Middle School wrestling is a good introduction. I see the problem of coaching at the basic and fundemental level. Mat time and buidling interest is very important. I am going back 30 years and we had middle school wrestling - that is all we had.
We had 4 teams = 3 duals and then a citwide bracket tournament.
The season was 6 weeks long - 2 weeks of practice and 4 weeks of competition. Basketball was before Christmas (same length of season) Wrestling was after Christmas. There definitely was bragging rights between the schools and it teaches the team concept also. My middle school coaches new more about wrestling than my high school coach. There was not any other out of season clubs like USA Kansas. The area I grew up in did begin to get some clubs in the early 1980's. There were one or 2 local folkstyle tournaments back in the day and I think they were AAU.
