We usually think of the main high school sports as football, basketball and track. But during the winter, most schools have indoor sports, which can make many students year-round athletes. One of those winter sports with a unique set of medical challenges is high school wrestling, which now has a new rule to follow about weight gain and loss.

Christy Grimes, athletic trainer for Blue Valley Northwest, cares for wrestlers at the school. In the video, she talks about the new rule, which limits the number of weight classes a wrestler can compete in each year. She says that poses new challenges for wrestlers involving diet and hydration. She also explains the most common injuries for wrestlers, and the best way for year round athletes to transition from one sport to the other.

Also on the video is David Smith, MD, medical director of Youth Sports at The University of Kansas Health System Sports Medicine and Performance Center. “Wrestling is the prototypical sports medicine sport,” he said. “They tend to have more medical problems, and more unique injuries, than any other high school sport.” Dr. Smith talks about the unique health challenges for wrestlers and why it’s so important for their parents to be observant for any changes in demeanor after a practice or match, which could signal a concussion. He talks about the most common medical problems for wrestlers, and one of the most simple, yet often ignored, ways for wrestlers to avoid skin problems due to the close contact nature of the sport.