At Highlands Sports Centre, we want every child to train with purpose, not just attend classes.
Over the past few months, we have been building a structured progress tracking system for our kids wrestling program. The main aim is simple: to monitor the progress of every child in a clear, fair and practical way, so coaches, parents and children can all understand what is improving and what still needs work. This progress tracking system is not compulsory. Every parent can choose whether they would like their child to participate. Some families may prefer to simply attend classes and enjoy training, and that is completely fine. For families who want more structure and feedback, this system will provide a clear pathway.
To be eligible to start the progress tracking, children must attend a minimum of three wrestling classes per week. This is important because proper assessment only makes sense when the child is training consistently. Progress in wrestling takes repetition, time and regular coaching, so we want the assessment to reflect real development, not just one good or bad session.
We will begin with our Kids Wrestling group (5-8), and then gradually expand the system into our 9–13 program and our 3–4 Fit & Fun program. Each age group will have its own version, because a 4-year-old, a 7-year-old and a 12-year-old should not be assessed in the same way. The first version will be kept simple and user-friendly. At the beginning, parents will receive a progress report every two months after assessments are completed. These reports will show the child’s development across key areas, including technical skills, physical abilities, special exercises, behaviour in training and sparring readiness. The assessment will not be about pressure, comparison or ranking children against each other. It will be about helping each child see their own progress.
Children will gradually work through levels. These levels will show where they currently are in their wrestling journey and what they need to focus on next. Coaches will assess skills using a progression system that allows children to improve step by step. For example, a child may first be introduced to a skill, then start working on it, then become more consistent, and eventually perform it confidently in training situations.
This gives us a better way to motivate children. Not every child needs to “achieve” everything straight away. Sometimes the most important progress is that a child understands the movement better, listens more carefully, becomes a better partner, or starts applying a skill during games and drills.
For coaches, this system will make planning more accurate. Instead of guessing what the group needs, we will be able to see which skills are strong and which areas need more attention. It will also help us build better lesson plans and make sure important skills are reviewed properly.
For parents, it will create more clarity. You will be able to see what your child is learning, where they are improving, and what the next focus should be. It also gives you a better understanding of what happens inside the program beyond simply “they went to wrestling class.”
For children, the goal is to make progress visible. They will be able to see that training is a journey. Some skills take time. Some areas improve quickly. Some need more practice. This is normal, and we want children to learn how to keep working, keep improving and stay engaged.
Our full wrestling curriculum will be officially introduced in October. From that point, every parent and child will be able to see what to expect from the program, what skills are being taught, and how progress will be tracked over time.
This is an important step for Highlands Wrestling program. We are not just running classes, but building a system where children can grow, coaches can teach with more direction, and parents can clearly see the value of consistent training.
We will continue to improve the system as we go, but the direction is clear: every child deserves to be seen, supported and guided properly through their wrestling journey.
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