Takedown Report

DECEMBER 2022 | SCHOLASTIC COACHES DIRECTOR’S REPORT

GIRLS STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

So, now that we are shy of forty states with sanctioned girls wrestling scholastic state championships, what do they look like? I can tell you that they have some comparable experiences for their female athletes, while some have very unique protocols or formats. Much of this can be attributed to where each state is with the number of years they’ve conducted the tournaments. Some states are just getting out of the gate, some are on the doorstep, while others are waiting to get the green light from their state’s governing body while conducting an unsanctioned state tournament through their state’s coach’s associations. A few states have yet to gain interest or traction, but that will change soon as the girls wrestling movement continues to expand and gain in popularity. It’s incredible how fast this initiative has grown and continues to grow. If your school still needs to get a girls wrestling team, please consider helping find information about how to get one established. It continues to strengthen our participation numbers and local interest and, without a doubt, provides all the qualities, benefits, and outcomes that make our sport great and unique while serving a whole new group of athletes.

With regard to a girls state tournament, some of the questions I’ve heard are the following; Are there enough girls participating in your state to require a qualifying tournament for the state tournament. To this point in time, the answer is yes, for most states. States in transition may still have an open tournament with no qualifying process. Other questions to be answered are; how many regions a state should have and how many qualifiers make it to the state tournament. This is an area that does differ as determined by each state. Another issue; does the tournament have a double-elimination format, and how many place winners should be recognized? Again, most states have a double-elimination format, but the number of place winners recognized may vary (it seems like 4, 6, or 8). Most states have a full bracket (typically 16), with some stating that the last two weight classes may be just shy of the number to fill a bracket. Some states have found creative solutions, such as an at-large selection process from the regional tournament to add a couple of girls to the state tournament to fill the brackets in their weight class. Again, this is not a pervasive problem in most states, but there are a few. I like the way some states have addressed this issue. … rest of story at NWCAonline.com/december-2022-scholastic-coaches-directors-report

Girls wrestling getting closer to more organized tournaments, state championship in Pennsylvania

(WTAJ) — Pennsylvania’s fastest-growing youth sport is getting closer to its next big step.
As of Tuesday, Dec. 27, the state has 90 girls wrestling teams and needs just 10 more to become sanctioned by the PIAA, which would lead to more tournaments and an organized state championship.

It’s something wrestler Savannah Carfley from Curwensville, thinks will help expand the sport even more.

“It’s parent-driven, it’s girl-driven, not wanting to wrestle the guys,” Savannah said. “So I feel like opening that up where they have girls from almost every school that want to wrestle, that just shows you that something needs to be made here.”DuBois boxer ranked among the best in the country

The 11th-grader said she’s wanted to wrestle her whole life but had to watch her older brother wrestle for 12 years.

“I always begged my dad to let me wrestle,” Savannah said. “But he didn’t want me wrestling the guys.”
But she finally got her shot this year when her school was one of over 50 to start an all-girls team this year — and she convinced her dad to let her practice with the boys.

She said she likes practicing against them as an extra challenge, but understands why many girls would want to wrestle against only other girls. She said she loves wrestling and hopes the sanctioning will help other girls feel the same.

“Girl’s wrestling, as a whole, has grown so much, that it really shows that there’s girls out there that want to prove what they’re made of,” Savannah said. “Like it’s not just a guy’s sport.” … rest of story at WTAJ/news/girls-wrestling-getting-closer-to-more-organized-tournaments-state-championship-in-penn

January 1, 2023 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized