General Information

The 2025 Youth New England Wrestling (YNEW) Championships will be held at the Game On Sports Complex in Fitchburg MA on SAT March 15th and SUN March 16th.
 
The 2025 Youth New Englands will feature both a GIRLS Competition and an OPEN (Co-Ed) Competition. There will be three age groups in the GIRLS Competition (10U/12U/15U) and four age groups in the OPEN Competition (8U/10U/12U/15U). For all of the 2025 YNEW weight and age requirements, go to YNEW Weights & Ages.
 
This year, there will be two flights on Saturday March 15 and one flight on Sunday March 16. Here is the general competition schedule for YNEW 2025:
 

Saturday Morning (March 15th): 8U/10U OPEN

Saturday Afternoon (March 15th): 12U OPEN & 15U GIRLS

Sunday Morning (March 16th): 10/12U GIRLS & 15U OPEN

 

The recommended hotels for YNEW 2025 are the Colonial Hotel in Gardner (HOST HOTEL), the Devens Springhill Suites, and the Devens Hilton Garden Inn. Please reserve your hotel rooms EARLY (ask for the Youth New Englands room block).

 

Guest rooms at the Colonial Gardner are available for $189+/night on Friday (3/14) and Saturday (3/15) nights.  Call 978-630-2500 for room reservations.  Other recommended hotel options are the Devens Springhill Suites (Springhill Suites Room Block) and the Devens Hilton Garden Inn (Hilton Garden Inn Room Block).  Friday and Saturday night room rates are $179+/night.

 

Wrestlers must register online for YNEW 2025 by March 9, 2025.  Go to the YNEW Registration Page for more information.  This year’s competition will feature double elimination in large brackets and round-robin competition in small brackets. See Individual Competition below for details.

A coach’s pass may be purchased for one day or both days.  Only those with a coach’s pass will be allowed entry into the competition area. The competition area will be restricted to wrestlers and coaches who are actively competing on the mat.  On-deck competitors and coaches are welcome to use the warm-up area until their match is on the mat.

Spectators may purchase admission passes for one day or both days. Passes for spectators and coaches may be pre-purchased online or during night-before weigh-ins. Coolers and carry-in food/drink are NOT allowed inside the Game On facility.  Note: Game On charges an onsite parking fee and a wifi access fee for visitors who use these amenities.  See Host Facility for more information.

YNEW 2024 Weekend Schedule

FRI March 15th

5-8pm:

WEIGH-INS @ GAME ON

SATURDAY competitors ONLY

8U/10U/12U OPEN (CO-ED) & 15U GIRLS

(see Weigh-In Information below for more information)

SAT March 16th

7-7:45am:

LATE ($20) WEIGH-INS @ GAME ON

SATURDAY competitors ONLY

8U/10U/12U OPEN (CO-ED) & 15U GIRLS

(see Weigh-In Information below for more information)

8:30am-4:30pm:

SATURDAY COMPETITION

8U/10U/12U OPEN (CO-ED) & 15U GIRLS

4:30-6:30pm:

WEIGH-INS @ GAME ON

SUNDAY competitors ONLY

10/12U GIRLS & 15U OPEN (CO-ED)

(see Weigh-In Information below for more information)

SUN March 17th

7-7:45am:

LATE ($20) WEIGH-INS @ GAME ON

SUNDAY competitors ONLY

10/12U GIRLS & 15U OPEN (CO-ED)

(see Weigh-In Information below for more information)

8:30am-4:30pm:

SUNDAY COMPETITION

10/12U GIRLS & 15U OPEN (CO-ED)

Individual Competition

In order to compete in the 2025 Youth New Englands, wrestlers must reside in one of the six New England states (including New England boarding schools). Wrestlers must also meet age and weight requirements for one of the seven YNEW competition groups: 10U/12U/15U GIRLS & 8U/10U/12U/15U OPEN.  Wrestlers who compete in any of their high school’s varsity postseason tournaments are NOT ELIGIBLE to compete in the Youth New Englands. See YNEW Weights & Ages for more information.

Placement at state tournaments will be used to seed wrestlers according to the following allotments: CT/MA – top six state placers; NH/RI – top five state placers; ME/VT – top four state placers. A limited number of wildcard slots are available for those who do not place or participate in their state tournament.  Registration is available for ALL girl wrestlers who meet age, residency, and weight requirements. Registration is also available if your state does not offer a statewide competition in your age/gender group.

Set weight classes will be used to form brackets unless there are not enough wrestlers in a weight class. In that case, Madison brackets (based on actual weight) will be used to create weight classes. Round robin brackets may be used if there are less than six wrestlers in a weight class.

Competition is double elimination except in round-robin brackets. Championship matches (including all medal round matches) will have 1.5 minute period lengths. Headgear is REQUIRED for all wrestlers during competition.

Competitors will be required to certify their date of birth during online registration.  An age challenge is available for a $50 fee. All competitors agree to submit proof-of-age if challenged. Age misrepresentation will result in forfeiture of individual placement and team points. Note: it may not be feasible to resolve an age challenge on competition day; tournament records will be modified to reflect any changes.

Girls Competition

The 15U GIRLS Competition will be held on Saturday Afternoon (March 15th). The 10U GIRLS & 12U GIRLS Competitions will be held on Sunday Morning (March 16th).

Girl wrestlers may participate in BOTH competition groups (GIRLS & OPEN) for which they are age-eligible. Please note that only ONE weigh-in is required for these girl wrestlers unless they compete at a lower weight class on Sunday.

The Girls New Englands registration is open to all girl wrestlers in New England who are age-eligible (ages 7-15). See YNEW Weights & Ages for details.

After registration closes for Girls New Englands, any small weight classes will be combined using the Madison system. If Madison weight classes aren’t feasible, wrestlers will be given the option to compete in the OPEN group for which they are age-eligible.

Team Competition

There will be team competitions in three separate divisions: TOWN, CLUB & GIRLS. Wrestlers in the OPEN competition are eligible to score team points for both club and town teams if they train with both teams. Girl Wrestlers are eligible to score team points according to their competition group (OPEN & GIRLS).

The top 13 scorers across each competition group (TOWN/CLUB/GIRLS) are used to determine total team scoring points. Town teams are defined as teams that train seasonally (< 5 months); club teams train year-round (> 5 months). Team points are weighted so that older competition groups and larger brackets garner more points.  

Wrestlers, parents, and coaches are expected to check team affiliations for accuracy. YNEW will publish team affiliations and allow roster changes up until competition day. A roster challenge is available for a $50 fee; all disputes are decided by the YNEW Competition Director. See YNEW Team Scoring for more information.

Weigh-In Schedule

The Youth/Girls New Englands is designed as a ‘stay over and wrestle’ event.  The expectation is that wrestlers will weigh in at Game On Fitchburg the NIGHT BEFORE their competition. 
 
Late weigh-ins will be offered on the MORNING OF competition ($20 LATE Weigh-In Fee) as a convenience for those who choose not to stay overnight.  All weigh-ins will be held at Game On Fitchburg.  See Weigh-In Information below for more details.

FRI March 15th

5-8pm:

WEIGH-INS @ GAME ON

SATURDAY competitors ONLY

8U/10U/12U OPEN (CO-ED) & 15U GIRLS

SAT March 16th

7-7:45am:

LATE ($20) WEIGH-INS @ GAME ON

SATURDAY competitors ONLY

8U/10U/12U OPEN (CO-ED) & 15U GIRLS

4:30-6:30pm:

WEIGH-INS @ GAME ON

SUNDAY competitors ONLY

10U/12U GIRLS & 15U OPEN (CO-ED)

SUN March 17th

7-7:45am:

LATE ($20) WEIGH-INS @ GAME ON

SUNDAY competitors ONLY

10U/12U GIRLS & 15U OPEN (CO-ED)

Weigh-In Information

All competitors MUST register online at YNEW Registration.  During online registration, competitors will select their weight class from the competition group for which they are eligible.  Changes to weight class selection can be made until online registration closes on March 9, 2025.  Wrestlers are not required to compete in the same weight class as their state tournament. See YNEW Weights & Ages for details.

The Youth New Englands is a set weight class competition.  Wrestlers MUST be at or under their weight class limit on the scale during YNEW weigh-ins on March 14-16th.  There are NO weight allowances or changes to weight classes during YNEW weigh-ins.  Competitors MUST wear their wrestling uniform (e.g. singlet) while making their weight during YNEW weigh-ins.

Weight classes for the GIRLS Competition are intended to be grouped by set weights.  Weight classes with not enough competitors may be combined with other weight classes using the Madison system.  When practical, competitors will be notified in advance if they are placed in a Madison weight class.

Hotel Options

There are a limited number of nearby hotel options; please make your room reservations EARLY

Gardner Colonial Hotel - HOST HOTEL

  • Rate: $189+/night
  • Reservations: Call 978-630-2500
  • Distance from Game On: 7.5 miles

(see Host Hotel for more information)

Devens Springhill Suites

Devens Hilton Garden Inn

CO-ED & GIRLS Placement Awards

Champion

-Customized NE Champion hooded sweatshirt
-Champion's Wall Chart
-Keepsake Medallion
-Added to YNEW All-Timers List

2nd-6th Place

-Keepsake Medallion
-Added to YNEW All-Timers List

Individual & Team Awards

Most Outstanding CO-ED Wrestler (Peckham Award)

Most Outstanding GIRLS Wrestler (Elena Award)

Outstanding Wrestler (six awards)

Most Dominant Wrestlers (six awards)

New England Team Champion (CO-ED)

New England Team Champion (GIRLS - Marisol Award)