Wrestlers often ask “Which is the best club?”
What you should be asking yourself is “Which club is best for me?”
Here are some things to consider when choosing a club.

COMMITMENT-What is your commitment? If necessary, what is your guardian’s commitment? What is the coach’s commitment? Do all three match? If you are going to miss a practice because you feel like it, you better have a coach that is willing to accept that. If you want to make every practice no matter what, you better have someone willing to make sure they will get you there. If you are looking to travel to compete, you better make sure the coach is willing to sacrifice his weekends too. If you are just looking for a couple of workouts a week, you better make sure the club does not require you to maintain a competition schedule.

TRAINING COMPETITION-Do you want to be the best wrestler in the room? Do you want to be somewhere in the middle? Are you willing to be the weakest wrestler in the room? In my opinion, if you are the best kid in the club you are probably not going to develop too much. If you are willing to get thrown around and won’t get discouraged, you will have the potential for the most development over the long run being the weakest in the room. Personally, I think it is best for a wrestler to find a club where he will be pushed AND develop his confidence. Middle of the pack was my preference when trying to select a club for my sons.

VALUE-How much are you able to afford? If value is more important than actual cost, the more expensive clubs can be a good value. Like most things in life, you get what you pay for. Cost considerations can include transportation, travel, tuition and fees. How much time do you practice per session? The more expensive clubs may provide you more bang for the buck. How hard are you going to be pushed during each session? In some clubs, a hard worker may benefit much more than a wrestler who suffers frequent injuries or fatigues easily and needs frequent breaks. In other clubs the pace is not as demanding. If the club travels, will the club travel to tournaments that challenge you? How far will you have to travel to find the right level of competition? Are there uniform requirements? Are there additional costs to meet these requirements, or are they included in the tuition?

TRANSPORTATION and GEOGRAPHY-How much are transportation costs? How far are you willing to travel for training? If necessary, are carpool opportunities available with other wrestlers from your area going to the same club? Does the club have a schedule that fits your availability? Is your guardian willing to sit in a stinky training room? If not, is there somewhere for them to go to pass the time?

The best club for one is not the best club for all.

When my sons were small I took them to a club that was more focused on fun than pushing the kids. At that time, it was best for my kids.

Later my sons branched out into different directions. And they trained with different clubs because they had different goals and levels of commitment.

In the end, my youngest son was the most committed. He was blessed with a natural ability in the sport. We hooked him up with the most competitive programs we could find and he flourished. He had knowledgeable coaches, hard working teammates and guardians who were fully committed to the development of their wrestler and the program.

Most off-season wrestling clubs will give you one free session if you ask for it. If you’re not sure which club is best for you, you may want to test a few.

Most wrestlers will tell you THEIR club is the best. This means it is best for them. You have to find which one is best for you. If you ask yourself some of the questions above, you will have a better idea of what you are looking for. Good luck.

Thank you for posting this. I just started wrestling this year (freshman) and have really enjoyed my first season. I am really looking to improve in the off season with a few camps and some tournaments. I also have been looking into what type of club i should join and your post made a ton of sense. I will keep all of it in mind when i make my choice

Timbom, camps are good but your money is better spent on a club in my opinion. $350 to $500 for a week camp for 5-7 days. $300 for a 3 month session 2 or 3 times a week for a club.
Now if money isn't that much of an issue than both would be great. I try to get my guys to go to a club if they are serious about it, then a team camp for as many of the guy as possible, for one week. Then I will try to get them to open mats every once in a while. A true open mat, with little instruction, just to keep the wrestling going and on the mind. Good luck to you an if you need any help in choosing a club or camp i would be willing to assist.