Welcome to the Southern Illinois Bulldogs Wrestling Club!
We offer youth boys and girls the opportunity to participate in the “World’s Oldest Sport” during the winter wrestling season. Whether the goal is to try out wrestling for the first time, obtain great exercise and have fun, or compete at a higher level, Bulldog Wrestling offers a great experience. We are one of the largest clubs in the area and accommodate different ages and experience levels.
Southern Illinois Wrestling Club is a 501(C)3 nonprofit organization and our Club has grown very quickly over the last couple of years. Our goal is simple: to make sure your child has a positive experience and to lead the resurgence of wrestling in our local area. In pursuit of these efforts, we have recently purchased the building where we hold practices to accommodate the growing size of the Wrestling Club. To say the least, fundraising is IMPORTANT! All our coaches and board members are volunteers, and pay the same costs for their children to participate in the Club. All fees we collect and all fundraising 100% go to running the facility, maintenance, and the cost of the building. It is imperative we all participate to keep the Club operating and growing. We will ask for your support throughout the year and appreciate all the help you can give!
If you have any questions, please contact us. Our Head Coach is Butch Schloemann and our Board Members are Jessica Pashia, Amy Jackson, Tina Mathenia, Andrea Schaefer, Brandon Bush, and Tracy Houck. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have questions or concerns but please remember we are all volunteers.
Watch our Facebook Page and Email for any Club announcements.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Schedule: The traditional Winter season runs from early November until the end of February. Practices are held at “The Southern Illinois Bulldogs Wrestling Facility” in Red Bud, IL. Please be aware there are no refunds once registration is complete.
Coaches: Our coaches are all volunteers and are required to obtain USA Wrestling Membership that includes safety training and background checks. If you’re interested in helping the team on or off the mats, we almost always can use more volunteers… just let the coaches or Board Members know!
Hygiene: It’s very important to shower as soon as possible after practices or competitions. Otherwise, athletes risk obtaining skin infections such as ringworm, staph, etc. If a wrestler cannot shower in a prompt manner, products such as DEFENSE Wipes can be used before leaving the facility. It’s also important to wipe down gear regularly, avoid wearing wrestling shoes outside of the training area, wear clean clothes, trim fingernails, cover up cuts/scrapes that can easily become infected, etc. If you see evidence of a skin infection, please visit a doctor before attending practice or competition. Wrestlers with ringworm, for example, are not allowed to wrestle without a doctor’s note stating they have been treated for at least three days. If you’re not sure, please ask a coach before participating because some conditions are contagious.
Sportsmanship and Conduct: In practice and competition, wrestlers should display good sportsmanship and exemplary behavior at all times. Foul language, rude or offensive comments, bullying, unnecessarily rough behavior, etc. will not be tolerated and are grounds for suspension or dismissal from the Club. We expect wrestlers to respect coaches, referees, spectators, and fellow athletes at all times.
Parental Conduct: Wrestling is an intense sport, and parents sometimes get emotional or “caught up” in the excitement. It’s critical parents abide by the same standards we demand of our athletes. Referees, coaches, and everyone else should always be respected. Inappropriate, rude, antagonistic, or confrontational behavior will not be tolerated and is grounds for removal from practices or competitions. Southern Illinois Bulldog Wrestling is committed to ensuring family-friendly, positive environments for young athletes. In addition, families are certainly allowed to help their children become better wrestlers, but in general, this is the coaches’ responsibility. When parents are too intense, it often drives kids out of the sport. Wrestling is demanding enough, so we believe parents should be encouraging and resist the temptation to overreach and put too much pressure on young athletes. Along these lines, winning and losing are not that important at the youth level. It’s critical that wrestlers develop and enjoy the sport; this way, they will be much more likely to stick with wrestling as they get older. Please keep Youth Sports in perspective and remember that learning life lessons are far more important than a win-loss record.
Practices: Safety: it’s essential athletes abide by common sense safety measures. This includes being aware of surroundings (e.g. other wrestlers, edge of the mat, etc.) and not engaging in “horseplay” which may cause injuries.
Arrival/Dismissal: Athletes should attempt to arrive on time and be prepared (i.e. shoes on, bathroom breaks already taken) before practice begins. It’s not the end of the world if your athlete must arrive late, but he/she will miss warmup time. Please respect the practice facility and abide by any rules required by the facility.
Absentee Policy: Unless your coach informs you otherwise, it is not necessary to inform coaches in advance that a wrestler will miss practice.
Sickness: If your wrestler is ill or beginning to show symptoms (or exposed to COVID), please do not attend practice.
School Closings: Practices at schools are sometimes canceled due to weather, holidays, or other events taking place at the school. Your coaches will let you know when this happens via Facebook and email notifications.
Equipment & Uniforms: The only required gear is wrestling shoes and headgear (also mouth guards for those with braces). Singlets will be purchased at the time of registration and your wrestler will compete in these if you choose to participate in tournaments. The club will also provide a club t-shirt and shorts which we ask your wrestler to wear if you are participating in any tournaments during the season, but they may also be worn outside of tournaments to help promote the Wrestling Club.
Competition: To Compete or Not Compete; this is an individual decision based on a wrestler’s age, maturity, attitude, etc. Wrestling is an intense, physical sport, and not all kids are ready for the experience. Interestingly, this sometimes has nothing to do with ability. In general, especially older kids (e.g., middle school), we believe most wrestlers should try competition before deciding not to compete. A common reason for not competing is the fear of losing (or pressure from parents or coaches), but hopefully, these factors are not a hindrance in your child’s case. The reality is many of the most important life lessons obtained from wrestling result from competing. Even if wrestlers decide not to compete, coaches will often encourage them to attend competitions to support teammates, build friendships, and enjoy the experience.
Locations/Times of Competitions: Coaches will determine which tournaments we will attend as a club and these will be available as soon as the schedules are released for local tournaments. There may also be an opportunity for the team to travel outside our immediate area. You are not required to participate in any tournaments and if you are unsure if your wrestler is ready for competition, please speak with one of the coaches.
OUR MASCOT: THE BULLDOG
Kind but courageous, friendly but dignified, the Bulldog is a thick-set, well-muscled bruiser whose ‘sour mug’ face is the universal symbol of courage and tenacity. You can’t mistake a Bulldog for any other breed.
We hope your child will be a proud member of the Southern Illinois Bulldog Wrestling Club!
Be sure to follow us on Facebook and tell all your friends about Southern Illinois Bulldog Wrestling!
