College Wrestling - suggestions to cover?

Be wary of quotes that your readers aren't going to understand..."I locked him in a double arm-bar and forced an arrow hook back jack."

Describe the action in a way your readers can understand, use quotes to describe the intensity of the match/bout.

 

I also assume that asking if they "administered the shocker" is also frowned upon.

 

Be sure to use the words "grappers" and "matmen" at least twice each in the story.

 

Learn all the entrance themes, so when someone runs out from the locker room to break up a pin, you'll know who it is before he gets there.

 

I love covering wrestling, especially college wrestling. First, the caliber of the wrestlers are much better, even on the D-III level. And you see kids scramble out of takedowns that you'd never see a high school kid get out of. The speed, athleticism and agility of a collegiate wrestler is incredible. Secondly, there's only 10 weight classes (125, 133, 141, 149, 157, 165, 174, 184, 197, 285) instead of 14. Even if all 10 go seven minutes, you're out of there in an hour and 45 minutes.

If you're covering D-I wrestling, peruse the national rankings here: http://www.intermatwrestle.com/rankings/college

They're the best college rankings out there.

Never be afraid about asking a dumb question to a wrestling coach or wrestler. They understand their sport isn't the most publicized one in the world, but they're potentially more passionate about their sport than any coach or athlete in any other sport, and for the most part, they love talking about their sport, especially if it draws in a new fan.

I don't have any problem using terms in my stories like cradles, cross-face, single-leg or double-leg takedowns, armbars, tilts or even spladles (if you've never seen one, google it). The people who are reading wrestling stories are wrestling fans and they understand what you're talking about. Wrestling is a sport with no in between in terms of fandom. You're either all in or all out. There really isn't much in between.

If you have any other questions, PM. I've covered D-I wrestling for about eight years and high school wrestling in the great wrestling state of Pennsylvania for even longer.

Most of all, go in open-minded. It's not just two near-neked guys in spandex rolling around on a mat. It's very much a cerebral sport.

Also, understand that in college wrestling, they have what they call riding time. It's the amount of time you spend in the offensive position (on top). If you accrue a minute or more of riding time by the end of the bout you get a bonus point in the bout.

Win by 7 or less = decision = 3 team points
Win by 8-14 points = major decision = 4 team points
Win by 15 (match is stopped) = technical fall = 5 team points (unless the winning wrestler doesn't score any near-fall points in the bout, then it's just 4 team points)
Pin, forfeit, injury default, default = 6 team points.

Have fun. It's a great sport.

 

Thanks for the tips, all! I appreciate your thoughts and words.

RHCP. Wow! Thank you SO much for all of this. Now I feel a bit better around pounding out the stories.

 

Yes...redhot was very helpful...nice.

I didn't know the one about back-points being required to get a tech fall...so I got something out of it, too

 

I've known about that rule but never saw it until this year when I watched Penn State wrestle Bloomsburg University. The Lions' 125 pounder just ran a takedown clinic but never turned his kid and only got four points for it. Seemed like wasted effort to me.

 

No offense, but I don't think anybody but parents and wrestling fans will be reading this, so use whatever words you want.

Seriously though, like coverage of any sport nowadays, make the game story more a feature on the most compelling wrestler at the meet and tack on some results at the end. Unless it's some college match between No. 1 and 2 in the country and you simply have to focus on the event itself.

 

I've written wrestling gamers around one bout of the 14 in high school, or the 10 in college before. Most of the time, you'll get one matchup a night that features highly regarded kids.

Last year I wrote 18 inches on two state runners-up going at it in an end of regular season dual meet. That's all anybody was there to see, so that's what I wrote about. Of course, I'm comfortable enough with the sport to break down a match like that.