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Wildcats' wrestling slamming stereotypes

MIKE STELLA
Sports Writer

OCALA — One girl grew up with it. One girl switched from the manager of the boys team to a participant on the girls team. A third girl likes the physical aspect of the sport.

These three Forest High School students — Holly Peters, Jennifer Campbell and Jessy Kennedy — are members of the Wildcats' girls wrestling team.

Girls wrestling? Don't be so surprised.

"I think these are a special breed of girls," Forest's assistant boys coach Allen Hisey said. "Not every girl could do it. Just because they are special doesn't make them weird. We even have one girl on here who is a junior varsity cheerleader.

"So the femininity remains. They are just women that you don't want to mess with," Hisey added. "And they use that avenue to — not so much be like guys — but express that aggressiveness in a healthy way."

These girls fit that mold — especially Peters. The sophomore, who runs track, cross country and has even been a cheerleader, has been around wrestling her whole life.

Her father, Scott Peters, is head coach of the boys team.

Last year, she and a group of 10 other girls wanted to wrestle. Due to the response, the administration supported the formation of a girls team.

"I love it," Peters said about wrestling. "And it gets you in the best shape of your whole entire life."

This is the first season wrestling for Kennedy, a sophomore. She knew a couple of girls last season who wrestled and thought it would be fun to try.

"I like to be real athletic," Kennedy said. "It just seemed like something I would be interested to do ... I like the physical and mental aspect of it. It's a mental sport too. You have to be aware of what's going on."

The girls used to practice opposite the guys — the girls at night and the boys during the afternoon. But now they wrestle in the same room and sometimes wrestle each other.

"I wrestle guys every day," Kennedy said. "I think it makes you a stronger wrestler. I don't think it is weird. It's just practice."

Kennedy said the students around school are getting used to the idea of female wrestlers and now think it is cool.

"They joke around and stuff," Kennedy said about some of the boys around school. "They think it should be some big, bulky girl and then they see us. They are kind of like 'whoa.'"

Campbell agreed with Kennedy.

"I think if somebody looked at our team altogether, they would never guess that we were a bunch of wrestlers. We're all pretty girls, I guess you could say ... Most of us have our nails painted and all that."

Campbell, the manager of the boys team last year, wanted to jump into the action.

"I got addicted to it," Campbell said.

Campbell, a senior, originally started in the sport to strengthen her back after she had injured it.

"As I went along, I decided it was definitely for me," Campbell said. "I like whooping up on other guys."

"It's real unique," Hisey added. "It's not real popular (yet). The girls that do wrestle, for the most part, have only had the opportunity to do so on boys teams."

Across the state, there are approximately 15-20 girls teams, and only one in Marion County. The popularity of girls wrestling has grown nationwide over the past couple of years.

In a 1998-99 survey by the National Federation of State High School Associations, there were 661 schools with girls wrestling teams and 2,361 girls overall participating on those teams.

In a 1999-2000 survey, the number grew to 734 schools and 2,474 girls nationwide — and that doesn't include girls that are still wrestling on boys teams.

"This is a big move forward to start a girls wrestling program," boys Forest head coach Scott Peters said. "There are a lot of fears out there to have girls working out in the same wrestling room."

But the Wildcats boys team don't have a problem with the girls team.

"The guys on the team are totally for the girls wrestling team," Hisey said. "It is a mutualistic relationship. They both feed off of each other."

"I think it's great," said senior Ryan Clark, who is the 189-pound wrestler for the varsity boys team. "I like working with them. They are great motivators. It's real good to have them along with our program."

It did take some getting used to last year for girls to be in the wrestling room.

"When I first found out that they were coming out, it was definitely different," Clark said. "There was definitely some adjusting that had to be done. I was just glad to have them out and that we had something we could offer them."

How do the parents feel about their girls wrestling? Lisa Kennedy, Jessy's mother and special education teacher at Forest High School doesn't mind at all.

In fact, she likes it so much, she is an assistant coach for the girls team.

"In the beginning, I was a little leery of it," said Lisa Kennedy about her daughter wrestling. "Being in the boys room and doing a lot of wrestling with them, then you start to really wonder if I should have second-guessed that. But she really likes it and I like it too."

Before Jessy wrestled, she danced for 11 years in the Marion County Ballet Company.

"We've gone from a unitard to a singlet," Lisa Kennedy said. "I like the sport. I like the discipline. I like the leadership. I like the whole team aspect."

As for Jessy's father, Lisa said "he was not happy at all in the beginning. She pretty much had to beg him. I had to do some convincing also."

The girls are in action Saturday at the state meet in Oviedo. Last season, the Wildcats (5-1 this season) placed second in the state.

"I think it will be close for first (place) this year," said Peters, who is 6-3 this season and has a 15-4 career record. "I think our team has the mentality and the strength to pull it together and win."

The one obstacle the girls face is out of the 11 girls on the team, they are bunched up into five weight classes. There are 10 weight classes in the tournament, which will make scoring team points tough.

"We have the horsepower and the talent to win state," girls head coach Chris Scaglione said.

Individually, Peters was injury defaulted last year, but she has her sights set on a title.

Campbell finished second at 119 pounds last season. She is fighting an injured knee this season and is only 2-1, but hopes to go out a champion.

"I haven't had a lot of mat time, being out," Campbell said. "But I'm going to try my hardest and I'd like to go away from Forest wrestling by winning states."

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Wrestling: Melissa Kindratsky, Canadian Collegiate Wrestler

By Kim Taylor

© EJMAS 2/2001.

Sweat, ripped T-shirts, knee braces, tape, and an ice pack on a swollen nose. Not exactly the place where most mothers might expect to find their daughters, or most people would expect to find the 1999 recipient of The Canadian Engineering Memorial Foundation Scholarship for the Prairie Region, but the Canadian national wrestling team’s training camp is where you’ll find Melissa Kindratsky,

In July 1999, the University of Guelph hosted a national training camp for the Canadian men’s and women’s Junior (17-20) and Senior (20 and up) teams. The camp led up to the Canada Cup, a multinational Olympic-style wrestling competition held in Fredricton, New Brunswick, the following month. During the latter tournament, Kindratsky was voted outstanding wrestler, and as a result got a trip to the Worlds, where she finished sixth.

We caught up with Kindratsky at the end of the twice-a-day wrestling workouts that followed training runs and a weights session. At the time of this interview, Kindratsky had just turned nineteen. During high school, she was the British Columbia champion and Canadian age group champion three times. In her first year of college, she won the Junior Nationals at 58 Kg and the Canadian University championships at 61 Kg despite missing most of the varsity season with an ankle injury.

***

Kim Taylor (KT): How did you get into wrestling?

Melissa Kindratsky (MK): I started in grade 8 in Port Alberni, BC, which is on Vancouver Island. The city is a "wrestling town" and some of the women friends of the male wrestlers started working out amongst themselves, then training some of the local girls. This was in 1993.

KT: When did wrestling start in the schools?

MK: The high schools had women’s teams by 1991 and the first official British Columbia championships were held in 1995.

KT: What’s your mom think about all this?
MK: She’s supportive, but she’s afraid to watch me wrestle live. She doesn’t mind seeing a video after it’s all over and she knows I haven’t broken my neck or anything. She’s getting better now, though, after she’s decided I’m pretty tough.

KT: Have you had a lot of injuries?

MK: I had a major ankle injury that still bothers me. It caused me to miss most of the University tournaments last year. I was lucky to come back in time for the Nationals and win that. I’ve also had knee problems, shin splints, and chronic back and neck trouble.

KT: What else has wrestling done for you?

MK: It’s helped a lot in my self-esteem, my self-confidence, and all sorts of other ways. We have a very supportive community back home and I’ve done a lot of public speaking and other work to try and give something back.

KT: Do you think other moms should let their girls go into the sport?

MK: Oh, for sure. I do some coaching for grade 5 and 6 girls. They love it.

KT: Even with the injuries?

MK: It’s been worth a little pain for what I’ve got out of it. Of course we try to keep the injuries down with the younger kids.

KT: Have you ever used your skills to defend yourself?

MK: No, not really. My younger brother sometimes fights me in the living room. He thinks he’s tough but he can’t beat me yet. When I was in high school I had to walk home along a dark path, so I used to think about what moves I’d use if I were attacked.

KT: So instead of being scared, you used the walk to work on your techniques. Do you often work against men in your training?

MK: In high school I worked out regularly against the men’s team, and even participated in tournaments in the States in the men’s division. Did pretty good in a couple of them. We don’t work out so much against the men in University, as by that age they’re a lot quicker and stronger. But twice a week in Calgary, the women’s university team works out against high school male wrestlers.

KT: Any trouble working out with the men?

MK: None at all. The younger wrestlers have grown up with women wrestlers, so it’s pretty natural to see them on the mat and to work out with them.

KT: So what’s in the future?

MK: I hope I can continue wrestling. The Canada Cup is my first international meet and I’m curious to see how I’ll do against the other teams. I’m looking forward to the Worlds and if women’s wrestling is accepted into the Olympics in 2004, I hope to be there.

KT: Good luck on that and thanks for taking the time to talk with us.

For more of Melissa see "Christine Nordhagen's Five Step Wrestling Strength Workout," Physical Training, February 2000, http://ejmas.com/pt/ptart_taylor1_0201.htm

For Further Reading

Leyshon, Glynn. "Mat Wars: The Story of Ontario High School Girls’ Wrestling," InYo, http://ejmas.com/jalt/jaltart_leyshon_0800.htm

Taylor, Kim. "Christine Nordhagen's Five Step Wrestling Strength Workout," Physical Training, February 2000, http://ejmas.com/pt/ptart_taylor1_0201.htm

Pyette, Ryan. "Perfect match: Dinos wrestling teammates a dynamic duo," Calgary Sun, http://www.canoe.ca/CIAUWrestling/may15_per.html

Wrestling Canada, http://www.wrestling.ca

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Solutions aren't easy, but apathy is irresponsible

4/2/2001

I very nearly drove off the road when my 13 year-old 7th grade son after his first wrestling tournament, announced to me that there were girls on the opposing team. I told him that I would not allow him to wrestle girls. I, meanwhile, thinking that it was a fluke for a girl to be on a wrestling team to begin with, never dreamed that he would have to forfeit his wrestling match on that day because he was paired up with a girl, and that he would also forfeit a chance to be on the junior varsity team for the season. How can we subject our precious boys - with a growing sense of their own sexuality in response to the opposite sex, their new awareness of the impending transition from boyhood to manhood, and their attempts to channel their newfound physical energy and strength into acceptable avenues requiring skill and control - how, tell me how, can we then thrust them into an arena where they are required to grab a female body in potentially intimate places, slam the girl down on the mat, lay on top of the girl, and then play with their brains by telling them that this is perfectly acceptable?
We hand our children adult-sized issues and then expect them to handle it in the context of their own sensitive and intense period of adolescent development.
Please parents! Let's give our adolescent boys the space to grow and learn about themselves and the limits of their own strength and abilities during this intense time without subjecting them to this cruel awkwardness. Aren't we being remiss by forcing our boys to own the problems created by the few female wrestlers who see it as their right to serve their own self-interests?
Rights must be balanced with a sense of responsibility, and we all have the responsibility to see to the healthy psychological growth of these boys.
I challenge you to ask yourself whether boys wrestling girls seems intuitively wrong and inappropriate to you. If it does, let's have the courage to be parents and to protect our adolescents during this sensitive time in their lives. Parents of male wrestlers could prohibit their sons from wrestling girls. The solutions aren't easy but an apathetic is completely irresponsible.
Mary Aslin, Woodinville

Schools should provide wrestling program for girls

4/16/2001

As the mother of three daughters, I appreciate very much that a recent writer is attempting to raise a son who will grow up to be a man who can control his impulses, channel his energies into productive uses and be respectful towards women.
There are too many boys with too much exposure to violent and sexually demeaning images with no one guiding them into more healthy pursuits.
The writer is concerned about her son having to wrestle girls or forfeit his own matches. It is difficult to stand up for a higher standard and I applaud her and especially her son for refusing to wrestle a girl.
Wrestling girls certainly contradicts the stated benefits of boys wrestling to "channel their newfound physical energy and strength into acceptable avenues requiring skill and control." With the epidemic of violence toward women, I would agree that boys thrusting girls "into an arena where they are required to grab a female body in potentially intimate places, slam the girl down on the mat, lay on top of the girl" is indeed, playing "with the brains by telling them that this is perfectly acceptable."
I do not, however, accuse the girls of "problems created by the few female wrestlers who see it as their right to serve their own self-interests."
Rather, I accuse schools with boys wrestling programs of not also providing girls wrestling teams and girls' matches. Perhaps more girls would choose the sport if they did not have to be subjected to wrestling with boys. Other sports are played separately, and logically so. I'll bet the girls who already wrestle would love to have their own teams and matches with each other because then they would truly be treated as being as important as the boys.
Robin Amundson, Woodinville

Mother wants her daughter to have space to grow and the opportunity to learn
her limits
I asked myself whether boys wrestling girls is intuitively wrong, and my
answer is no. In fact, the only question I have is where has the writer been
the last 30 years? I'm sorry if her adolescent son, in the throes of his
growing awareness of his sexuality and impending manhood, unchanneled
physical energy and strength, doesn't want to wrestle a girl. Maybe he
should find a new sport.
My daughter wrestled in junior high and high school. She was one of very
few girls on those wrestling teams. True, I did not encourage her to go out
for wrestling because I was afraid she would get hurt (like her two older
brothers who wrestled) and I was worried how she would handle attitude such
as yours. I shouldn't have worried. Her experience was positive in every
respect. The workout she got was more intense than any other sport she'd
participated in and she had the full support of every member of her team and
coaches. The only negative experiences she had were from a very few
opponents - the ones who forfeited the match rather than wrestle a girl.
They used the same line you did, but I think the better truth is they
didn't want to lose to a girl. And some of them did. And believe me,
adolescent boys aren't worried about the sexual connotations of wrestling a
girl. In those intense few minutes, they're doing everything they can not to
get beat. It's the adults who supply them with an acceptable excuse. I would
think nowadays boys would be much more worried about grabbing a ". . .
(male) body in a potentially intimate place, slam (him) down on the mat, lay
on top of the (boy), and then play with their brains by telling them that
this is perfectly acceptable."
The bottom line is, if your son (actually you) can only deal with
wrestling and losing to boys, he'd better start learning to deal with it.
Girls and women have been dealing with if for centuries. You give my
adolescent girl space to grow and learn about her limits, and I'll do the
same for boys.
Susan L. Valenta, Woodinville

Let's give all athletes the respect they deserve
This letter is in response to the mother who wishes parents to be
responsible and keep girls out of the sport of wrestling. As a mother of
four boys (the oldest being in college) I am well aware of the writer's
concerns. However, allow me to respectfully disagree.
A boy and a girl grabbing each other's "body in potentially intimate
places" may be a concern for parents. However, a boy and a boy grabbing each
other's body may be a concern as well.
There is also the possibility of contracting skin infections, cauliflower
ears, sore muscles, black eyes, scratches, dislocated body parts and broken
bones. What about the emotions of your adolescents? Has your child ever been
pinned in a match in 10 seconds or less? As a responsible parent, these are
only a few of the many concerns that I have.
Girls have been successfully competing in the predominately male sport of
wrestling for years. Yes, maybe it is time to let everyone know this. There
are also other facts that the community needs to be aware of.
Athletes and their parents have many responsibilities to "the team."
Athletes are responsible for attending 1 1/2 - 2 hour practices five days a
week. They are also responsible for supporting their teammates whether they
win or lose. Most important of all, they are responsible for being
respectful of their coaches, the scorekeepers, the referees, their teammates
and the opposing team.
It is a simple fact that a forfeit during a wrestling match is six points
to the opposing team. This could mean the difference between a win or loss
for the entire school. It is my opinion that forfeiting a match because the
opponent is a girl is simply a lack of respect.
Any student who chooses to give up their "free time" to withstand the
hard work required to be a responsible athlete in the sport of their
choosing needs a fair chance. Let's give them the respect they deserve.
Jane Brammer, Riverview School District parent

One vote does make a difference
I am a 13-year-old 7th grader and I currently attend Tolt Middle School,
home of the Thunderbirds.
Most of you may know me as a 3.8 GPA average student that attends Tolt
Middle School, but some of you may also know me as an athlete that loves
soccer and is going on her ninth year of playing soccer. I currently play on
a select soccer team, which consists of players from Snoqualmie Middle
School and Chief Kanim Middle School. Both schools have a field of their own
on which to play soccer, football, and track.
I honestly believe that Tolt Middle School is the only middle school that
does not have an athletic facility, which not only holds me back but the
other six girls on my soccer team, with whom I go to school and would love
to play soccer.
All these girls are being held back from their dream of excelling in
soccer and playing for their Middle School, just because Cedarcrest High
School does not have a field of their own and they have to use ours . . .
Now we don't get soccer period? Is it just me, or does this seem unfair to
you also? (Um . . . just a little bit.)
I am not only going to help to support the vote for fields in May, I am
going to try to get all of you to help me get the stadium our community
really needs.
Many of my friends are involved in school sports such as track,
volleyball, wrestling, basketball, and cross-country. I know that my school
Leadership Board is doing as much as possible to make this pass, not only
for themselves, but for many of your kids, friends, grandkids, nieces,
nephews, and many others who will be able to enjoy a field that belongs to
their school.
there is absolutely nothing more exciting than when your first goal or
touchdown is scored on your school field, your turf, your pride and joy,
where you were brought up and taught to walk.
So when you get a ballot to place your vote, you just take a moment to
think of all those athletes and future athletes that will benefit or not
from your decision, because your one vote does make a difference.
Nikki Pratto, TMS Thunderbird

Writer supports a girls' wrestling team

4/30/2001

A key sentence in my April 3 letter regarding girls wrestling boys was left out. The sentence was "Parents of female wrestlers could form a girls wrestling team."
I am very much in support of girls wrestling. Perhaps by forming a private girls wrestling team, or forming a school team, as one follow- up writer suggested, more girls would choose wrestling as a sport and the numbers would grow.
In the meantime, I still believe that it is totally inappropriate and wrong for boys and girls to be wrestling each other. I challenge you to let your conscience be your guide this time and ask yourself whether it doesn't seem appropriate and right for boys to wrestle boys and girls to wrestle girls.
Mary Aslin, Woodinville

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