FORMED BY AND FOR ELEMENTARY COACHES

The South Central Pennsylvania Youth Wrestling Organization was formed by and for Elementary Coaches to advance the sport in our region. Meetings are held on the first Sunday of the monthfrom September to May, 6:30 PM, at the Quality Inn, 2363 Oregon Pike, Lancaster (717-569-0477). Past topics of discussion have included recruiting, teaching techniques, fund-raising, rules (with guest presentations by referees), and sports injuries.

The Organization has been successful in opening lines of communication and creating a spirit of cooperation among our Member Elementary Programs. In addition to promoting the Traditional Tournaments (with age and weight brackets) that have been the staple of youth competitions for many years, SCPYWO has facilitated other activities, including scrimmages and "exhibition matches" of elementary wrestlers prior to High School dual meets.

In 1997, SCPYWO initiated Classification Tournaments, where wrestlers were matched not only by age and weight, but also by their skill level. This program included "Novice" tournaments, with competitions for the beginner and intermediate level wrestlers, and "Advanced" tournaments for those with the most experience. The format for these events utilized four-man brackets, where each child received a medal for his place finish. The Classification Tournament concept was an overwhelming success, with more than 700 wrestlers participating from 26 programs.

ELECTRONIC REGISTRATIONS

Building on this success, SCPYWO grew in several ways. A website was developed to facilitate the administration of tournaments, share information about youth wrestling events, and introduce prospective wrestlers to the program in their area. Each team was able to post a roster (accessible only to the Coach) listing the age, weight, record, and other data on each child; this section was also used to electronically register entrants into the SCPYWO sanctioned tournaments. Hosts of tournaments are able to download information about the wrestlers entered into their events for simplified bracketing.

NEW MEMBER PROGRAMS WELCOME

Elementary wrestling programs from school districts in and around South Central Pennsylvania are welcome to join the organization for an annual fee of $50. Membership privileges include:

1. A "page" on the SCPYWO website to provide information to prospective wrestlers, or a link to your program's website, if applicable
2. SCPYWO "advertising" of any scrimmage, clinic, or tournament
3. The convenience of bulk registrations for sanctioned tournaments
4. Entry access for your wrestlers into the Classification Tournaments

To apply for membership, please complete the Member Program Information form; to participate in the electronic registration system, please also complete the Member Program Agreement for Website Registrations. To list wrestlers on your team's roster, first print and distribute the Information for Parents and Registration and Liability Wavier forms to each child's parent/guardian: the completed and signed wavier form must be returned to the coach and forwarded to SCPYWO before the child is eligible to participate.

To host an event, please complete the Tournament Information Questionnaire; for sanctioned events, please complete the Member Agreement for Hosting Sanctioned Tournaments.

SCPYWO Officers: