About
The Spartans
The Spartan Wrestling Club is an adult recreational wrestling club dedicated to the enjoyment of freestyle wrestling. It was formed in 1991, and is open to participants with little or no wrestling experience as well as to those with folk-style/collegiate or other wrestling experience. The club meets weekly at the First Unitarian Church (basement) for practice. This is where members get to hone their skills and learn different moves and techniques. Through practice and training members can then participate in tournaments held in the region and with clubs in other cities. Members of the current Spartan Team have participated at the most recent Gay Games in Cologne, the Annual winter tournament in NYC, also at competitions in San Diego and Chicago. The Spartan Wrestling Club hosts its own June and October tournaments in Philadelphia each year.
Freestyle Wrestling
Freestyle or Olympic style wrestling is the most popular style of wrestling in the world. It is also one of the oldest sports known to man. In freestyle wrestling, two wrestlers attempt to win the match by displaying control and/or mastery of their opponent. Wrestlers are divided by weight categories (and age classes in large tournaments); a match is decided by pinning your opponent, or by being ahead with several combinations of points when time expires in the match. The full body is used in freestyle, unlike Greco-Roman wrestling where only the upper body is engaged, allowing wrestlers to demonstrate both arm and leg maneuvers for a sport that is both challenging to participate in and exciting to watch.
Spartan Practices
Spartan freestyle wrestling practices are held:
Monday nights 6:30-9 pm and
Saturday mornings 9:30-Noon
in the basement event room of the
First Unitarian Church
2125 Chestnut St., Philadelphia
(*exceptions to the schedule are posted on our home page*)
Who is it for?
Adult men or women of any age interested in working out with us are welcome to attend either or both of the weekly practice sessions. If you've never wrestled before - no worries - join us and we'll teach you how. If you wrestled folk-style in high school or college and miss the sport, become a Spartan. We'll get you up to speed on freestyle rules and get you back on the mat.
What to wear?
For practices you can wear a T-shirt and gym shorts or a wrestling singlet, if you have it. Street shoes are not allowed on the mats so if you don't have wrestling shoes then be prepared to wrestle in your socked feet.
Become a member or just check us out to see if wrestling is for you.
Membership dues are $50/6 mo. and $5 for each practice you attend or
$200/yr with no weekly fee.
Our membership year runs from Sept. 1 - Aug. 31 and dues are pro-rated to cover only the period from your start date to Aug. 31.
Non-member practice fees are $10.