What Wrestling Taught Me About Parenting (in the First Two Months)
I promise this won’t be a “once you’ve wrestled, everything else in life is easy” essay. Quite the opposite actually. Two months ago, my wife and I had our first…
Introducing the Mat Stats Newsletter
We’re very excited to introduce our newest addition, the Mat Stats Newsletter! We were having a bit of an identity crisis here at Taped Laces, where most of our essays…
An Ode to Play Wrestling
A few months ago I stopped by a summer clinic being held near my old hometown. I’m not actively coaching right now, so I jump at the opportunity to get…
Who Was the Most Successful Wrestler at the 2024 NCAA Wrestling Championships?
Buried deep within the United World Wrestling website, there is a calculation they use to determine the “Most Successful Wrestler” for a given event. They don’t really use it for…
Best Wrestling Shoes Guide 2024
Photo credit John Sachs Finding the best wrestling shoes can be a difficult task. Everyone has their own preferences and some shoes work better for certain styles. There are many…
On Jordan Burroughs Getting Booed at the Trials
I’m a little late to the party on this one, but wanted the dust to settle a little after the trials to really gather my thoughts on this matter. As…
How Did the 2024 NCAA Wrestling Rule Changes Affect Scoring?
After the 2022-2023 NCAA Wrestling season, the Rules Committee introduced a massive change: for the first time since points were introduced in 1940, takedowns would be worth 3 points instead…
Sunday Match Vault – Bonne vs. Yakhkeshi 2018
Welcome to the Sunday Match Vault! I am of the strong belief that wrestling is a doing sport much more than it is a watching sport. It’s a sport of…
Photo credit: Mylana Brodovska
How to Wrestle Without a Mat
One of the biggest challenges in increasing accessibility of wrestling is the requirement of a mat. Full-sized, and even home-sized 10’x10’ mats are expensive, so wrestlers are generally beholden to…
What Do We Want From A Wrestling Movie?
Spoilers ahead for three old movies Over the years there have been more than a dozen movies that have featured wrestling in some capacity, ranging everywhere from great to unwatchable,…