Introducing the Tourna-Meter!
Our new grading system aims to uncomplicate the web of adult-friendly tournaments and competitions
Deciding if, when, and where to compete as an adult can be tough when you're new to the sport or have been away from it for a long time. For a start, it can be tricky to find a tournament that's open to adults. And when you do find an opportunity, it can be hard to gauge the level of competition.
That's why we're introducing the TournaMeter – a new way to quickly get a beat on whether a tournament is suitable to your level of experience. We've created a scoring system to help you decide whether or not a competition is right for you.
Full disclosure: the TournaMeter is NOT foolproof. The score we assign each event is based solely on our best estimate of the level of competition, drawing from past participation in the event, our knowledge of the event organizers, and other factors. Unless it's a competition we have a hand in organizing, we can't guarantee total accuracy. With that out of the way, here's the Meter:
1 - Beginner Friendly
These are competitions that we think are great options for new or first-time wrestlers. There are likely to be other athletes competing for the first time, event organizers are open to using modifications like shorter periods or more lenient officiating, or other adjustments are likely to make these competitions low-pressure and friendly. We consider all of our own competitions – including the Grapple in the Capital and the Sin City Classic – Beginner-Friendly.
2 - Novice
These competitions are also good candidates for newer wrestlers, although with a higher likelihood of more experienced wrestlers making up a larger percentage of the competitor pool. A good model for a novice competition are the Bald & Fat Classic series, which target adult wrestlers who have been away from the sport for several years. These events are often low-pressure, with friendlier rulesets like shorter periods and brackets that ensure competition based on age or experience as well as weight.
3 - Intermediate
Starting at this level, we recommend newer or less experienced wrestlers avoid registering unless they want a serious challenge. These events are likely to include recently graduated scholastic wrestlers in the competitor pool, and often strictly adhere to USA Wrestling freestyle or folkstyle rules. These events often take the form of large tournaments designed primarily for high school or college wrestlers but include an Open Division for adult athletes.
4 - Advanced
These competitions are meant for wrestlers with considerable experience in the sport. The pool is almost certain to include current or recent scholastic wrestlers, including some who may have competed at a Division I level. These events can sometimes be feeder tournaments, like the Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Association tournament.
5 - Elite
These are the kinds of national-level competitions that sometimes require qualification or invitation to enter. For our members, these are often billed as USA Wrestling Masters events ("master" here referring more to age than experience) and take place annually in designated locations.
Moving forward, when we share upcoming competition opportunities, we'll also share our estimated Tourna-Meter score for that event to help you make a decision of whether or not you want to enter. To be clear, you absolutely do not need to listen to our advice: if you're a newer wrestler but want to try your hand at an event we think is an Intermediate, by all means! The opposite direction is true as well: if you're a more experienced wrestler but still want to compete at an event we think is Beginner-Friendly or Novice, go ahead and register. Chances are there will still be plenty of good competition and good wrestling to be had.
If you have competed at one of these events — or are an organizer of one of them — and think our grading is off, let us know! We want to make this as accurate and helpful for other wrestlers as possible, so the more input and feedback we get, the better.
Happy wrestling!
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