A second-grader, her name is Gracie. To show just how far out of it I was, I walked the entire length of the packed gymnasium, climbed to the top of the far right bleacher, situating myself in a crowded corner before finally taking a good look around. Some were little more than tots — 4-, 5- and 6-year-olds — walking around in tiny singlets and headgear covering their delicate French braids or ponytails. My surprise stems from thousands of personal hours logged in gyms all over the Chicago area and beyond, as my sons took part in this sport through One of my most vivid memories was watching as the lone girl on one of their junior high teams was given the choice of cutting her long hair that kept coming out of a skullcap under her headgear or forfeiting the match to her male opponent.
She chose to keep wrestling. And I watched in shock — anger, too — as her coach brandished a pair of scissors and, in front of the entire crowd, lopped off that thick braid. And Caitlin Casey happily filled me in on just how popular the sport has become, noting that in the last few years, the number of high school participants jumped from around to over 1, Charles East high schools.
The Batavia grad has been a fan of this sport since fifth grade when she competed in her first match — against a boy, of course. Wrestling guys was pretty much the way she had to roll all the way through her senior year at Batavia, Long recalled, adding that finding female opponents meant traveling further or competing in smaller brackets.
These days tell a different story. And there are over 30 collegiate programs across the country, including Aurora University, which is in its second year. There are about 20 girls out for the team this season, he added, including two who are state qualifiers from last year.
And Graves expects those numbers to go up in high schools everywhere, thanks in large part to successful local feeder programs. One thing I came to appreciate in my many years watching wrestling is the dedication and work that goes into this sport.
