Norchester Wildcats Wrestling

Norchester Tentative Dual Meet Schedule

Note:  This is not the same as our league Saturday match schedule.

Dual Team FAQs

What is the dual team?

The dual team is a competition team made up of one wrestler at each weight class from our team.  The dual team wrestles against other teams in certain competitions called dual meet tournaments.   These matches are run in order, starting with the lightest weight and matches are wrestled one by one until each weight class is done, similar to a middle school or high school varsity match. 

 What are the different types of dual meets?

There are many different types of formats, and the tournament host decides what type of dual meet they are hosting and which weight classes to use (weight classes vary). Some examples are:

• K-6 (Kindergarten thru 6^th Grade)
• K-6 Novice (Kindergarten thru 6^th Grade)
• K-8 (Kindergarten thru 8^th Grade)
• K-4 (Kindergarten thru 4^th Grade)
• K-6 All Star Duals (Kindergarten thru 6^th Grade)
• K-8 All Star Duals (Kindergarten thru 8^th Grade)
• K-6 National Duals (Kindergarten thru 6^th Grade)
• K-8 National Duals (Kindergarten thru 8^th Grade)

Norchester typically participates in K-6 school/club team duals, which usually means that the wrestlers on the team's roster must be from a single school-district-based wrestling club.  

 How do we choose our dual teams?

The process of selecting the dual team for any given tournament can be a pretty complicated one.  Each team in the competition is putting together their strongest lineup, and the competition can be fierce.  First, we have to consider which wrestlers on our team are eligible for the specific weight classes for the chosen tournament.  Usually, we want the kids to be as close as possible to the stated weight so that they are both safe and competitive.  Sometimes we only have one wrestler eligible for a spot; other times we may be 6-7 wrestlers deep at a particular weight class.

Then we have to determine which eligible wrestler will be the best choice for the open spot.  We consider a number of factors, including age, experience, and skill level. In addition, we also factor in things like maturity (how they handle wins/losses), work ethic and practice attendance.   In the weeks leading up to a dual meet, we may watch how the kids fare against each other in live wrestling at practice and how they performed against a common opponent in Saturday league matches.  Age has to be a big part of the equation, since wrestlers are not matched by age or grade like they are in regular league competitions.  If the tournament is K-6, it is very possible that a 75 pound 2^nd grader might be matched against a 75-pound 6^th grader.     

If we do not feel that we have a wrestler in our program that is a good fit for this level of competition, we might decide to “forfeit” that weight (not put a wrestler at that weight) or fill it with a wrestler from another program rather than send a Norchester wrestler out there in a situation that might not be safe or developmentally appropriate. We are always mindful of the health and well-being (both mental and physical) of our wrestlers.

As you can see, there is a great deal of time, energy and thought that goes into selecting our lineup.  It takes many, many hours behind to scenes to put together a successful dual team. 

 Why do we do it then?

Wrestling is unique because it is both a team sport and an individual sport. Our regular league competitions highlight the individual aspect of the sport.  Dual meet tournaments allow our wrestlers the opportunity to come together as a team and to bond. Often times, these events push our wrestlers past their comfort zones, and the kids push through it for the team because they know their teammates are relying on them. Other times, kids see their top performances at these events because they energy and enthusiasm of their teammates is contagious.  This team aspect of the sport cannot be experienced except at these types of events.

 Isn’t it just the coaches' kids?

This is a complaint we have heard for MANY, MANY years. No, these events are not just for the coaches’ kids. We have 25 coaches in our program, and there are typically 14-16 spots on a dual team. We have had many coaches whose kids have never wrestled on a dual team for us, and not all the kids on dual team have a parent who coaches. However, with approximately a 1:3 ratio of coaches to wrestlers in our program (a great thing, by the way), there is a strong likelihood that a good number of kids in the lineup will be "coaches' kids," of course.  Sometimes, but not always, the most competitive wrestlers also tend to be the ones who have a lot of parental involvement and family history in the sport. This is just the way it works out sometimes, in this and other sports.  But this is never a factor in selecting the lineup for a dual meet.  The kids who are chosen for our dual team deserve to feel proud of their selection for participation and for their hard work and accomplishments without having these types of petty comments take away from their achievements.  Please reach out to Coach Larry Mazzerle, the head dual meet coach, if you have any questions about the selection process rather than talking to other parents in or outside of our program.