According to the National Wrestling Coaches Association, more than 13,000 girls participated in high school wrestling programs last year, up from 804 in 1994. More than 20 states held female-only high school state tournaments this year. 30 colleges sponsor women's varsity wrestling programs. Helen Maroulis won America's first Olympic gold medal in women's freestyle wrestling at the 2016 Summer Games in Rio.At this point, you're asking yourself, Why does he know this, and why do I care?
It's a fair question.
My eldest daughter is nearing the end of her freshman year of high school. She ran cross-country (slowly) during her the Fall, and has been a competitive dancer since she was 7. She's short, and compact, and fit, and has above-average strength and balance from all those years of dancing. And about two months ago, she came home and told her parents that she was going to wrestle next year.
Careful readers of this blog, and casual followers of my impotent ranting on Twitter know that I'm a pretty progressive guy. I believe strongly in gender equity, and that our society has treated women shamefully for far too long in matters of public health, equal compensation, and sexual violence, among others.
But goddamn if the thought of some pimply-faced punk working an arm bar on my baby doesn't give me serious pause. I've seen what wrestlers do to each other. I watched a fraternity brother use a butt drag to successfully maneuver an opponent in an intramural match. This move is colloquially known as 'checking the oil'. I Ghooghled it, so you don't have to. If some fucking kid pulls that move on my little girl, I can't be held legally responsible for my actions.Initially, my wife and I thought this was a bit of passing phase, an infatuation with something different, which isn't out of the ordinary for my kid. But after she went to a wrestling clinic a few weeks ago, and came back saying, "I got my ass kicked. I loved it.", we're starting to think she might be serious.
By complete coincidence, we found ourselves a few weeks ago seated at a communal table in a local brewery next to the wrestling coach from my daughter's school. He's a passionate dude, full of inspirational moxie and motivational nuggets. And he's committed to getting more girls involved in wrestling. There were three girls on the team last year - his goal is to double that next season. He sold us hard on the notion that wrestling is excellent for girls' self-confidence, fitness, and discipline.
I wouldn't say I was ready to take the mat, but I was a little more ready to let my daughter do it.
She's her father's daughter, so there's a 50/50 chance that she fails to follow through on this interest. But if she does, I'll support her.
Just don't ask me to be relaxed when I watch.
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23 comments:
Am 100% for this, especially since it isn't my daughter.
But seriously, I think I'd be okay with that if not fully encourage. I'd like for my girls to be able to put some dude on his back should one get a little too fresh, or god forbid if accosted by a creep in a dark alley. Embrace it pal.
My oldest is 13 and tips the scales at 83 lbs. I told him to expect to be recruited by the wrestling coach when he gets to high school, as I remember small, strong, scrappy kids being in demand.
I haven't told him about my wrestling glory days, which was a 1-1 record in the W&M Intramural tournament. The match I won was a forfeit, where I had to stand there for 60 seconds in a singlet while my fratre heckled me for the protruding bulge in the nether region. Good times.
It's not wrestling but a friend and local high school basketball coach had a daughter go to West Point a few years back. She'd played sports in high school and was working out in the gym when the boxing coach asked if she'd be interested in trying out. She did. Four ears later she graduated as a four year letter winner and two time team captain. My friend was full of trepidation at first but got used to it eventually. And his daughter loved it and said it made her experience at West Point a better, fuller one.
That's quite a pic though. She's really getting in there.
Mark's comment reminded me that our recently wedded friend Vicky is a hell of a kickboxer.
If you know what I mean.
And my intramural wrestling experience... I was a lazy 198-lb weakling who was given a choice of dropping three lbs or going heavyweight. I chose the latter, idiotically. I was matched up against the starting tackle for the Tribe. Who was going to let me off quick and easy until both his fratres and mine began cheering and heckling vociferously. He threw me around the ring like a rag doll for three periods, just crushing me mercilessly. Must've been comical to watch, but it wasn't a lot of fun to participate.
When you put it in terms like that, standing there looking like an idiot in a wrestling singlet with a huge package isn't all that bad.
Everything is relative. Or as they say in Roanoke, everyone is relative.
Who had the GRAPLR license plate? Knapp or Chad?
As someone who lived with a grappler, whom some might call the GRAPPLER, I'm not sure I'd want my kid to grapple. Grappling results in weird injuries/conditions.
True, broken jaws and strained friendships if nothing else.
Touche Whitney, touche.
Rootsy, I just had breakfast at the table next to the drummer from Tower of Power. His gig with Kenny Loggins fell through but there's no hard feelings, it wasn't Kenny's fault.
That's what a fool believes, Zman. That's what a fool believes.
RIP Gregg Allman.
Gregg and Duane, reunited at last
Died at 69. Fratty to the end.
Those new Apple wireless earbuds are really goofy looking.
Greg Allman- legendary stick man. Cher at her peak, Savannah at her (barely legal) peak. Helluva run for that guy.
Also had the voice of a god, but whatever.
Even God's gotta get a little leg now and again.
He loved sluts, coke and the blues. Recipe for a lot of magic, at least according to Keith Richards.
Nice day for Red Sox rookie Brian Johnson. Complete game shutout in his Fenway debut. Local kid (Cocoa Beach) who one was my fiends coached in high school. And a Gator.
Brian Johnson has come a long way since The Breakfast Club.
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