Lightning Program Overview

- Otherwise known as "Travel" and/or "Elite" for kids with advanced wrestling skills

- Lightning program is designed for grades 5-8 (3rd or 4th graders may join upon evaluation)

- This is designed for wrestlers that wish gain a higher level of competition in the northern Virginia area 

- Practices are three times per week (competitor teams excel over time otherwise)

- Mason Dixon Wrestling League (MDWL) is the main venue for competitions held mostly on Sundays 

- Regualar competitions are a little longer in duration within a commute time of 90 minutes max

- Capitol Area Wrestling League (CAWL) is another venue select wrestlers attend periodically in the Washington metropolitan area during the season that includes trips to Maryland

- Additionally, and on occasion, DYS enters "Dual" style events for select wrestlers that require hotels in Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and New Jersey

- DYS also coordinates opportunities for any wrestler to enter "individual open" style events in the PA, NJ, VA, MD areas

- Contact Bill Marck if interested, 571-338-5669 cell,

Photo Gallery for DYS Wrestling Families ~ online

- DYS Wrestling Commissioner or Lightning lead manager provides access to all DSYS families registered for the Thunder and Lightning season 2017-18.

- DYS families have abilities to view, download, or upload additional pictures.

Example Matches Displaying DYS Technical and Mental Performance

- DYS trains wrestlers to control emotions, remained focused, persevere, overcome obstacles, face adversity, and exercise determination to become better in school, sports, and community by respecting self and others while displaying good sportsmanship

- DYS wrestler shows determination and composure even upon defeat 21-Jan-2017 ~ video

- DYS wrestler overcomes prior defeat to win next day 22-Jan-2017 ~ video

- DYS wrestler dominates same foe at season end 12-Mar-2017 ~ period-1, period-2, period-3

- Febuary 2017 VAWA Team Picture

- May 2017 National Elementary School Duals Pic-1 and Pic-2

Details:

Lightning team members are wrestlers who would like to wrestle in tournaments outside of the regular schedule such as those found in PA, MD, DE, VA, NJ and others.

Lightning is not limited to advanced wrestlers, and in fact wrestlers are encouraged to experience competition in the larger "open" style format whereby mat awareness comes in play. 

Many good events are found nearby in the October/November timeframe as well as March. 

Typical registration process for individual "open" style tournaments

- registration usually closes several days prior to the date of a tournament, and could be two weeks prior for elite tournaments

- weighins are often the evening prior to the event unless satellite weighins are otherwise coordinated; sometimes weighins are provided early on the morning of an event but read the flyers carefully

- start times are often 9:00 am for all age groups, however, sometimes age groups are staggered throughout the day so read flyers carefully

- brackets or round robin groups are generally posted on the walls in the halls whereby brackets are structured as double elimination and round robin can create 3-5 matches for everyone in the group

- mat assignments may vary whereby kids sometimes are on one mat for the entire duration and other places move bouts all over so to speed up the process

Weight classes for individual "open" style tournaments

There are two common approaches to weight classes:

- actual numbered weight classes such as 40, 45, 50, 55, ... 200, 210, 220, etc

- madison system weight classes are formed by taking kids of a certain age group (typically 2-year increments) and sometimes divided further into experience levels, then taking the kids closest in weight to form a group or bracket with a maximum weight variance of 10% spread

Typical rules for individual "open" style tournaments

- matches for younger kids are generally three 60-second periods

- matches for older kids are generally three 90-second periods

- overtime rules vary but generally are one minute neutral followed by 30-second rideout periods