Wrestling Prep

I have been associated with Wrestling Prep since 2007.
Wrestling Prep is a haven for wrestling. It brings together a community of wrestlers, who share the same goal– being the best that they can be, both athletically and academically. There are even SAT prep classes provided at Wrestling Prep.
There are countless NCAA Division I wrestlers, including myself, who Carolyn has helped out throughout the years. Not only does she provide guidance in wrestling, but personally, she had guided me through my diet, workout schedule, and recruiting throughout my years and high school. Ultimately, she helped me earn an athletic scholarship to a school on the East Coast.
Running a 10,000 square foot facility does not come cheap. Bringing in college coaches and athletes do not come cheap either. She definitely makes it all work in a fun, hard working environment.
There is a reason why so many WP alumni come back and are willing to help out whenever they can. We are all very grateful for WP and it is truly life changing.
In regards to previous remarks about cleanliness, Wrestling Prep mops the maps on a daily basis, if not twice daily. The kids are required to shower after every workout session. There are antibacterial wipes provided at the facility as well. In the 8 years that I have been affiliated with WP, I have never had a skin infection after working out there. Quite frankly, the people who got a skin infection probably went home without showering in the facility.
By far the best place for HS kids to come train in the country. Thanks for everything Carolyn!

To start with, I wrestled D1 and stayed on the mat til i was well into my late 30’s. So the reviews that talk about the people complaining about cleanliness are basically sissy’s and it’s expected in wrestling to wrestle in grime and dirt are full of it. There is no excuse for having a dirty facility, doesn’t matter if you are paying $ 1500 or $ 0. There is no excuse to not make sure that all the kids are clean, have clean clothes and infection free.
This however is not my biggest complaint. I appreciate having a gym that has basically open mat and as many matches that WP has. What I was not thrilled with was the owner Carolyn leading the training as ‘Head Coach’. Very John DuPont-​ish. I would have loved to have had J welch or D Cormier running practice like the schedule had stated (I brought my 2 sons on 4 different occasions), but each time it was Carolyn. A lot of people might like the tumbling/​gymnastic drills, but realistically all the neck springs and such are only taking away from more useful time on the mat. In my opinion, being that she is not a wrestler (never has been), she should stick to the administrative and public relations side of WP. Her want to be «the coach» will be detrimental to the kids in the long run.

I think it’s about time for a review. My son (10 years) had been coming off and on for match nights and Sunday live wrestling 2 years ago. We officially made this our home last year. This was really not a hard choice, Carolyn is just the best. She treats everyone, and by everyone I mean, wrestlers, parents, siblings the same. She will greet you like she’s known you forever, with a hug and kiss.
What we love about Carolyn’s program is all the flexibility/​gymnastics drills they have before every class. This is really important for a wrestler and my son is learning these and starting to get better at them. Carolyn explains everything. The warmups are not there just for fun, everything has a purpose that goes with wrestling technique. Carolyn does not tolerate lack of discipline or those not willing to pay attention or participate and wanting to horse around so come in with your game face on but also willing to learn something new each and every time.
Regarding the skin infections that some reviewers have mentioned. Yes, it’s true. The mats are cleaned regularly, however, some might decide it’s ok to come in and wrestle with infections, unfortunately. This is seen in any contact sport but with people coming in from all over, this can be difficult to control sometimes. Participants are instructed to wash up daily and keep clean.
With that said, my son has learned a lot with Carolyn and it really has made a difference during the last tournament season. Best thing you can do is just go and try WP and make your own decision. Every individual is different and what might work for one, might not for the other. We have never regretted bringing our son to Carolyn.
What another Unilocaler had mentioned, wrestling is a dirty, gritty, ugly sport, not glamorous, pretty or nice. So do not expect to be pampered and babied.

I have read a couple of Unilocalers who have written poor reviews about WP. First of all, if you want to pay 1000 to 1,500 a week for training (That’s the avg price for most College Wrestling Camps), then I think you can demand and should expect wonderful meals and state of the art top equipment and facilities… but you are PAYING for it. WP only charges 280.00 a week, its less if you buy in block prices or pay early in the year. Since you are paying ¹⁄₃ the price of most camps, you have to expect a lean and mean camp without the bells and whistles. If your kid needs 5 Star accommodations, you can find them anywhere… but not at WP.
My son has been coming to WP for 3 years (Year round training) and counting.
In addition to WP, he has attended camps at Stanford, Iowa and a couple of local ones. Our family is fortunate enough where money is never a consideration when it comes to picking and buying the best products… quality and value is. I have told my son that he can go to any camp at whatever the price. He chooses to come to WP. He has told me that his training at the other camps were good, but not worth the travel and money to do so. He likes the fact that he gets consistent coaching/​training on a daily basis… and most importantly, he gets to wrestle the best wrestlers (Bay Area, Out of state, College, etc) every day. The bottom line is… mat time, mat time, mat time and more mat time.
Successful Wrestling is about intensity, repetition and tough training partners. WP offers that and more… and that’s it!
Its like the Rocky movies… Sweat, Pain and Puke!
Wrestling is a dirty, gritty, ugly sport… its not golf or tennis. Its not glamorous, pretty or nice. Coach Carolyn Wester runs a training center, not a fancy, private club with valets.
WP is about tough training and WINNING matches! No softies allowed!

My son went to WP this summer — what used to be a good camp was a disgusting experience. The facility is dirty. He came home with impetigo and, while this is not unusual in the sport, my son is diligent about hygiene. Based on his reports of the lack of cleanliness, there was no way he could not get something unpleasant. In past years, Jake was there and did a great job keeping everything clean. I guess he is gone now.
I know a lot of people think that this place is great. But the fact is that a lot of people don’t pay for the camps and are willing to overlook a lot — or write Unilocal reviews — when they are getting their kid’s camp for free. We paid and will not be back. Next year we will spend our money wisely and pay for a real camp.
The only bright spot was Bill Mitchell who is an exceptional trainer.

Background: I discovered Wrestling Prep («WP») in June, 2012 after my son’s freshman year. He entered the program with an interest in wrestling but no experience to speak of. He went to several tournaments over that summer and was crushed in every match. In the last preseason tournament (October) he won his first match. Then came his first high school wrestling season, he went 25 — 8, winning several tournaments, placing in most and earning several varsity wins. Another wrestler on my son’s team subsequently began training at WP and earned his first win and tournament championship after his introduction to WP.
As a junior, my son placed in almost every varsity tournament he entered and he wrecked several highly ranked wrestlers. As an entering senior, he is again training at WP, has a chance at making the state tournament and was recently contacted by an NCAA coach expressing interest in him wrestling at the university level.
What makes the difference: At WP, your son/​daughter will be able to train with great coaches, nationally and state ranked athletes, and aspiring beginners as well. As long as your athlete has the desire, WP is an environment where they will condition, learn technique, and then begin to master the sport.
Carolyn, WP coach, also encourages the wrestlers to compete outside of the bay area and outside of California. My son and many others were taken to New York (Journeymen), Missouri, North Carolina (Super-​32), Clovis, CA (multiple times), which served to enrich their wrestling experiences and further hone their skills.
WP sponsors underprivileged athletes. I’ve have not seen anyone turned away because of financial issues. At the WP banquet, I heard many stories of athletes that would not have been able to attend college but for their ability to wrestle. It was their ticket in.
Unfortunately, the sport of wrestling is associated with skin ailments and repeated disinfection of the mats will not make up for the poor hygiene of some wrestlers. My son has reduced the occurrence of these issues by showering immediately after practice and washing his singlets and gear. WP has showers, washers and dryers and properly trained athletes know how to use them.
Food — It is not fancy but WP’s goals are not culinary. The athletes are fed and I have seen bbq chicken and pulled pork served on a couple of occasions. If your athlete is picky or has special dietary needs, have them bring their own food. WP has on-​site refrigerators and freezers.
In summary, WP has been invaluable in transforming my son into a competitive wrestler. Two summers after that first June, we could not be happier with Carolyn and the staff at WP and have no regrets concerning the results or with my son’s training. Go WP!

Would give zero stars if possible or perhaps ½.
Sadly — good concept — poor management /​limited (if any) supervision of staff /​filthy mats– conditions and bathrooms /​kids eat «pasta with hot dogs» for lunch most days at summer camp made by kids /​quantity of «food» (see prior comment) also inadequate /​ringworm — impetigo were rampant the week my child attended etc. etc. I feel sorry for the kids (and some of the good trainers) that spend much time here (particularly those from out of state) — in my opinion, it is a dismal and filthy existence perhaps comparable to an 18^th Century French prison stay.
Additionally, there seems to be no control over who goes on the mats (many many visible skin conditions are the norm) or even who checks in as there is no check-​in procedure — it is simply out of control.
That said, they have some outstanding visiting trainers (and bad ones) so this commentary should in no way reflect on them (the good ones), but rather the organization and the management thereof. Why these trainers come to this place is beyond comprehension. Certainly, for summer camp, the price is cheap — but what is your child’s health and safety worth? Certainly in life, you get what you pay for — in this case, skin conditions and pasta and hot dogs during the week my child attended.
Find a good Club in the area and stick with it. For summer, I would suggest you go to one of the more reputable camps where kids are fed adequately, mats are not filthy, and there is more supervision and a professional approach to training.
A final observation is that the entire organization seems more about promoting Ms. Wester (see Facebook page) than anything else (perhaps this is the problem). I don’t even think Ms. Wester ever wrestled competitively (even at the middle or high school level), let alone knows much about the sport. But, certainly if there is a picture to be had with anyone even remotely successful in the sport of wrestling, you can count on Ms. Wester to photo-​bomb them and post the photo of her on her Facebook page claiming some affiliation with Wrestling Prep and the wrestler.
Jason Welch, who is actually pretty well known (a purported affiliate of Prep), rarely (if ever) shows for anything (probably does not want a skin condition) — so it is unclear what his affiliation is (never saw him).
And, in my opinion, regarding Victor T’s comment, Ms. Wester’s touchy-​feely approach to the young male wrestlers is down-​right creepy (like in make your skin crawl creepy) — constant references to male body parts seem to be the norm here.
My advice — stay far away and find a more professional and cleaner environment for your young wrestler.
Upate — just heard they are closing up shop in San Jose — not a big surprise.

If you want your child to be a state champ wrestler, come here! Everyone is friendly, there’s talented coaches, and a great facility.