t go to school for health reasons, please do not send them to practice). It is not necessary to email or call us if your wrestler is not coming to practice, but if it is because of a serious injury or they will be out for an extended period of time, then please let Coach Brunson know.
Apparel
Our full line of gear is available through our online store at www.poetatrainingcenter.com. Please note that the orders are due November 19th. This ensures we are able to get our gear around Christmas-time. These make great holiday gifts (family members are always asking for present ideas- give them the link!)
Please label gear, especially head gear, water bottles & backpacks. Wrestling shoes should not be worn outside of the wrestling room.
Treatment of Teammates
Wrestlers will be expected to treat all of their teammates with respect regardless of their abilities or skill level. Bullying of any form will not be tolerated and persistent bullying will lead to removal from program. This hasn’t been an issue with our club and we would like to keep it that way. If your wrestler has any issues, please reach out to Coach Brunson or email Callie right away. We also will not tolerate any negative behavior from parents to their wrestlers or the coaches. Sometimes coaches make decisions that they feel are best for the wrestler. If a parent disagrees, please speak to Coach Brunson in private.
Treatment of Facilities
Team Poeta has the most state-of-the-art youth wrestling facility in the country and is expected to be treated with respect. Wrestlers will be expected to clean up after themselves and to follow all facility rules. The weight room and the sauna may only be used with a coach present.
Hygiene & Health
Wrestlers will be expected to bring clean workout clothes to every practice and will be expected to shower at the facility or at home immediately following practice. If showering at our facility, please have your wrestler bring their own towel and shampoo AND have them bring it home, we will not be responsible for any items left at the gym. The wrestling mats are cleaned daily, but in the event of a skin infection notify the coaching staff, as well as set a doctor's appointment to begin treatment as soon as possible. Coaches will take the appropriate steps to make sure any skin infection do not spread, which will likely include removal from practice. Please check your wrestlers skin and head/hair daily. They must be using an antifungal if there is an infection, and possibly a prescription for some cases. Head & Shoulders Clinical Strength can help prevent ringworm. Also, please keep fingernails trimmed.
Wrestlers will be expected to wrestle a reasonable weight class that they can achieve through proper nutrition and work. Weight cutting that relies on starving, dehydration, or the use of the sauna will not be tolerated. Healthy changes in diet should be made now, not the week before competition.
Extra Notes:
Our 5thAnnual team sleepover is Tuesday, November 26th. The kids look forward to it every year. The wrestlers will bring their overnight bag and stay after practice Tuesday night for the sleepover. We will have practice early the next day 830-10am (10am Practice PICKUP) for all Team Poeta wrestlers (INSTEAD of 6-730pm that night). Please make sure your wrestler is mature enough for this kind of evening. $10 and includes pizza. They will play games, watch movies and have fun.
Each year we Volunteer at Feed my starving children in Libertyville in place of practicing. We will hand pack bags of food for those less fortunate. We invite all wrestlers, parents, and any siblings over the age of 5 to join us for this great event.
