Wrestling was a boys-only sport in the US for decades—that is, until it was not. As of the past four years, girls all across Ohio have been taking to the mats to challenge stereotypes and become a part of the world of wrestling.

SHS senior Caroline Kearns joined girls’ wrestling her freshman year even before it was an official Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) sport. Kearns grew up with wrestling because her younger brother wrestled, but it was not until middle school that she realized she could participate as well. Although it took her a few years to overcome the fear of trying a new sport, she took up wrestling and pioneered girls’ wrestling at SHS.
As a sport, women’s wrestling is identical to men’s in the rules; however, the perceptions of the sport are very different for women. Girls have had far fewer opportunities than boys growing up in the wrestling world, and because of this, girls’ teams are smaller and often not taken as seriously. Recently, girls’ wrestling tournaments have been moved to Sundays because they can not find enough referees (boys’ wrestling tournaments are typically on Saturdays).

Despite some of the setbacks girls’ wrestling faces, Marian Rose, 12, another member of the SHS girls’ wrestling team, speaks very highly of the sport and the program. Rose joined the team their sophomore year and said, “Wrestling has improved my confidence. I’m less hesitant to try new things or try something and fail. Having my team behind me has really augmented my sense of self.” At SHS, the boys’ and girls’ wrestling teams practice in conjunction with each other. They train together, lift together, and occasionally practice against each other. Kearns said, “I see it as a good challenge for myself. The boys are stronger and sometimes technically better because they have been wrestling for longer, so wrestling against them makes me better.”
Through it all, both Kearns and Rose agree that the girls’ wrestling team is a close-knit community. “Because the sport is so new, you usually know and are friends with your competitors,” said Kearns. “It really is one big family.” Both wrestlers encourage people to join the program and get to know more about it. After all, you will never know if you like something, if you do not try.