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Wow - you two are really being defensive! I think you both support women
wrestling at your own level.
The only difference I see is that one believes they ought to be able to
wrestle in a co-ed arena, and the other thinks it should be same-sex.
In reality, if we limit girls wrestling to same-sex right now, today, there
will be no advancement for girls, and my daughters would not have an
opportunity to participate at all, as I am sure would be the case for many
girls.
Yes, I could travel all over the country and they could participate in the
few regional events, but even if I could afford that, who would coach them?
It's not like there are female wrestling coaches coming out of the walls
clambering to create teams. They have to participate in a team to reap the
benefits of having a good coach. I would also be hard pressed to find a
place for them to work out.
Recruitment for more girls would drop to near zero, and the sport would
never grow. Most girls who have the gumption to stick with it have at least
one other person in mind that they have seen stick through a HS career. That
would not be available anymore, except in the case of those schools who have
enough money to carry a team without a schedule.
If we encourage girls' wrestling, the sport will grow, it is growing now -
and we can work towards same-sex wrestling. It is available at the
collegiate level now.
Personally, I don't see a great breaking down of respect for girls as a
result of their participation. The guys are either gentlemen or jerks,
whether they are on or off the mat. My daughters have been treated more
respectfully in school since they started wrestling, not less. Conduct aimed
at them by parents at meets is a little less attractive, though, I must say.
The kids, by and large, seem to adjust to it just fine.
It is fine to sit back and philosophy off the mat, but when you have a
daughter that is involved in the sport, the situation is a little stickier.
Would I like to see my girls wrestle same-sex? Of course. However, that is
just not feasible right now, and I don't see the fears of most people coming
to fruition out there on the mat. When and if I do, I will be there for my
daughters, though.
I have seen boys wrestle each other, even at state competition level, and
greet each other in the hall and discuss their chances laughing and
supporting one another. If they are able to make the distinction between
competition and life with each other, why would it be so unnatural for them
to do the same with girls? Don't forget what a character-builder this sport
is.
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Topic: girls on a wrestling team.
Hi. My name is Alicia. I am a girl wresler. I weight in at 110. I really weight 104. I mad it to state this year. To let you know I am not buff. I am tall and skinny. I would like to know guys have problems girls wrestling. A lot of guys like me and think I am hot. But some guys I guess think I am on their land. Me and my Bf made it to state he got 3 place, and our best friend is going nationls. A lot of my guy friends made it to state. I think the only way I made it this far is because I am fast. If you could tell me why email me or leave a messige at Alicia190@excite.com.thanks
Posted by: Alicia190 4:32PM - May 14, 2000
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Female wrestler excels despite odds Friday
By Glenn Kimball
Aggie Sports Writer
Like most of her wrestling career, Samantha Reinis would once again find herself in a tight spot. In this particular high school match, she finds her body crushed to the hard mat, nearly pinned by the boy draping his body on her back.
Slowly, she begins to go to work. Using her tiny 5-foot, 102-pound frame, she bridges her way out of trouble. Quickly, she uses her forearms to lock a tight hold of the boy's neck. A loud thud echoes throughout the gym as she flips him over her back onto the mat. Now Reinis is in control, and the boy is in a tight spot.
With his teammates yelling, "Don't let the bitch beat you," he frantically kicks and claws his way to get out of the hold.
It's too late, the match is called, the crowd erupts and the referee swings Reinis' arm into the air. The boy is unable to even look up as he sits stunned, crying on the mat, pinned by the girl.
It has never been easy for Reinis, a UC Davis freshman. As the only female wrestler in the entire UC system, she has had to fight an uphill battle to continue her wrestling career, a career that started because of a lost bet.
In her freshman year of high school, a teacher told Reinis that the wrestling team was in desperate need for a lightweight wrestler. Reinis joked back that if she didn't make the school's soccer team she would consider it. Two weeks later, she was wrestling.
What started out as a bet gone wrong would turn into one of the better wrestling careers at Berkeley High School, regardless of gender. In fact, throughout her career, Reinis would dominate so much she was named team captain.
Reinis started out as the only female on her high school team. Thanks in part to her presence and the publicity she has gained, there are currently 11 females on the squad.
If you think Berkeley High is an isolated hot spot for female wrestlers, think again. What used to be a sideshow joke involving strip bars and mud is fast becoming one of the hottest sports for female athletes in America. In fact, it has become so popular that trials will be held for the 2000 Olympic Games.
So why aren't more women doing it?
"Most female sports, in general, like basketball and softball, initially had a hard time getting started," UCD head coach Mike Burch said. "Women's wrestling is a little bit different because of the physical grappling involved, yet their are still a lot of the same stupid stereotypes."
Some of the problems in getting women's wrestling to full throttle are breaking down the ridiculous beliefs related to the sport.
"Despite what a lot of guys think, when you are on the mat it's not erotic," Reinis said. "This isn't turning me on or getting me off."
Another belief is that the sport is just too rough for females. Reinis had a difficult time arguing against this one, noting that her own dad can't stand that she wrestles. In fact, he refuses to attend her matches for fear of watching his daughter get bruised up.
"Girls are suppose to be like sugar and spice and everything nice, but half of the girls that I know aren't even like that any more," she said. "There are a lot of stereotypes, along with fear and hatred toward the sport - it takes a lot to not be afraid."
Reinis took a huge risk by attending UCD. She knew going in that she could be the only female on the squad, although the Aggies have had female wrestlers in the past. Yet to her teammates and coach, this has never been a source of awkwardness.
"All the guys on the team are really comfortable having her around," Burch said. "Being around her, you get a sense that this is serious thing for her. She loves physical combat, she is feisty as hell and has an intensity that lacks in even some of the males."
Giving up on the sport is something Reinis has never given any thought to. Instead, she simply sees the circumstances of being involved with a traditionally male-dominated sport as a test of her resolve.
This year has probably been the biggest test of that. Because there are no other female wrestlers, she had been forced to practice with the men's squad, but weighing 20 pounds less then the nearest wrestler on the team, she has been unable to find a practice partner for the season.
"No one said it was going to be easy," she said. "Someone had to do it - I was the first. I just didn't see anyone else doing my job. I think it will get easier eventually, we're just at the point of making baby steps. Hopefully this will continue to all the UC campuses."
Reinis emphatically denies that she is simply trying to gain personal attention by competing in the sport. To Reinis, it has never been about being a female wrestler, as much as just being a wrestler.
"I just think it is a great sport," she said. "Any wrestler will tell you that once you start doing it, it gets in your blood, and you can't let go of it."
