WHS introduces a female wrestling team, breaking the tradition of the male sport.
by Liberty McCleskey & Erin Arnett
Run. Stretch. Drill. Heavy breathing and accelerated heart rates accompany the girls of the first-ever girls’ wrestling team of as they prep their bodies and minds for competition.
Although wrestling is a predominantly male sport, WHS has started the first season of female wrestling. The interest was sparked by senior girls Brooke Luecke and Jazmin Balderas, who confronted Coach Sanders of the male wrestling team about the idea.
Luecke said Sanders was reluctant about the idea until he saw how well the girls wrestled when they were messing around in practice, and realized there was equal potential for both genders. After pulling some strings, he finalized the birth of girls’ wrestling at Weatherford High School, despite the all-male tradition.
“We just wanted a sport to call our own,” Luecke said. “I mean, we love the sport, and know everything about it. What reason is there not to get involved?”
There are currently 27 girls signed up for the team. Each day in practice the girls thoroughly train their bodies to succeed in all their confrontations on the mat. Their first meet is on November 6th.
“We have high expectations. We’re expecting to go to regionals, and maybe even state,” Balderas said.
The female wrestling team is nothing if not driven. The girls all agree that they don’t get any special treatment when it comes to the sport. The coach expects them to work hard, and this seems to sit well among the team, motivating them to do their best.
“He pushes us to our limits,” Luecke said. “He doesn’t let us quit.”
The girls do have to push themselves to meet the demands of a male-dominated sport. They eat six meals a day in order to maintain their weight requirements, each meal having to fit in a sandwich bag. They cut out caffeine and carbs, but reward themselves on Saturdays at CiCi’s Pizza as a team.
“You have to portion your meals, work out a lot, and wear extra clothes to sweat off the weight,” Haley Robinson said. “It’s hard but definitely worth it.”
Initially, some of the male wrestlers thought that having a separate female team would take away from their own; however, most have come around and welcomed the girls with open arms. They provide them with extra motivation, constructive criticism, and endless support.
“It’s great,” Preston Perez said. “We all work really well together.”
All in all, the girls are excited to take the lead and show what they’re capable of.
“There’s not many girl wrestlers,” Robinson said. “We want to overcome the gender stereotype. We’re ready to prove ourselves.”