This page was updated on November 1, 2025

Upcoming

• Start Monday, November 10th

• Tryouts are Monday - Wednesday

• Athletes in fall sports need to express their interests to the coach by November 10th in order to be evaluated when fall sports end

• LCPS handbook on page 17 says athletes have up to the 10th day to try out which is November 20th. 

• Since wrestling is a non-cut sport, tryouts will be conducted to evaluate which athletes are assigned to the afternoon and morning groups.

• The afternoon group will include athletes with the following characteristics:

  • • At least one year of prior experience at the high school level.

    • Weights at or above 175 pounds (due to statistically and historically having low numbers in those weights).

    • Freshman with at least one prior year of experience in a winter youth wrestling league during their 7th or 8th grade periods. 

    • Athletes with the willingness and ability to compete at the varsity level without being intimidated at the discretion of coaches. 

    • Abilities include strength, stamina, and mental fortitude to compete under pressure at the varsity level without losing control or becoming emotionally disturbed. In fact, varsity athletes need to demonstrate excitement and gratefulness for opportunities to compete at varsity levels. 

    • Athletes willing to compete against female opponents in a bracketed or team dual event. 

    • Athletes that show the ability and willingness to be coachable, listen to coaches, focused on practicing as instructed. 

    • Others as selected at the discretion of the coaches. 

    • Ideally we strive to maintain three athletes per weight class which gives us roughly 42 athletes per room (at 14 weight classes). However, coaches need to adjust based on athletes desires to move weight classes, hydration tests, and other factors. 

• The morning group will include the following:

  • • Female athletes regardless of prior years of experience (given VA has now sanctioned girls wrestling) 

    • Athletes with no prior years of experience wrestling.

    • Athletes not selected by the coaches for the afternoon group. 

• If cuts are needed to ensure wrestlers can safely fit in any given room, cuts would be based on evaluations related to:

  • • Strength related to pushups, pullups, situps

    • Strength related to length of time to hand from the pullup bar

    • Stamina and conditioning for wrestling an 8.5-minute match

    • Abilities and willingness to listen to coach instructions, hustle to stations, and conduct exercises or drills. 

    • Note that standards are different for heavy weights as compared to light weights as coaches strive for three per weight class.

Note:  Once assigned to a particular group, athletes will not be authorized to participate in the other group practices without express confirmation by the lead coach for both groups. Athletes often believe this is improving their performance but it actually adversely affects homework and sleep. Athletes also often believe they can use the other practice group as a "make-up" session for missing their main practice but this creates behaviors that ultimately lead to undisciplined commitments to time management and confusion with other athletes and daily wrestling partners due to missing lessons taught for drills. Keep in mind that most schools only have one practice per day. The only reason Lightridge has two separate practices is because the school program increased participation numbers significantly over five years and cannot fit everyone in the same room at the same time. 

• Off-season training was completed for 2025

• Tournaments for September through early November on the "Calendars Fall 2025" tab

• Off-season weight lifting Monday/Wednesday

• Dates/times:  4:45 PM start

• See our website tab "Calendars Fall 2025"

• Student Interests to Coach Nathan Tye "the I.T. guy" located in the school

• Interest Form is currently posted online and in school ~ CLICK HERE

• Talk to Coach Tye (the I.T. room) and Coach Barden in school since they teach there daily

• Week-1:  Nov 10-12, 2025, Mon-Wed, Tryouts for the HS Wrestling Team

  • Obtain a medical physical and register online with the school prior to week-1

  • Start on the first day of Virginia High School wrestling starts Monday, November 10, 2025

  • Let the coach know if an athlete is trying out for other sports that week!

  • Let the coach know if athletes are still competing in fall sports championship games.

  • Tryouts may be extended after Wednesday for the athletes still competing in fall sports or trying out for another sport.

  • Tryouts involve strength tests, weight-lifting, and practices.

  • Hydration tests and concussion tests. 

• Picture Day - the week of November 17, 2025

• Parent's Night for Winter Sports - the week of November 17, 2025 

• Online tickets and network accesses available

  • Spectators and Ticket Purchasing

  • NFHS Network and Livestreaming

• Lightridge Wrestling Team Store for Apparel and Spirit Wear Opening Soon