By practicing freestyle wrestling, coaches and wrestlers hope to gain agility and skill due to the challenging techniques, unique to freestyle.
The wrestling of the United States, folk style, does not let wrestlers do most throws, has a different point value system and has top and bottom or referee’s position.
Freestyle, on the other hand, is practiced internationally.
It is mainly focused on rolls, throws and any other way to expose your opponent’s back to get points.
Central Bucks girls wrestling coach Michael Ramirez, who coaches both freestyle and folkstyle explains the difference between the two in a less technical manner.
“Freestyle will make you better on your feet but folkstyle is transitioning to being more about the takedown than on your feet. So, they’re both more focused on that now,” Ramirez said.
Despite this, some boys wrestlers aren’t as keen to try it as girls.
“Not as many boys do freestyle, but all the best do,” Ramirez said. “It just makes your folkstyle better.”
However, according to Ramirez, the positives don’t end there.
“It teaches you a lot of self discipline, gives you self confidence,” Ramirez said.
This opinion isn’t only one of coaches, wrestlers often feel and see the positives of the sport too.
Delaware Valley University wrestler Gabby Reid gives the wrestlers perspective.
“I hate the referee’s position,” Reid said. “Being on the floor, once you take somebody down, you can get something from the top and like five to twelve seconds they will stand you right back up, and I love that because I hate fighting off bottom.”
Delaware Valley University wrestler Lilly Kinder continues on about the positives about the mat.
“I like it because of the point systems. I like being able to throw however I want. I like to lock my hands,” Kinder said.
According to Kinder, the positives continue off the mat as well.
Kinder said that she believes wrestling has helped her career aspiration within criminal justice due to its impact on her confidence.
“Having the discipline to keep through this sport for three-and-a-half years has really helped me build up the confidence to be able to be able to go up,” Kinder said.
Additionally, wrestlers with big dreams of the Olympics must learn freestyle, as folkstyle is only practiced in the United States.
Reid is one such wrestler who dreams of being a champion.
“I dream of being an Olympic champion one day and [freestyle] is the style that is wrestled internationally. Folkstyle is only wrestled in the United States,” Reid said. “So, I kind of needed to get good at it in order to achieve the goals I have for myself.”
Along with competing for Delaware Valley University, Reid assistant coaches the Central Bucks girls wrestling team.
Folkstyle season is from November to January, while freestyle is from February through the summer months.