Rules For Parents

Youth Karate, Cheer, MMA Wrestling (must be signed and attached to membership form)

1-     Arrive no earlier then 10 minutes prior to class time.

2-     One adult/ family member per participant.  We cannot provide space for the entire family to watch. Your child is safe with us- we encourage you to leave your child and allow them to bond w his/ her coaches and teammates

3-     All spectators MUST be in seats near mirrors unless they are members

4-     No small children in gym unless they are paid participants.  Day care is provided for members at no additional charge

5-     No loitering on gym floor or around aerobics room door.  No hanging out near front desk or front door-

6-     Low cost memberships are available if your child is involved in our programs.  Work out while they learn

7-     Please allow our coaches and instructors to teach without interruption. you pay our coaches to do exactly that, coach.  Let us do our jobs.  When practice is over, we turn them back over to you to do your job- parent

8-     All payments/ signups are handled at front desk.  Do not give cash or sign up info to coaches.

9-     Your child will be issued a membership card and be responsible for signing in each practice.

10- NO SMOKING anywhere on Shamrock grounds.  No food in gym.  Water bottles are ok…we have drinks for purchase at front desk and in locker room

Repeated violations of rules may result in suspension of gym privileges, or cancellation without refund.  By signing I certify that I understand the above rules and agree to abide by them.

Child’s Name_________________

Program___________________

Parent’s name___________________

Im sure Coach Giani had bleachers for parents in his room ....

I'm not a parent yet, but when wrestled did not have parents involved, besides driving me to off season tournaments, making my sandwhiches for after weigh ins, and showing me pictures of me wrestling and on the podium. when I didn't make the podium, I did not hear it from them, I just didn't have that extra picture. That was enough motivation for me. Would I have enjoyed my parents possibly knowing more about the rules of wrestling and being able to help me out after practice, possibly. But as parents your job is do those things mine did for me. the school pays coaches. If you want extra work being put into your son send him to a camp. Let your son learn to wreestle and hear it from the experts. there should be no pressure from a parent, and  a parent shouldn't be in the wresling room, unless on the payroll by the school or invited by the coach. I know when i do have a kid and he will deffinately be wrestling, ha ha..i guess i wont force him... but if he choses too, the only thing I will change is not put as much peanutbutter in the sandwhiches and take more pictures

Parents in the Stands

The recipe for the making of a champ

3 Parts hard work

3 Parts dedication

A dash of one good coach

A cupful of Motivation

And 2 supportive parents in the stands!

          Amongst the many ingredients in the making of a champion wrestler is the key element of “parents in the stands”.  Supportive parents and family often are the common thread that runs through the backgrounds of champions.  That is not to say that I haven’t known a few greats who rose above the fact that when it came to family support it was all but non-existent.  In those  cases, however, the wrestler usually had a close “father/son” bond with his coach (or some significant other adult figure) who knew the hard work involved and all the dedication that wrestling demanded.  That person became the “parent” in the stands, so to speak.

          Since I started writing articles for several wrestling sites, I received many replies that bore out my belief in the power of parents.  One wrestler wrote to tell me that, “even though we may not say so, it means a lot to know your parents, sisters and brothers, are in those bleachers cheering for you.”  He wanted to also make it clear to me that, just as he appreciated his family’s support he was sure my brothers had appreciated mine as well.  Indeed, when my brother Frank filled out his “wrestling memoirs” for the Island Trees High School Alumni wrestling handout he wrote, “ the people who made a difference were:  Mom, Dad, and family.. for being there.”  My brother Carl wrote, “the person who influenced me most was; my older brother Frank.  Damian Garcia, head coach at Island Trees High School said:

My parents, for giving me the discipline and determination.”

           One evening, as I nestled in to read Ken Chertows book: A Commitment to Excellence, I spotted it again!  He wrote, “my parents are very important to me, and it’s a good feeling when I have done something to make them proud of me.  I believe I perform better when they are watching,” he also wrote, “although, early in my career, my parents did not understand wrestling very well, they still supported my efforts.  Parental support can be an important stabilizing factor in your motivation to wrestle.”

          From my vantage point as a “bleacher bunny” I noticed the same parents would be at every match.  These same parent and siblings had “their” piece of bleacher all staked out, year after year.  God forbid some stray should happen upon “our’ family section.  Tournaments are the same, parents, brothers and sisters, scramble to assemble into their usual spots and

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proceed to settle in.  There are: snacks drinks, meals, pillows, chip n’ dip, whatever necessary to sustain the crew through the many hours ahead.  This is all done as a ritual of love and support for the family wrestler.

           Surely it is not a coincidence that the same hands raised again and again in victory are the very same children of the “parents in the stands!” (you know the ones who carry tripods for their cameras for taping their child’s match, and those of his/her teammates)

           While psychologists and educators worry about the breakdown of the family unit, wrestling families need not.  Come to any match and see for yourself!  Parents and siblings are perched on bleachers, fingers crossed and cheering wildly.  What is just as common are the “brother acts”.  It is not unusual, in fact, rather common for brothers to be wrestling side by side or in yearly succession.  The art of wrestling is handed down to each generation as surely as an artisan trade.  Wrestling is truly a family tradition.  Most importantly, the family that “wrestles” together makes a champion together