Tehachapi Valley Wrestling Club

Since wrestling involves a lot of skin-on-skin and skin-on-mat contact, hygiene is of great importance to all wrestlers.  Below are guidelines that every wrestling family should follow to minimize the risk to themselves and the entire club.

 

1. Wrestling shoes should only be worn on wrestling mats.  They should never be worn at home or outside.  Wrestlers should carry their shoes to practice and put them on inside the wrestling room.
2. Street shoes should never be worn on practice mats.  Parents must walk around the mat or remove their shoes.
3. Wrestlers should shower after every practice and competition, without exception.  Please emphasize to your wrestler the importance of cleaning every inch of their body to get the "Mat Cooties" off.  For wrestlers, liquid soap is better than bar soap since many types of skin infections can live on a wet bar of soap.  This can cause a recurrence of the infection and possibly spread it to other famly members.
4. Practice clothes should be washed after every practice.  Other wresting equipment (shoes, headgear, knee pads etc.) should be cleaned and disinfected periodically, especially after tournaments.  All equipment, especially shoes, should be disinfected before the first practice.
5. Wrestlers should keep their fingernails trimmed short to prevent scratching themselves or their opponents.  
6. Wrestlers with fever or any potentially contagious illness should not participate in practice or competition to prevent the spread to other participants.
7. Skin checks are performed at tournament weigh-ins to prevent the spread of infection among competitors.  If a wrestler has any type of rash, lesion, or other indication of infectious disease he or she will be removed from the tournament.  Covering the infected area with a shirt or bandage is not an acceptable remedy.  A note from a doctor stating the condition is not contagious may be taken into consideration, but the head referee has the final say on wether a wrestler is allowed to participate.

Please take the time to follow these precautions to keep our wrestlers, our families, and our club safe!