Women Fight for the Right to Wrestle
I came across this interesting article in the New York Times. It turns out wrestling has been a growing sport for women for the last twenty years. Girls are walking out onto the mat everyday across America, standing up, and utilizing their right to wrestle. According to the article, Women Want to Wrestle; Small Colleges Oblige,
“The inclusion of women’s wrestling in the Olympics beginning in 2004 provided a huge boost to the sport’s popularity and credibility. Five thousand girls nationwide wrestled in high school in the 2006-7 academic year, yet only eight colleges offer it as a varsity sport. Three of those eight programs are starting this fall.”
The more girls that wrestle in high school, the more girls that want to wrestle in college, and the more girls that move on to compete in the Olympics. The sport is growing, and it would be a shame for the girls to be limited or shut out of competing, because their university or institution did not have a women’s wrestling program. Wrestling has been under attack by opposers of Title IX. Unfortunately, wrestling is a sport that regularly gets cut in order for colleges and institutions to comply with Title IX rules and regulations. One supporter of women’s rights to wrestle has a great solution to everyone’s problems! Joey’s Wrestling room is a page dedicated to women’s wrestling. In “History of Wrestling” he states,
“At the collegiate level women’s wrestling is an ideal choice for creating new opportunities for women. In fact, women’s wrestling fits the NCAA criteria for emerging sports programs. Many schools that support a men’s wrestling program are out of compliance with Title IX – and money is always a factor. Adding women’s wrestling to an athletic program can save the athletic budget alot of money. Think about it. The coaches, the equipment, and the facilities are all in place. All that is needed is singlets and travel expenses. Economically it is the smart choice.”
Pretty Tough has already started to highlight the immerging sport of women’s wrestling. In a blog posted she states some of the facts about the sport:
“About 4000 girls wrestle at the high school level in the U.S. (compared to 239,000 boys), according to the USA Wrestling Association. High school girls’ wrestling has only been sanctioned in two states: Hawaii and Texas (both since 1999). Until girls’ wrestling teams are numerous enough to get state sanctioning, girls have to compete at informal divisions or meets instead of state tournaments�or compete against boys. In 2005, there were 17 girls who qualified for boys’ high school state tournaments around the country, and six of those girls placed. The U.S. Girls Wrestling Association claims to be the future of the sport. They provide information of USGWA tournaments and events, as well as a discussion forum for female wrestlers and coaches.”
Hopefully in the next couple of years we will begin to see an increase in women’s wrestling and less cutbacks of men’s programs. After a highly publicized summer Olympics I don’t recall any coverage of women’s wrestling. Guess we have a ways to go.
CORREECTION: (by Megan Hueter)
Wrestling has not been under attack of the opposers of Title IX. The only thing that COULD BE criticized by wrestling coaches is the opportunity for women’s wrestling to be classified as an “emerging sport.” Wrestling has not made the NCAA’s seven-sport list to be classified as “emerging,” so there is really no argument here.
Above, when I saw “wrestling coaches,” I am not referring to ALL wrestling coaches. I am referring to some (and it is coming directly from the New York Times),
“Dozens of men’s teams have been eliminated over the past three decades, a phenomenon many coaches attribute to Title IX.”
As you can see, it’s clear they are critics of the law. However, it’s not Title IX that has eliminated those programs. It’s the institutions and their decisions to distribute funds to other men’s programs which they may deem more valuable. (which is unfortunate)
Also, to note, it’s not Title IX that is not allowing women’s wrestling to be classified as an emerging sport. It’s the NCAA. The problem is not with the law (it’s a good law that has created millions of opportunities for female athletes). The problem is with the institutions that govern the law and the politics that surround those decisions. It’s unfortunate for men AND women (sometimes) that this is the case.
You write: “Wrestling has been under attack by opposers of Title IX.”
What a bunch of hooey. In fact, it has been college wrestling coaches who have been at the forefront of fighting to get wrestling for women added at colleges across the country — at least when they’re not busy fighting for the very existence of their programs.
The real problem for the growth of women’s wrestling is that it isn’t a large roster sport. Because it isn’t, it’s easier for schools to add sports like crew and soccer in order to hit the numbers in the gender quota. Eliminate the quota system, and get rid of the ridiculous “emerging sport” designation, and you’d get all the women’s wrestling programs that you wanted — and men’s wrestling coaches would be leading the way to make it happen.
Eric,
Why do you assume that “college wrestling coaches” are against Title IX? Where is that connection?
Maybe some institutions have college wrestling programs which are hurt/cut because the institutions do not allocate their funds in the best interest of all men’s programs. Money is always the factor. But it doesn’t necessarily mean that every institution’s wrestling coach is against Title IX.
@mhueter
Check the original post again. I was quoting the blogger, not making an assertion of my own.
But your point is well taken — wrestling coaches don’t necessarily oppose Title IX. What many of them oppose is the way it is enforced — something that has led directly to the elimination of programs across the country.
Clarification to sentence that is being misinterpreted from my original posting. Sports like wrestling and men’s swimming have been those first to get cut by athletic departments in order to reach title IX compliance. Therefore, uneducated men attack title IX and it’s existence, assuming that it is because of title IX that these programs are forced to be cut. In actuality, programs are cut because sometimes it is the only solution an athletic director can come up with in order to comply with title IX. People who oppose title IX use examples of such sports being cut as ammunition for their argument.
Wrestling–like MMA, boxing, bodybuilding, and weightlifting–confronts and contradicts traditional gender ideals. Thus it’s exciting to see so many young female athletes taking up the sport. I’ve written about this a few times now on my blog. I’m glad you’re on the case too, Megan. Good post!
By the way, Joey’s wrestling room has been a web site run by current Oklahoma City University wrestler Joey Miller. SHE has been updating the site since she was about nine years old.
While it “might” be uneducated men quickly blaming Title IX, it’s VERY educated women who shift blame away from gender quotas and roster caps and point the finger to football or spending or history as a defense.
Common sense needs to be used with interpreting Title IX.
But again, Joey Miller’s a female.
Wrestling is a great sport for girls. It is one of the toughest sports as a package (agility, speed, strength, stamina, intelligence)
The one thing I have a problem with is the fact that when a boy doesn’t want to wrestle a girl, he has no recourse, even though in most states it’s listed as a boys sport. Think about this, a boy can get a three day suspension for staring at a girl too long in gym class, but she can go grab him between the legs and he has to be chest to chest to her to wrestle and that’s not considered sexual harassment.
Now, if the schools would count it as “co-ed” as Illinois does, and then add another boys sport to make up for it, then so be it. As long as they’re using wrestling to block the addition of new sports (lacrosse, hockey, etc) because they have enough ‘boys’ sports but then not protecting the boys from sexual harassment, then that seems to be another case of Title IX hypocrisy.
our state high school association here in texas, the uil, added boys and girls wrestling years ago. now, we’re graduating kids who’d like to wrestle in college but cannot because of the crazy quota system known as title ix. we also divided our swimming by classifications and essentially doubled participation at the state level for both boys and girls. in texas, there are only thirteen college programs for women and ten for men. we have dozens of schools with pools that dropped swimming or won’t add it because of the title ix quotas. returning or adding swimming, especially men’s, would mean the title ix lawyers would come out and shoot it down. thanks, title ix.
Um, not to point out errors in your logic, and your self-contradictory reasoning, but what the heck….
“Therefore, uneducated men attack title IX and it’s existence, assuming that it is because of title IX that these programs are forced to be cut. In actuality, programs are cut because sometimes it is the only solution an athletic director can come up with in order to comply with title IX.”
According to your own statement, that’s not a budgetary reason or lack of participation by the males, quite simply it is “the only solution an athletic director can come up with in order to comply with title IX” So, in fact, according to YOU Title IX is the problem.
Yep, we might just be uneducated men, but we know how to read and use logic, and that puts us at least two steps ahead of you.
There are hundreds of men’s swimming programs and men’s wrestling programs surviving across America. Athletic Directors in colleges and universities are complying with Title IX and making it work. MY POINT is that it is the fault of the athletic departments that cut sports. MY POINT is that it is how they choose to run their “business” in order to comply with the rules and guidelines. “it is the only solution an athletic director CAN COME UP WITH.” Never did I say that it was the ONLY solution. And it is budgetary because mostly when it is the ONLY solution it is because they can’t manage MONETARILY to add another program. It is their choice in what programs to cut, and how to manage their money. Title IX doesn’t tell them how to do that. It’s up to them to come up with a solution.
Fact: Since the passage of Title IX, American colleges and universities have eliminated 466 men’s wrestling programs.
http://www.intermatwrestle.com/college/dropped.aspx
Hot topic..
My hubby is a wrestling coach and we’ve met a ton of passionate, amazing female wrestlers over the years.
In response to Eric’s post above, as I said in my ammended commentary above,
It’s not Title IX that is not allowing women’s wrestling to be classified as an emerging sport. It’s the NCAA. The problem is not with the law (it’s a good law that has created millions of opportunities for female athletes). The problem is with the institutions that govern the law and the politics that surround those decisions. It’s unfortunate for men AND women (sometimes) that this is the case.
Keri – so cool that you’ve seen so many female wrestlers! Glad they’re being given the opportunity to compete.
odonnell
I wonder what other options they might have to meet compliance, would it be the “keep adding girl’s team no matter what the cost is” prong or the “EVERY girl gets to play whatever she wants no matter what the cost is” prong?
This may come as a shock to you, athletic departments sometimes don’t have all the money they want.
Before you say something ignorant about the spending on football teams, be mindful that a USA Today report says that women’s basketball is actually the most expensive sport per capita. On top of that, according to Patrick Rische, an economics professor, most football teams make money even before you factor in the press coverage resulting in the “Flutie Effect” I bring up Prof Rische, because his job is based on correct economics, as opposed to the WSF who survives on doing whatever they can, no matter how amoral or unethical, to get more girls to play sports.
Aaron – come on, I know you’ve got better things to say than than that.
What exactly do you mean by “per capita”? I know they’re not spending it on PR!
And I don’t know that the WSF is doing anything that anyone logical would call amoral. It’s a NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION.
Aaron,
Nobody mentioned football. As a product of state colleges, in both New Jersey and New York, I know all too well about athletic departments not having the money they want and sometimes need. Not to mention as a coach of men’s and women’s swimming. This may come as a shock to you, but it seems like the only time football was mentioned in this long string of comments was by yourself and other men that have commented on this blog post.
Do the schools spend that on PR or does ESPN, CBS, etc? In terms of what was spent on the teams, USAToday reported that women’s basketball is the most expensive sport per player.
It’s amoral to discriminate – which they do a lot of.
And since when does non-profit make someone moral? Fred Phelps and his band of loony anti-gay activists are non-profit too.
The only reason I brought up football was because as soon as anyone brings up a lack of funds, every women I’ve run into defers the discussion to “look how much is spent on football!!!” As a non-rev sport guy, I know it sucks, but it’s the way it is because no one will come see a xc race like they’ll go to football.
i dont see nothing wrong with it cuz im a female wreastler at south east high school and i like it