Phillips Exeter Academy Wrestling Program

 

Philosophy and Program

Wrestling at Exeter is a team sport involving approximately 40 to 50 boys each year. One of the strengths of the program is that all wrestlers, both Varsity and Junior Varsity, practice at the same time each day in the same room. Thus boys new to wrestling are integrated into the program quickly and the Varsity members have multiple people with which to work. All conditioning and drilling is done together, directed by the same coaching staff which has the added benefit that all wrestlers are taught with the same philosophy and learn the same techniques. Thus everyone is part of the same team and everyone makes a contribution to the overall success of the program.

Athletics is considered an academic appointment at Exeter, and all student athletes have their sport scheduled as a class, usually meeting about 2 hours, six days a week. Meets are scheduled on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The Varsity schedule consists of approximately 30 matches, some held as dual meets and some at quad meets. The team begins practice in November and the season extends to the first weekend in March. Exeter is a member of the New England Independent School Wrestling Association and participates in the NEISWA Class A Tournament, The New England Independent Schools Wrestling Championships and the National Prep School Wrestling Tournament at Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA. all of which take place at the end of the season.

The Junior Varsity has a dual meet program of about 8 dual meets with another 7 or 8 jamboree-type meets with four to six other schools competing. These jamborees provide the opportunity for everyone in the JV program to participate in interscholastic competition during the season. The Junior Varsity season ends with the Northfield-Mount Hermon JV Wrestling tournament the last weekend in February.