Question 1

What equipment do I need?

Accepted Answer

Wrestling shoes are HIGHLY recommended for anyone who wants to join us on the mats. For health and safety purposes, wrestlers cannot wear sneakers or any other outside footwear on our mats, so if you don't have a pair of wrestling shoes just yet, you can practice in socks or bare feet for now, or borrow a pair of ours (if we've got your size).For apparel, any gym-appropriate clothing — shorts, sweatpants, t-shirts, etc. — is acceptable.You may also wear a wrestling singlet or other compression gear. For most competitions, including the ones we host, singlets are required.

Question 2

Is this for adults only?

Accepted Answer

District Wrestling Club is exclusively for adults aged 18 and older. Minors are welcome to observe, but may not participate in any club activities, even with adult supervision. We do this both for safety purposes and to avoid putting any of our members in an uncomfortable situation of having to partner with an underaged athlete.If you are looking for an opportunity for a child to get involved in wrestling, be sure to check out our friends at Wrestling to Beat the Streets DC, a great, free program that is open to DC elementary through high school children.

Question 3

Is District Wrestling actually beginner-friendly? Like actually, though?

Accepted Answer

A majority of our members are either brand new to the sport or haven't wrestled since high school. If you've never stepped foot on a mat before, don't sweat it — we keep practices accessible and accommodating to athletes of all skill levels and abilities. Are you more experienced? Fear not — our veteran wrestlers are given plenty of leeway to make practices their own.

Question 4

Can I compete?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely. While most of our members aren't interested in competing, we do make sure anyone who is interested can train and prepare on our mats. We routinely promote local open tournaments and competitions that have open brackets for adults, and have sent delegations to more than a dozen tournaments since our founding in 2024.We also host our own competitions, including our annual Grapple in the Capital tournament.

Question 5

Are practices open to women and non-binary athletes too?

Accepted Answer

The short answer is yes! We've welcomed men, women, and nonbinary athletes onto our mats since Day One, and we will always put inclusivity first.The longer answer is that our room – like the sport itself – is usually weighted heavily toward cis men. While we always encourage any interested wrestlers to attend our practices, we unfortunately cannot promise that you will be able to practice with other individuals who match your gender identity.  What we can promise is a safe and affirming mat room, with zero tolerance for any discriminatory actions or language. (See our Code of Conduct here).Women's wrestling is one of the fastest growing scholastic sports in the country, and we are working to reflect this development in our own room as well. Stay tuned for more details.

Question 6

Is District Wrestling strictly a gay club?

Accepted Answer

We take the "open" in open mats seriously — anyone and everyone who wants to participate in wrestling is welcome on our mats.District Wrestling is an LGBTQ-forward club. More than simply 
"friendly" to queer athletes, we actively encourage greater participation in wrestling among the LGBTQ community, with the goal of increasing queer visibility across the sport.That said, a large percentage of our members do not identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community — they just want to wrestle. We work hard to create and maintain an environment that is safe and inclusive for all athletes regardless of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, size, age or any other attribute. Any action or behavior that undermines this is a violation of our Code of Conduct, and is grounds for removal from our mats and our club.

Question 7

Where do my dues go?

Accepted Answer

We strive to keep our fees affordable and flexible for as many people as possible. That said, we do incur expenses that our member dues help to cover. These include (but are not limited to) the use of our wrestling room; necessary equipment like medical supplies and hydration; website maintenance; marketing and promotional materials; event expenses; and more.We do not receive any revenue from the dues paid for annual USA Wrestling memberships.

Top Questions

What equipment do I need?

Is this for adults only?

Is District Wrestling actually beginner-friendly? Like actually, though?

Can I compete?

Are practices open to women and non-binary athletes too?

Is District Wrestling strictly a gay club?

Where do my dues go?

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