What it's Like to Officiate High School Wrestling

It's almost that time! Wrestling time!

I have the privilege and honor of officiating high school wrestling and the occasional college match. I will say that as much as I love officiaiting football, I feel the same way and even more so about wrestling.

There is something about being out on an island by yourself on the mat with two wrestlers and the pressure is on and there is 5 seconds left and..., we'll come back to this.

Wrestling season is about to begin for me this year. I have a jam packed schedule of high school Varsity matches, some JV, Jr. High and Youth tournaments as well.

Here is what it is like for me on a night of Varsity wrestling.

I arrive at the host school and get greeted by the Athletic Director and get changed in the locker room. Immediately I like to get with the coaches so I can have them draw the weight to see which weight class we're going to start the night off with.

Next, if the wrestlers haven't already weighed in yet I go to their locker room and observe the weigh-ins to make sure that they're not overweight.

Then I usually go to the visitor's locker room first and check their skin to make sure they don't have any skin conditions that puts anyone at risk that will be on the mat including myself. Will follow this up by speaking to the wrestlers about good sportsmanship, recap of rule changes for the current season and from the previous season.

Will speak on a few points of emphasis like stalling, safety or how to line-up. Then I will hit the home team's locker room and do the same thing.

Next thing you know, I'm out on the mat warming up in the corner while the wrestlers warm up on center mat.

Now, it's Star Spangled Banner time! This is one of my favorite parts of the night. I love to hear this played before an event.

Time to go to work. The captains and head coaches enter out onto the mat so we can flip the disk to see who gets the choice for odd and even matches. Meaning there are 14 weight classes. The first match would be the odd match, then the next even and so forth. One team would be green and the other red for the evening. We flip to see which team of wrestlers will get the choice of starting position for the second period.

Now it's time to wrestle! The wrestlers for the first weight class will report to the table and then come to center mat. I look at the table to make sure they're ready, have the wrestlers shake hands, and blow the whistle because it's their show now.

Sometimes I have the privilege of officiating two of the best wrestlers in the city, state, or nation. This can be very intense!

The two of them going at it scrambling, scrapping, and both struggling to score on the other. Sometimes in this situation you can have a score like 2-1 in the third period and the gym is going crazy because there is 5 seconds left and the losing wrestler is in on the other's legs and does he get around in time as the clock hits ZERO! Then boom, was the call right. Does the final score end up 3-2 because the takedown was good or did he hold him off and win 2-1.

This situation happens a lot and you're gonna be hated by half of the gym and ignored by the other half because they're happy that their wrestler won. Either way, you're not loved because no one is there to watch you. It's about the kids. That's the way we want it and that's why we love it. Have to be ready to make that pressure call and be in that pressure situation.

It all starts for me in 2008 this Friday!

You can read more or keep up with my season at my blog at:

http://www.the3rdteam.blogspot.com