SuMMER Wrestling Guide

SUMMER: Prepare for NExt Year

After the spring session concludes, the summer period provides athletes with an opportunity to continue training, stay in shape, and get ready for the upcoming fall season. Summer practices and strength sessions are optional but strongly encouraged for wrestlers looking to maintain conditioning and improve technique.

Summer is also a great time to welcome rising freshmen (current 8th graders) to the high school program. They can get early exposure to high school wrestling, learn the basics, and start building confidence before the official season begins. 

This is also the time when summer wrestling camps take place, offering focused instruction, advanced drills, and additional mat time.

Summer sessions provide a structured way for athletes to:

• Maintain conditioning

• Build strength

• Refine technique

• Prepare for the upcoming fall season

• Introduce rising freshmen to high school wrestling

CIF Mandatory Break

There is a mandatory two-week CIF dead period at the start of summer.

During this time:

• No practices

• No competitions

This break is required for all CIF programs.

Summer Session Schedule

Duration: July until mid-August (start of school)

Practice Schedule:

• Wrestling Practices: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM

• Strength & Conditioning: Mondays, Wednesdays & Thursdays, 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM (Weight Room)

Summer Wrestling Camps

If you haven't already, please sign up for summer wrestling camps. They will fill up, so be sure to sign up early. Not all camps are created equal, here is a list of coach- approved camps:

In California:

• Poway HS or Youth State Champ Camp – Poway; recommended for Intermediate level

• Stanford Wrestling Camp (Intense or Technique) – Stanford; recommended for Intermediate level

• Cal Poly Wrestling Camps – San Luis Obispo; recommended for Beginner level

• Daniel Cormier Wrestling Academy (Mid Cals Wrestling Camp) – Gilroy
  
  

Out of State:

• Jeff Jordan State Champ Camp – Urbana, Ohio; recommended for Advanced level

• Army West Point Wrestling Camps – West Point, New York; recommended for Advanced level

• Montgomery Bell Academy – Nashville, Tennessee; recommended for Intermediate to Advanced levels

• Sammie Henson Camps (bulltrained.com) – Columbia, Missouri; recommended for Advanced level, noted for a different style

• Naval Academy Wrestling Camps – Annapolis, Maryland; recommended for Advanced level, noted for a different style

Note: Participation in summer training is optional but highly recommended. Wrestlers who stay active during the spring, summer, and attend camps often see a smoother start to preseason and faster skill development.

What’s Next

Once you’ve completed preseason requirements, you’re ready for live competition. Head over to the Off-Season Tournaments page to learn about local tournaments work and how to sign up. 

Introduction to Wrestling

Your guide to joining the team, team culture, health, competitions, and getting involved. Each section links to a dedicated page covering key topics: 

• 1a. Welcome to DPHS Wrestling - Everything you need to know for the high school team, including how to join, required gear, team policies, and schedules.

• 1b. Welcome to Lab Wrestling - Your guide to the club wrestling program, including how to join, required gear, team policies, and schedules.

• 2. Weight & Health – Focuses on weight classes, weight certification, weight allowance, nutrition, hygiene, and keeping athletes safe. 

• 3. Rules of Wrestling – An overview of the basic objective and rules.

• 4. Preseason – Covers the period from mid-August to early November, including practices, optional club sessions, preseason tournaments, and preparation for the season.

• 5. Competition Overview – Explains the different types of wrestling events, including off-season tournaments, in-season tournaments, and dual meets, with guidance on what to expect and how to participate. 

• 6. Off-Season Tournaments – Guides athletes through optional preseason and postseason tournaments, including USA Wrestling membership, SafeSport requirements, registration, weigh-ins, transportation, and what to expect on competition day.

• 7. Competition Day Guide – Provides detailed guidance for the day of a competition (and the night before), covering what to pack, weigh-ins, warm-ups, food and hydration, sportsmanship, match flow, and post-competition steps.

• 8. Varsity vs Junior Varsity – Explains the structure of the DPHS wrestling program, differences between JV and Varsity, the role of wrestle-offs, and how athletes earn their spot on each team. 

• 9. Spring Postseason – Covers the period from early March to mid-June, including freestyle and Greco-Roman practices, strength training, optional tournaments, and continued year-round development after the official season. 

• 10. Summer Training – Covers the period from mid-June to mid-August, including the CIF mandatory break, summer practices, strength and conditioning sessions, opportunities for rising freshmen, and coach-approved summer wrestling camps. 

Upcoming topics: 

• Building Community – Booster Club, communication, volunteering, and fundraising.

• Alumni & History – Program highlights and photo archives.

• Long-Term Development – Off-season opportunities and preventing burnout.

No matter where you are in the season, this is the place to start and the place to come back to.