About Us

Board of Directors (For 2011-2012 Season)

• President – Chris Holt 
• Vice-President – Greg Ness
• Secretary – Nancy Heiber
• Treasurer – David Gutekunst
• Travel Wrestling – Anthony Tamburrino 
• Exhibition (Novice) Wrestling – Frank Iadonisi
• Operations – Art Ehlo
• Marketing – Steve Tilsner 
• Tournaments - Steve Veneziale

Federation Background and Goals

The Raiders were organized to promote good wrestling and good sportsmanship for the youth in our area who range in age from 5 to 14 years old. We work with boys from kindergarten through eighth grade who weigh between 35 and 175 pounds.

The program emphasizes proper physical conditioning and the practice of of the basic skills of wrestling. Good sportsmanship is required of all participants and is expected during practice, matches, and at tournaments. Our young men are gentlemen and are respected for the way they handle themselves. We have a reputation among the league of running a fine youth oriented program.

Our program emphasizes hard work over winning and we stress that having fun is a necessary goal of the program. We build character in our young men and we can be proud of them whenever they compete.

Parent Responsibilities

Support your child!

Think about the reasons your that son has decided to participate in the program. Most of the young men are here for one of the following reasons; to be with their friends, to learn the sport, to be part of a team, to gain recognition from their parents, and to be successful. Support your son in every way that you are able. Show interest, attend matches and practices, and help them learn and get involved.

Our coaching staff, their assistants, and the directors each donate their time in order to run a sound program. But, they cannot run the program without you. We request that the parents of all wrestlers get involved in some area of the organization. All of you have already been or will be asked to select an area or areas of the program in which to help. The volunteer positions include:

• Coaching assistants
• Team parents
• Banquet organizers
• Mat set-up helpers
• Timekeepers
• Scorekeepers
• Uniform handout
• Publicity

Absolutely none of the positions require prior experience. Our only requirement is a desire to lend a hand toward making the season successful for every wrestler in the program. So get involved and offer your help -- the rewards are definitely worth it. Schedules will be distributed showing when, where and how each parent will be helping the Central Bucks Raiders this season.

Talk to us!

As a member of the Raiders, your opinions are very important. If your have questions or recommendations regarding the program, please let them be known by contacting your son’s coach or any member of the Board of Directors.

The schedule of Board meetings is listed in the attached calendar. Meetings are held on a monthly basis. Everyone involved in the program is invited to attend the meetings. The parents involved in the program elect members of the board. Elections are held in the spring and the term of the position is one year. The by-laws of the program are available by request.

Occasionally, you may disagree with the way the organization is managed or the way in which you child is coached. In this situation, we ask that you take the following steps:

1. Speak to the coach promptly and privately.
2. If you are not satisfied with the coach’s response, speak to the Director of Wrestling.
3. If the Director of Wrestling cannot resolve your concern satisfactorily, place your concern on the agenda for the next scheduled Board meeting.

Most disagreements are the result of simple misunderstandings and step one will resolve the majority.

Demonstrate good sportsmanship!

• Refrain from sideline coaching. Let the coaching staffs do their job.
• Do not criticize coaches, wrestlers or cheerleaders on our opposing teams by word or gesture.
• Accept the decisions of game officials as being fair and called to the best of their ability.
• Do your best to assure that all participants will have an enjoyable experience with the Raiders.

Wrestler Responsibilities

Wrestlers are expected to stay in the wrestling room at all times and must ask for coach’s permission to leave the room.

All wrestlers are required to have their own headgear and they must be worn in all practices and matches. (Please put name inside headgear.)

Team singlets and warm-ups are NOT to be worn at any practice; they are for meets and tournaments only.

It is required that parents or wrestlers notify the coaching staff of the wrestler’s absence for practices or matches. Any conflict in the above guidelines due to school or religious functions will be an acceptable excuse.

In fairness to all wrestlers, it is imperative that a wrestler attend practices to be eligible for wrestle offs & matches unless excused.

Exhibition wrestlers will be permitted to attend travel team practices with approval of the travel coaching staff.

Horseplay will not be tolerated at any practice. Any unusual or extraordinary situations will be resolved at the coach’s discretion.

Only children who are registered with the Central Bucks Wrestling Federation are permitted in the wrestling practice areas.

No one is permitted on the wrestling mats with street shoes. Sneakers (with clean soles) are permitted if the shoes have been carried into the wrestling room.

We are guest in the CBSD facilities and we must act accordingly. We request that all parents keep a close eye on siblings as well as their sons attending matches and practices. We must respect the facilities and not interfere with any other events being held in the buildings at the time of our scheduled activities. Often times events are occurring at the same time that can be disturbed easily by noise or running in the hallways.

CENTRAL BUCKS WRESTLERS ARE EXPECTED TO ACT IN A SPORTSMANLIKE MANNER AT ALL PRACTICES, MEETS, TOURNAMENTS AND ANY OTHER WRESTLING FUNCTION.

Facility Policies and Procedures

We are extremely fortunate to have the use of the Central Bucks School District's wrestling facilities and must respect the rules they have set forth. The following are a combination of the School District's and Raiders' policies:

• No use of the weight room or main gym.
• Street shoes must be taken off before entering the wrestling room. There will be zero tolerance for infractions of this policy. Please make sure you and your son understand the importance of this rule and follow it without exception. We want to maintain a clean and safe environment for the wrestlers.
• Please put all Gatorade type liquids into a water bottle suction type container to avoid any spillage onto the mats. We recommend water bottles.
• Please put on your wrestling shoes in the wrestling room lobby PRIOR to entering the room.  NEVER wear wrestling shoes from the parking lot to the room or vice versa.
• Any soiled shoes (mud, snow, etc) must be left outside of the room, and against the wall in the lobby.
• Parents - Please inspect your son's fingernails on a regular basis.  All wrestlers are required to keep their fingernails short and clean at all times.
• All wrestlers MUST apply Kenshield Skin Creme PRIOR to entering the room.
• Headgear and wrestling shoes are mandatory.
• Absolutely no coaching from the parents during practice. We give many drink breaks during practice which would be the appropriate time to address your concerns with your son. Always feel free to address the coaches during breaks with any concerns you may have.
• Non-coaching parents and siblings are not permitted in the wrestling room during practice.  Those chossing to remain in the school during practice are to wait quietly in the hallway or parking lot.
• We stress and recommend the kids shower after each and every practice. We will have Kenshield Skin Protectant Creme at all practices.  Although Kenshield is helpful in preventing certain skin diseases, it is not a substitute for a shower after practice.
• Please cooperate with the Coaching Staff at all times and lend assistance if requested.

FAQ's for First-Time Wrestlers/Parents

Parents: When does the season start and when are practices?
Coach: Practices for new wrestlers will start in early November. For returning Exhibition wrestlers, practices will start in mid-October.  Practices are generally held either M/W or T/Th, in the early evenings at one of the Central Bucks schools.

Travel team practices will be held on weeknights and Saturday morning and are held at Xtreme MMA Facility (Warrington) or at Central Bucks West High School.  Each wrestler needs to attend at least two practices per week and the Saturday morning session.  The specific schedule will be posted on the Travel Team page of this website.

Matches for exhibition and travel teams are on the weekends and being in December and run through mid-February with the season-ending tournaments.

Parents: What does my son need for practice?
Coach: Wrestling is hard, hot work! Your son will be fine in gym shorts and a t-shirt. He should also bring a water bottle to each practice.

Boys must wear headgear; wrestling shoes are optional. The local sporting goods stores stock some wrestling gear, although small sizes are often in demand.

Our practice sessions are held weeknights at local schools. Please arrive a few minutes early (it takes time to lace up those wrestling shoes) be ready to hit the mat on time.

If you plan to stay during practice, we do ask that you understand that parents and non-registered siblings are not permitted in the room during practice at any level of the program.

Parents: What can I do to help?
Coach: GREAT QUESTION! The most important thing you can do to help is to be enthusiastic about wrestling. In addition - and don't let this scare you (!) - you can be immeasurably helpful if you get out on the mat with your son during practice.

Wrestling can be a difficult sport at first for some boys. Many young athletes haven't developed the mind-body communication to translate verbal instructions (such as "reach back with your left hand") into physical action. This kinesthetic sense improves quickly, but you can help your son by kicking your shoes off, stepping out on the mat, and helping to put his body in the correct position.

In the Raiders program, we have a low coach-to-wrestler ratio, and each boy gets special attention during practice, but we can always use your help. Moms, dads, and older siblings can all help during practice … NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY!

Parents: What is a typical practice like?
Coach: We usually start off with a quick warm up and some stretching. Then we might do some "shadow wrestling" or drilling on the move we're working on. After that, we will work on learning a wrestling technique or "move." Coaches will demonstrate the move and then we'll break up into pairs and practice that moves. That's where we need parents' help, to make sure the boys are correctly learning the hand, body and foot placement for each move.

Toward the end of practice, we do "live wrestling,".  At the novice and Exhibition levels, the boys will play wrestling games and usually end the session with a fun game.

Most of the boys on our exhibition teams are beginners, so that's where we'll start! First off, we'll work on stance (which isn't as easy as it looks!), then we'll start to learn a simple takedown. As we progress through the season, different moves will be introduced depending on the boys' strengths and weaknesses.

Finally, as we get into the actual season, we'll review what the boys did in their matches and work on techniques to help any problems that they may have had during the meet.

Parents: OK. Now I'm overwhelmed. Remind me why I signed my son up for this sport?
Coach: Wrestling is a great sport for boys. Throughout his wrestling career, your son will compete only against others his same size. Additionally, CB Raiders coaches try to set up the matches (whenever possible) so the boys also are paired up according to ability and experience. This gives each boy his best chance to excel and make the most of his hard work and training.

Wrestling is unmatched for developing self-confidence - the challenge of taking on an opponent one-on-one (win or lose) builds self-esteem that translates into many other areas of your son's life. Physically, wrestling strengthens both upper and lower body muscle groups, and helps the boys improve their coordination overall.

Although the competition in wrestling is individual, the boys develop a strong sense of team. The time spent practicing and working together to learn moves really build camaraderie among the young wrestlers.

We hope we've answered some of your questions, but ALWAYS feel free to contact any Raiders coach with concerns or questions. Wrestling is a new sport for many families and can be a bit intimidating at first. We're always be happy to talk to you about any aspect of your son's participation.

MRSA Precautions

We take the recent outbreaks of antibiotic-resistant (MRSA) infections seriously. We are committed to proper cleansing of the wrestling mats that we use to protect all participants.

We urge parents and wrestlers to take all recommended precautions as well. The following are among the suggestions of the National Federal of State High School Associations (NFHS) for wrestlers:

• Immediate showering and washing of clothes and towels after practice;
• Use of antibacterial or deodorant soap when showering;
• Use of detergent with bleach or drying clothes on "high" setting;
• Use of clean practice and match wear, which should be separated from dirty clothing when taken to and from school;
• Consistent trimming of fingernails; and;
• Daily disinfecting of all gear including head gear, shoes and neoprene sleeves.

You should also review the publication by the Centers for Disease Control: Answers to commonly asked questions about preventing the spread of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus skin infection.