CRWA FAQ’s

I'm new to Wrestling - What do I need to know?

•  CRWA (Council Rock Wrestling Association) consists of athletes from K-8th grade in the CR school District.  There are at least 2 practices per week with matches and/or tournaments on the weekends.
• Our season begins in November and runs thru early March
• Unless otherwise noted, a wrestling match consists of (3) 1-minute periods where athletes will wrestle to win by score (15) or by pin.  Once a wrestler pins their opponent or outscores the opponent 15-0, the match is over, regardless of which period.
• The sport of wrestling focuses on hard work, discipline, determination and focus.  This is what the coach(es) will emphasize at practice.  
• Your athlete will come home from practice very tired the first few weeks of the season.
• Due to extremely close contact with other athletes, personal hygiene is IMPORTANT.  Your athlete needs to shower after each practice or event.
  • If your athlete is ill, DO NOT come to practice/match. DO send an email.
  • If your athlete has ANY skin irritations, DO NOT come to practice/match. DO send an email.
  • a doctor's note is REQUIRED before they can rejoin the team
    

What equipment/uniform should my wrestler have?

• PRACTICE: Shirts & Shorts are required. Street shoes are not permitted to be worn in the wrestling room by anyone.
• REQUIRED: Every wrestler needs wrestling shoes and headgear (not supplied by CRWA) which are to be worn for all practices, matches, and tournaments. 
• SINGLET: CRWA will ONLY supply first year, novice wrestlers with a singlet. If you are not registered for the first year program, you will have the opportunity to  buy a singlet at registration.

Who is my coach?

• Your child may have consistent coaches at practice times, but you may not see those coaches at matches or tournaments. 
• When at a match/tournament, any CRWA coach may coach your child during his/her match.  If it is time for your child to wrestle and a coach is not present, please seek out a coach. 
• Please take note during the pre-match group warm-ups of some of those coaches so that you can recognize them in the event you’re searching for a coach.
• Should you have a question for a coach, please see the list of contacts at the bottom of this FAQ’s list for details about who to contact in regards to specific topics.

What’s the difference between an ICWL Match and a Tournament?

ICWL Matches (Inter-County Wrestling League)  is comprised of schools across Bucks, Montgomery, Philadelphia, Chester and Delaware counties.

• Matches are setup by the ICWL, and generally involve CRWA wrestling athletes from other teams, with 2+ matches per athlete per event. 
• ICWL Matches take place on Saturdays during the season (Dec - Feb).  CRWA usually hosts 2-3 "home" matches at Newtown Middle School.
• RSVPs will be sent out via email at the beginning of each week & a yes or no response must be received by Thursday afternoon at 6pm.
  • Matches for wrestlers are based on age, weight, and years of experience. The coaches have a meeting the Thursday night prior to an ICWL match to coordinate matchups with opponent schools. 
• A wrestler is not eliminated after losses at an ICWL Match – no matter what his/her record is for the day, all of the matches the wrestler is given at the start, will take place.   

Tournaments:

• Matches that a wrestler signs up for individually and independent of CRWA.  They are listed on the CRWA website (www.crwawrestling.com). 
• Wrestlers are free to choose as many or as few (or even none) tournaments as they’d like. 
  • There usually is a fee to register for a tournament (listed on the registration pages of each tournament) EXCEPT the “Indian Open” which is hosted by CRWA. 
• In a tournament, a wrestler IS eliminated based on his/her win/lose record (ie double elimination), unless the tournament format is round-robin.  Round-robin formats consist of a bracket of 4 or more wrestlers, and your athlete will face each wrestler in their bracket.  
• Winners may receive trophies or medals, dependent on the tournament. 
• Coach(es) may or may not be present at a tournament; ask the coaches at practice for more info.

What happens when I show up at an ICWL match?

• As soon as you arrive at the venue, look for the CRWA players and coaches/volunteers. 
• Together, all of the CRWA wrestlers will practice/warm-up.  During this time, the coaches will write each wrestler’s match numbers on his/her hand. 
• IT IS UP TO THE WRESTLER/PARENTS TO BE AT THE MAT FOR THEIR MATCH (a coach will NOT notify each wrestler individually for matches.) 
• Match numbers are generally written in a 3-number format (e.g., 123). 
  • The first number is the mat number, and the following 2 numbers signify the number match you are on that particular mat.  Example:  match 123 takes place on mat 1 and is match #23. 
  • Generally, each mat/table displays the numbers of 3 matches at a time - the current match, followed by the next 2 matches. 
• Make sure your wrestler is at the mat a few matches before s/he is scheduled to wrestle, in the event that a prior match gets bumped or finishes quickly. 
• IF FOR SOME REASON YOU HAVE TO LEAVE BEFORE ALL OF YOUR MATCHES HAVE OCCURRED, PLEASE NOTIFY A CRWA COACH SO THAT THE OPPONENT IS NOT WAITING AROUND FOR YOU. 
• Once all of your matches have concluded, you are free to leave (of course you are always welcome to stay and cheer on your fellow CRWA friends).

What happens when I show up for a tournament (for which I previously registered)?

• Upon arrival to the venue, look for the brackets posted for your division (novice, midget, etc.) and weight class. Tournament brackets may also be posted on FloArena or Track Wrestling.

What division should I register my athlete for tournaments?

• **Note, DO NOT register your wrestler simply based on the room in which they practice (i.e., novice, intermediate, advanced); instead, speak with a coach prior to registering or send an email to [email protected]