My name is Dana Barnes and I am a female wrestler. I have been a wrestler since 7th grade. I am now a senior in high school. Most people think that girls should not be allowed to partake in male dominated sports, but I beg to differ. I love wrestling and I have made many friends by going to wrestling meets. I think that wrestling is a good sport for anyone to join. First, they go by weight classes, so everyone is even. Wrestling is also a huge confidence builder for me. My freshman and sophmore year I was the only female on the team. My junior year there was one other girl, and my senior year there was four of us. Our school had the most girls out of any other team that we had ever faced. Alot of boys take girls lightly when they see us step on the mat, but they are usually in for a big surprise, because girls are just as good as boys. Boys may be stronger, but girls are more flexible. Having alot of girls on our team also pushed the boys to go harder, just because they didn't want people to know that a girl was better then them. By boys being cocky and saying that they were always better has pushed me to become the best wrestler that I could be. I think that there is no problem with girls stepping on the mat, and the only people that are complaining are the mothers of the boys that just got beat by a girl. By wrestling I am practicing my right to the pursuit of happiness and why should anyone be the judge and say I can't?
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Girls should have the choice. The only problem is that some boys do not want the wrestle a girl. There was a girl at my high school that was on the wrestling team. She had a good record, but only because no one would wrestle her. It was kinda sad.
Random yet insightful?
Most people think that girls should not be allowed to partake in male dominated sports
Uhhh... source for that? I don't think many people would say that.
Girls should definitely be allowed to wrestle, but I can understand guys having a problem fighting girls. I wonder though what would happen if a guy randomly decides to withdraw from a fight with another guy. Would he get kicked off the team? If so, then guys who refuse to wrestle girls should be kicked off as well.
What would be best was an all-girls wrestling team, but it doesn't sound like there's enough girls interested (or realizing it's an option for them).
There are all-girl wrestling teams, but they are easier then regular co-ed tournaments. Me and another girl on me yeam were on it, but it was'nt as competietive as wreslting a guy. We made it to states, but we felt that it was too easy. It gives you a better sense of accomplishment when you can defeat the odds and out-wrestle a boy.
Dana
I am glad you are finding confidence in being a part of probably the toughest sport ever (my brothers are both wrestlers).
Bekka Joy
Good for you! I personally would never be on the wrestling team, but if I wasn't in marching band, I would seriously try out for football. Powderpuff is a little too tame for me, if ya know what I mean. :)
I am a wrestler too and I do see how during practices sometimes teammates in the same weight class dont want to wrestle with you because of the mindset that guys are stronger than girls. At times, I dont get the same workout as another boy in my class but if people get over the idea that boys are stronger than girls you can see a big change in these types of sports in which males are dominant and see more girls participating.
Girls should be allowed to wrestle because they can do everything that boys can do. Sometimes girls do things better. It is a good thing that you are doing what you love to do.
**baller10**
girls should be allowed to wrestle other girls. If the school permits it, then by all means a girls wrestling team should be established. They could be the next WWE divas.
I understand what you're saying because when I was in high school, one of my friends wanted to wrestle and be on the wrestling team; but, the administration wouldn't allow girls to wrestle and just made her the wrestling manager, instead.
Read my blog!
I am a punjabi guy (from India) studying in washington university. If u heard bout punjabis are very strong by nature. I used to carry 100 kgs (220 lbs) of sacks full of grain one on each shoulder when i used to work in my fathers farm. I used to wrestle with immense powerful guys and also men in our villages and nearby villages and got a name of being a very strong guy at age of 16 but then i was not even close to compete against the champions there. Then i came to delhi for higher studies and in those universities wrestling is not a sport so i discontinued it.
I came here last year 2007, and finding wrestling a part of sports in george washington university, I started competing in it . Soon i regined my lost skills. I am not that huge also 5-9" 185 pds. However I never knew i have to compete a girl later on during real matches. In this season in our wrestling final 32 there were 3 girls who were high school wrestlers and so they competed with us and my bad luck all 3 of them i had to meet in some stage to move into semi-finals. After initially beating a guy I met this girl sherry she ws around 160 pds ish and in my weight category. After reading all these on the internet i thought girls are quite strong nowadays especially ones of this country being an outsider. So though reluctant i went into the ring. I had to admit the girl was far more superior in technique and was getting me in different holds each time and she got the upper hand - maybe i was very reluctant to use my strength as i normally do. Then she got me with her legs tied around my waist in a strong hold.. suddenly seeing the other girls giggling i got mad .. and used my full strength with my hands to break free her legs and tries pulling her legs apart. To my utter dismay, as soon as my used my strength i broke her ankle with my fierce strength and she screamed and almost went senseless. I felt so ashamed i cant tell. She is now at bed rest for 4 months at least. In fact the other 2 girls backed off from the competition knowing they have to fight me sometimes. I dont know what i am going to do now, i am extremely unpopular among the girls of the university. I am thinking of quiting wrestling atleast in this country.
She knew that going in to it. If she was strong enough to hold her ankles locked so tightly they broke when you applied force, she was a formidable opponent, and you did nothing wrong. If you applied force in an illegal move, on the other hand, then you would have cause to feel bad. Not saying you used an illegal move, just offering that up as an example of when it would be appropriate to feel remorse for an injury in an athletic match.
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
Dont quit. When girls going into sports like this we realize that we are stepping in the line of danger and sports injuries are normal.
my sister is a wrestler and she holds her own against the boys. Although, I don't like her wrestling with boys, it isn't really a level playing field. I'd feel better if there was a girls team but eyy, since their isn't one, Title 9 says that she has to play with the boys... and she whoops ass.
[Krst]