Wrestling
2023-2024 Wrestling Registration Opens Monday 9/25/23
Overview
Since 1972, the Belleville Little Devils organization has been providing opportunities for thousands of youths to participate in the sport of wrestling. With multiple Individual State Champions, state medalists, and outstanding teams, the tradition of this program stands alone in the community.
The wrestling program provides opportunities for youth from the ages of 5-14 to learn the fundamentals of wrestling, but also other outstanding life skills such as hard work, commitment, team-work, discipline, and sportsmanship.
The program offers opportunities to compete locally and state-wide against youth of similar ages and weights. With a room full of past Little Devils and other volunteers, the instruction is taught by certified coaches who have been through a background check and trained through an extensive certification course sponsored by USA Wrestling and the Illinois Kids Wrestling Federation (IKWF). The Belleville Little Devils Wrestling program is a proud member of the Illinois Kids Wrestling Federation and USA Wrestling.
A complete list of the rules and events for the IKWF and USA Wrestling can be found at www.ikwf.org
Head Coach
The Belleville Little Devils welcomes Marcus Cobbs as the head coach for the 2023-24 wrestling season.
Coach Cobbs is the current head coach at University of Health and Sciences and ‘Pharmacy in St. Louis. Prior to that he was at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kan., where he had served as the head men's wrestling program from 2017-22. At Benedictine, Cobbs coached eight national qualifiers, three All-Americans, 14 Academic All-Conference athletes, and eight Daktronics NAIA Scholar-Athletes. Under his leadership, the Benedictine Ravens team ranked in the top 15 in country for team GPA on the National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Academic team.
Prior to Benedictine, Cobbs led the wrestling program at Truett McConnell University (Cleveland, Ga.) from 2014-17. While at TMU, Cobbs produced one national qualifier, along with 14 Academic All-Conference athletes, and eight Daktronics NAIA Scholar-Athletes.
From 2012-14, Cobbs spent time as an assistant coach at Cumberland University (Tenn.) after acting as interim head wrestling coach at Concordia University (Neb.) for the 2011-12 season.
Cobbs has a Bachelor's in Physical Education with an emphasis in Strength & Conditioning from William Penn University (Iowa) (2011). He received his Master's in Sports Management from Cumberland in 2014.
As a student-athlete, Cobbs earned a trip to the NCAA Division III National Championships as a freshman at Loras College (Iowa). He then transferred to William Rainey Harper Community College in Palatine, Ill, garnering All-America honors and placing fourth at the national tournament. Cobbs also qualified for the NAIA National Tournament while a student at William Penn University (Iowa).
Practice
The first practice is on Tuesday, November 7, 2023, at 6:00pm at the All-Purpose Building. Team practices are Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Thursdays from 6:00pm - 8:00pm, and Sundays from 1:00pm - 3:00pm. Once tournaments begin in early December, teams will typically only practice on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:00pm - 8:00pm. Practice schedules will be posted and updated on the SportsPlus App. Practice schedules may be adjusted at the discretion of the team’s head coach. Please download the SportsPlus App, as explained in the Communications section below, after completing registration to stay up to date on all announcements or schedule changes. The SportsPlus App will use the same log-in & password you used to register your athlete.
Practice is located at the Belleville Little Devils All Purpose Building (APB), in Citizens Park. Google Maps Link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/rk9HpfsMc3rkogbo9.
In the event of a weather cancelation an announcement will be posted through the SportsPlus App and posted on the Little Devils Facebook Page.
Parents are encouraged to stay at the Belleville Little Devil’s Clubhouse, (The Shack) next to the APB to watch practice via the APB Camera feed to the Shack TV’s. Parents are not allowed to stay in the APB during practice. The Shack has a bar for members only (ask the bartender for membership information) as well as snacks & soft drinks available for sale and will be open for all practices.
If you want to be on the mat as a volunteer coach, the following steps are required. First, you must be approved by the Head Wrestling Coach and by the Little Devils Board of Directors. Second, you must pass a background check. Third, you must complete Safe Sport – Concussion Protocol Training. Lastly, you must complete a USA Wrestling – Team Leader Membership – Bronze Certification.
Tournaments
Tournaments begin the first weekend in December and run through the State Championship tournament in March. The Wrestling Athletic Director & Coach Cobbs will select the tournaments through the season that the team is recommending attending. These tournaments will be posted to the SportsPlus App for the team. The number and frequency of tournaments your wrestler competes in is up to you as a parent/guardian and your wrestler. All IKWF sanctioned tournaments run their registration through TrackWrestling (https://www.trackwrestling.com/), which is where you will find tournament flyers and information. You will need to set up a profile for your wrestler on the TrackWrestling website to register them for tournaments throughout the season. This website is also where in tournament brackets, mat assignments and results are published.
PARENTS / SPECTATORS ARE NOT ALLOWED ON THE TOURNAMENT FLOOR / WRESTLING MATS. The only exception is if a parent is serving in an official capacity such as an assistant coach or volunteers helping run a tournament that the Belleville Little Devils are hosting. Having an unauthorized person on the tournament floor can result in a fine from the IKWF and is strictly enforced at all tournaments. Please see the Parent’s Code of Conduct for additional information.
TOURNAMENT ATTIRE
· Little Devil Logo Singlet.
· Little Devil Logo Fight Shorts
· Little Devil Logo ¼ Zip Warm-Up.
· Headgear
· Wrestling Shoes
· Mouthguard & Knee Pads / Sleeves are optional.
TOURNAMENT WEIGH-INS
Players must weigh in prior to each tournament. Weigh-ins vary from tournament to tournament and will be published by the host wrestling club on TrackWrestling.
Tournament brackets are determined by age and weight class as follows:
|
Division: |
Birthdates: |
Weight Classes: |
Match Time: |
|
Tot - |
Born 1/1/17 and later |
None, 4-man blocked weights |
1 minute |
|
Bantam - |
Born between |
2023-24 weight classes |
1 minute |
|
Intermediate |
Born between |
50, 54, 59, 64, 70, 76, 83, 90, 98, |
1 minute |
|
Novice - |
Born between |
60, 64, 69, 74, 80, 86, 93, 100, |
1.5 minute |
|
Senior - |
Born between |
74, 79, 84, 90, 96, 103, 110, 118, |
1.5 minute |
Little Devils Gauntlet
This is the tournament that we host annually. This season it will be on Sunday, January 12, 2024. All Little Devils Wrestlers are expected to attend this tournament and we request parent volunteers to help in the set-up, running and break-down of this event.
Uniforms & Equipment
The Belleville Little Devils will provide the following Uniforms to each athlete for the 2023 – 2024 Wrestling Season as part of the registration fees. The uniform is for the athletes to keep at the end of the season.
|
Quantity |
Equipment |
|
1 |
Little Devil Logo Singlet |
|
1 |
Little Devil Logo Fight Shorts |
|
1 |
Little Devil Logo ¼ Zip Warm-Up |
Uniforms will be ordered for wrestlers who are fully paid or who have made payment arrangements with Paul Dintelmann, Belleville Little Devils Club Treasurer. Expected order & delivery dates are as follows:
|
Registration Fees Paid by: |
Uniform order date: |
Expected delivery date (Estimate): |
|
10/15/2023 |
10/16/2023 |
11/20/2023 |
|
11/19/2023 |
11/20/2023 |
12/22/2023 |
|
1/15/2023 |
1/15/2023 |
2/19/2023 |
The parent or guardian is responsible for providing the following equipment:
|
Quantity |
Equipment |
Required / Optional |
Available for purchase at: |
|
1 |
Headgear |
Required |
Sporting Goods Stores WrestlerSupply.com Amazon |
|
1 pair |
Wrestling Shoes |
Required |
Sporting Goods Stores Amazon |
|
As needed |
Mouthguard
|
Optional |
Sporting Goods Stores Walmart Amazon |
|
1 pair |
Knee Pads / Sleeves |
Optional |
Sporting Goods Stores WrestlerSupply.com Amazon |
|
1 |
Gear Bag |
Optional |
Sporting Goods Stores WrestlerSupply.com Amazon |
PRACTICE ATTIRE
· Practice attire is athletic wear clothing, wrestling shoes and headgear.
· Athletes are encouraged to bring their own water/sports drink. There is a water fountain available.
Fan Gear and Apparal
KJ’S CRAFT SHACK -
KJ’s Craft Shack is a local small business owned by two moms that have turned their crafting hobby into a side hustle. One of them is a Devils Mom and they also make the Little Devils fan gear for Football and Cheerleading. They can make t-shirts, sweatshirts, polos, water bottles, coffee tumblers, key chains, with customized & personalized designs with your wrestler’s name(s) and typically deliver orders in 1 - 2 weeks. They will be at The Shack during Tuesday evening practices with samples, and you can place your orders in person. They also donate a portion of their profits back to the Little Devils! Check out some of their designs on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/kjscraftshack.
WarriorSport Wear -
WarriorSport Wear is our wrestling apparel supplier for our singlets, fight shorts & ¼ zip warm-ups. They have a team store available online where you can order additional team apparel and various wrestling equipment, such as shoes, headgear, and knee pads. Items ordered from the team store have a 5-week lead time, so the orders will be processed and shipped in 2 batch windows:
|
Order By Date |
Expected Delivery Date (Estimate) |
|
10/16/2023 |
11/20/2023 |
|
11/20/2023 |
12/22/2023 |
The Team Store will close after 11/20/23, so get your orders in early! Visit the team store at:
https://www.wrestlersupply.com/belleville-little-devils-wrestling/.
Communications
SportsPlus App
The main communication tool used by the Belleville Little Devils is the SportsPlus App. This app is what you registered your athlete(s) through and will house the profile(s) for your athlete(s). This App will be used by the organization as a whole and by your individual team(s) to communicate:
· Practice and Tournament Schedules
· Special Events (Fundraising, Parent Meetings, Award Ceremonies, etc.)
· General Team and/or Club Announcements
This app also provides parents the opportunity to communicate directly to their coaches and other team parents through the Chat Function and direct messaging.
Please download the SportsPlus App after completing registration to stay up to date on any announcements or schedule changes. The SportsPlus App will use the same log-in & password you used for registration.
Google Play Link:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mobile.thapos&hl=en_US&gl=US
or
Apple App Store Link:
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/sportsplus/id1103693671
Facebook Page
We will also be making public announcements and posts on our Facebook Page.
Please like and follow our page: https://www.facebook.com/BellevilleDevils.
Payment & Refund Policy
Registration Fees & Payment
The registration fees for the 2023-2024 Wrestling season are $200 per wrestler. Registration will close on January 15, 2023, and all athletes are expected to be paid in full by this date.
Refund Policy
Refunds can be requested by contacting the Belleville Little Devils Club Treasurer, Paul Dintelmann, at bellevillelittledevils1957@gmail.com. Refunds requested prior to the athlete attending a practice session will be approved at the discretion of the Treasurer. Refunds requested after the athlete has attended a practice session will only be approved under special circumstances and at the discretion of the Belleville Little Devils Executive Committee.