Girls in New Jersey can get involved with freestyle wrestling at any age.  By understanding how USA Wrestling and USA Wrestling New Jersey support female athletes, individuals can make informed decisions on how they choose to participate.  USA Wrestling holds a Women’s Nationals tournament in May each year. This tournament is for experienced girls under the age of 23. Athletes compete at this event to make it onto the world team in their respective age categories.  Girls also have the opportunity to compete at other national events throughout the year. For more information on USA Wrestling national events please visit: https://usawrestlingevents.com/events 

At the state level we are working hard to grow opportunities for girls to practice and compete.  Suggested freestyle competition opportunities for the 2020-2021 school year will be added to the link below. This is fluid document so please check back often.  One of our initiatives is to make the spring developmental freestyle qualifiers more novice friendly.  Girls newer to freestyle wrestling are encouraged to attend as there will be separate clinic and competition opportunities provided for them. For more information on qualifying for USAW-NJ Women’s National teams please review the “Women’s National Events” section of this page.  All girls, no matter what their experience level, will need to have a USA Wrestling athlete membership in order to compete in most of the events. To purchase an annual membership please visit: www.usawmembership.com. 

It’s important to keep in mind that competitive freestyle wrestling opportunities are available to girls throughout the year. Traditionally, freestyle wrestling in New Jersey was considered a spring and summer sport, but many girls in New Jersey are now practicing and competing in freestyle for the majority of the year.  It is also important to note that women competing at the college level also wrestle freestyle. Girls looking for freestyle practice opportunities are encouraged to find a club in New Jersey that is near your home. To do so, explore the “club” tab on the homepage of this site.  Lastly, it is helpful for girls to keep a growing list of workout partners near their weight. If a club does not have a workout partner near your daughter’s weight, invite one! Working to grow female presence at clubs in New Jersey is something we can all help with.