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…
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,…
Wrestling Merch Directory
One of the main ways that senior level athletes in wrestling make money is through merchandise sales. Buying a shirt or other merch is a great way to help support…