A wrestler must do all of the following:

1. Shower daily using the hottest water you can stand using a strong antibacterial soap (Hibiclens is a prefered product)
2. Shower as soon as possible after practices and matches.
3. Bring toiletries with you to matches so you can shower after a match, we dont want you on the bus unless you have showered.
4. Bring plenty of clean dry clothes to tournaments and matches as appropriate.
5. Stay as dry as possible between matches
6. Use a clean, dry towel every day
7. Dry yourself thoroughly
8. Never lay down on your sofa or bed before you shower. If you fall asleep you are giving the bacteria or fungus time to incubate on your skin.
9. Never wear the same clothing two days without washing
10.   Put your wet dirty wrestling gear in a seperate bag then put it inside your gear bag. Wash this bag every time you do laundry or throw it away if disposable.
11.   Dont put your wrestling shoes in your bag with your clean clothes, they need a seperate bag
12.   Wash your knee pads weekly and make sure they air dry every night (hanging them on a trousers hanger with the tops open to air circulation is best way) Most cases of MRSA appear on the legs behind the knees and are usually caused by knee pad contamination.
13.   Wash your hands several times a day and especially before eating
14.   Keep your hands away from your face after practice until you have had a chance to wash them.
15.   Keep antibacterial soap, wipes, and/or solution in your bag and use it often, especially after wrestling a match in a tournament or dual meet.
16.   Use Kenshield on your face, arms and neck before any match(see managers or coaches).
17.   Wash your underwear seperately if necessary and use bleach and hot water whenever posible on all of your practice gear.
18.   Look yourself over carefully every day after practice in the mirror.
19.   Above all:  If you have a skin eruption, don't wait to get treatment- tell coaches ASAP
20.   The key element is TIME. The faster you are at getting clean after contact, the less chance you have of getting a skin condition.

Wrestlers can fight skin conditions every day. Some of the more common include ring-worm, a form of fungal infection very similar to athletes foot that appears as a raised ring on the skin. It can be treated with any over the counter antifungal cream if attacked early and rubbed in often. Wrestlers may not compete with ring worm even if it can be covered. They may practice as long as it can be covered.

Impetigo, facial herpes, staff infection and MRSA are more rare. I have seen only one case of staff and no cases of MRSA in almost 40 years of wrestling and coaching.

 One of the problems of MRSA is that it is resistant to many antibiotics and a treatment used effectively with one individual may be useless with another individual. Others infected with MRSA may require hospitalization, surgery, and extensive treatment.

    You can not remove yourself from contact but you can prevent any and all types of disease by being smart, clean, and following some simple precautions named above.