Takedown Report

Campaign to Sanction High School Girls Wrestling in Pennsylvania Launches

Harrisburg, PA (March 4, 2020) – The Pennsylvania Girls High School Wrestling Task Force announces the launch of SanctionPA, a grassroots effort to work towards getting high school girls wrestling approved as a sanctioned sport in Pennsylvania. The SanctionPA campaign includes advocacy efforts, education resources, promotional materials and collaboration with schools.
For the past five years, girls wrestling has been the fastest growing high school sport in the country. Mirroring the national statistics, Pennsylvania high school wrestling has experienced a 100% growth of girls on high school boys’ teams in the past five years. All 12 PIAA district areas have girls wrestling within their area schools. While there are 21 state high school associations sanctioning a girls wrestling state championship, Pennsylvania does not yet have an official state tournament and has not sanctioned girls wrestling as a sport.
The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) current rules require a minimum of 100 schools to have officially recognized girls wrestling programs before considering sanctioning the sport. The SanctionPA campaign is working to provide educational information and resources to help grow opportunities for girls wrestling and help to promote the addition of school girls wrestling programs.
Activities of the SanctionPA campaign include:

• Educate wrestling coaches and school administrators on girls wrestling;
• Work with individual schools to form official high school girls wrestling teams;
• Provide resources to schools and coaches to develop girls teams;
• Work with the PIAA Wrestling Steering committee and state office on sanctioning efforts and the creation of a PIAA State Championship;
• Help coordinate competition opportunities for girls until sanctioning is achieved;

Quotes:
“We are at a critical tipping point for girls wrestling in the state of Pennsylvania as we see the interest for the sport gaining momentum. Girls wrestling is the fastest growing high school sport in the nation and our state is seeing the same increase in popularity. Now is the time to embrace girls wrestling in Pennsylvania, a state that prides ourselves on our strong history of wrestling.” – – Brooke Zumas, assistant wrestling coach, Parkland High School and chair, Pennsylvania Girls High School Wrestling Task Force

“The amazing thing about wrestling is it is an inclusive sport, as it provides opportunity for individuals from all backgrounds and all physical sizes. However, in Pennsylvania that inclusion has historically stopped at gender. We are now seeing a hardy appetite to be fully inclusive and put out the welcome mat at a wide-open door for girl wrestlers.” – – Joe Stabilito, chairman, Pennsylvania USA Wrestling

“Officially recognizing the sport by schools and the state athletic association ….. rest of story at https://portal.nwcaonline.com/articles/NWCA_News/Campaign-to-Sanction-High-School-Girls-4-3-2020

March 5, 2020 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized