How the Wrestling Season Works 

Parents often ask how the wrestling season is structured, who competes, and how those decisions are made. Here’s an overview of what to expect. 

Our Philosophy: One Unified Program

At DPHS Wrestling, all athletes train together under a single, unified program and coaching staff.  Boys and girls of all levels train together to build teamwork, a unified culture, a strong team identity, and healthy competition.

One Program, Three Teams

• Boys Varsity: Top-level boys competing in the highest-level and postseason events. 

• Girls Varsity: Unified team of all levels, competing in girls’ events and postseason competitions. 

• Boys Junior Varsity (JV): Provides developing wrestlers with critical experience, preparing them to step into a Varsity position when needed.  JV is a developmental role, not a less important one. 

Boys Competitive Structure

At each weight class, there is one top Varsity wrestler. If there is only one wrestler at a weight, that athlete automatically earns the Varsity spot. The second-best wrestler at that weight is the top JV wrestler.

JV Expectations: Other wrestlers in the same weight generally do not compete in top-level matches. However, JV wrestlers play a critical role and are expected to be ready to step in at any moment. Staying prepared, focused, and engaged is key.

Girls Competitive Structure

Often there is only one girl per weight class, so she automatically earns the Varsity spot. If multiple girls are at the same weight, the top wrestler represents Varsity, and the other wrestlers are available to step in if needed. 

There is no separate girls JV team, but all athletes are expected to be ready to compete for the Varsity spot when circumstances require. 

Dual Meets vs. Tournaments

Dual meets: A team competition where one wrestler per weight class competes, and the results determine the team score. At most one match per wrestler.

Tournaments: Wrestlers compete in weight-class brackets, highlighting individual performance while adding to the team’s total score. A minimum of two matches per wrestler.

Duals focus on teamwork while tournaments highlight individuals.

Match Opportunities

Dual Meets

Not every wrestler competes in every dual meet. Each weight class is limited to the top two boys, and the top girl, who represent the school in duals. While this means some wrestlers won’t compete in every dual, all athletes gain valuable experience in practice and tournaments. The other wrestlers are expected to be ready to step in when needed.

Tournaments

Every wrestler, regardless of level,  will get the opportunity to compete in at least five tournaments per season, with at least two matches per tournament. While winning more matches can lead to additional opportunities, we define success by effort and improvement, not just wins. Our coaching staff works hard to provide as many matches as possible for all our wrestlers.

Additional Opportunities

In addition to duals and tournaments, there are many pre-season and post-season events where wrestlers can compete. These events provide even more matches, helping every athlete gain experience, improve skills, and contribute to the program.

Earning Your Spot: The Wrestle-Off Process

Wrestle-offs are one metric used to determine the starter for each weight class when spots are limited. They are full-match competitions are held during practice under the supervision of the coaches and provide a fair and competitive process. 

While wrestle-offs are our primary method for earning a spot, coaches have the final say and also consider other factors like attendance, effort, attitude, and injury. We believe this approach rewards hard work and consistency while ensuring the best athletes represent our school on the mat.

If a wrestler believes they’ve earned a higher position, they can speak to the coaches to challenge the wrestler above them to a wrestle off. 

Our goal is always to balance fairness, development, and team success. Every wrestler will have opportunities to compete, improve, and contribute to the program throughout the season.

Weight Classes & Weight Certification

For detailed information on weight certification and a healthy approach to weight management, please refer to our Weight & Health page.

Season Schedule & Events

For upcoming practice times, dual meets, and tournaments, see our Calendar page. 

What's Next

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. 

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.