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Wrestling with the Gender Wardens
June 25, 2001
Confusing times in the world of extracurricular activities. The Chronicle of Higher Education reports in its June 22 issue on a dispute involving the University of California at Davis’ wrestling team. Until recently, the men’s wrestling team included a few women who considered themselves full-fledged members of the men’s squad. But in order to meet the stringent federal gender-equity requirements of Title IX, UC Davis had to cap its roster of wrestlers. They decided to jettison the girls, offering them their own separate wrestling team since the female wrestlers “were unable to beat not only current [male] team members, but even male wrestlers who were cut from the squad following tryouts.” One of the female wrestlers is considering legal action against the university.
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Coverage unfairly pins stellar sports program
June 15, 2001
Editor’s note: The forum piece below was shared with local media last Thursday. On Friday, Assemblymember Helen Thomson invited Associate Athletic Director Pam Gill-Fisher and Cross-Country Head Coach/Physical Education Program Director Sue Williams to meet with her at her home. Gill-Fisher reports an "informative and cordial dialogue."
We are very concerned about the media treatment of the women wrestlers and their status in Intercollegiate Athletics. Many column inches have been devoted to the complaints of the wrestlers, and very little that details the perspective of Intercollegiate Athletics.
ICA’s position and reasons for actions taken have been largely ignored by the press. Even last week’s dismissal by the Office of Civil Rights of the women wrestlers’ complaint received only slight mention. The OCR declined to file a formal complaint on behalf of the wrestlers, ruling that their complaint was baseless and the accusation of gender discrimination groundless, ruling that UC Davis had acted well within federal guidelines when it asked that women wrestlers earn their way onto the roster through athletic performance. The OCR also ruled it was appropriate that the women were placed on the roster for spring training on the mats, which is the preparation to try out for the team in fall ’01.
UC Davis has a record of gender equity in athletics that is admirable, and the program has served as a model for other institutions. According to NCAA information, it is the largest women’s athletic program in the nation in NCAA Division I, II or III institutions – UC Davis offers more athletic opportunities for women than any institution in the United States. UC Davis has also been named the No. 1 Division II women’s athletic program in the nation by Sports Illustrated for Women two straight years. This ranking is based on qualitative as well as quantitative factors, and we coaches have worked very hard to create outstanding teams. One would think there would be an element of trust in a program that creates legitimate athletic opportunities for women to a level unmatched by any other university in the nation, that such a program would be presumed innocent until proven guilty rather than vice versa.
The female wrestlers at UC Davis wish to be considered members of the men’s wrestling team (since the NCAA does not recognize women’s wrestling as a sport). Yet they, by both their own admission and their former coach’s admission, were unable to beat not only current team members, but even male wrestlers who were cut from the squad following tryouts. This hardly constitutes making the team, and, in fact, their former coach did not place their names on the team list of 34 wrestlers who made the team in fall ’00. The women wrestlers claim they should be placed on the team because they have been allowed to be on the mats in previous years. Yet the growth of interest that should have been fostered by this opportunity simply hasn’t occurred. There have never been more than one to five wrestlers in a given year who have practiced with the men’s team, and none have ever wrestled in an NCAA event representing UC Davis.
Interest level is lacking
Women’s wrestling simply has not generated the numbers necessary to indicate they are more viable than other emerging women’s sports. Information from the California Interscholastic Federation, which governs high school sports, documents that there are 752 high school girls who wrestle in California; there are 4,588 high school girls who compete in golf, 4,722 high school girls who compete in badminton, and 2,629 high school girls who compete in field hockey. Women’s wrestling is not a sport sanctioned by the NCAA. Accord-ing to the NCAA’s online Web site Sports Spons-orship, there are only 235 men’s college wrest-ling programs in the nation at all divisions, and none of them are designated as mixed teams (those with men and women on the rosters).
All women’s sports since 1972 have gained ICA status by first establishing viability by showing numbers of participants at the college and high school level and adequate opportunity for competition with like teams. This was the avenue that the women wrestlers were encouraged to take last fall by UC Davis administrators by establishing club status. Doing so would have offered them the opportunity to be on the mats at the same time as the men’s team, and brought full insurance coverage (since they had no school coverage after the end of the tryout process for the men’s team). This provided the opportunity to establish a thriving club team, one poised to be considered for varsity status should the NCAA someday sanction the sport. The women wrestlers apparently feel they are entitled to bypass a process that has been evenly applied to all other women and men’s teams.
The women wrestlers state that they consider it a demotion to be placed on club status. UC Davis currently has three women’s club sports identified officially by the NCAA as "emerging sports" (sports increasing in participation that may gain NCAA status) – badminton, bowling and equestrian. Another UC Davis club sport, field hockey, is already a san-ctioned NCAA sport. These teams compete at the club level and have been working through the established process as emerging sports. They would like to achieve ICA status and would have valid complaint if they were by-passed and wrestling was granted such status.
Gary Voet in The Sacramento Bee states that Assemblywoman Helen Thomson is: "adamant that female wrestlers should be part of the varsity team and not be ‘relegated’ to club status, and that this may result in a larger cap" (larger numbers of men on the team). Every men’s sport would then have legitimate cause for complaint if their numbers were not also raised. To do so would jeopardize the ability of UC Davis to comply with federal Title IX guidelines requiring proportional participation by male and female athletes. The only likely option for Title IX compliance would then be to eliminate some men’s teams in an athletic program that is broadly based and does not have unlimited resources. This is an option no one would want to consider: UCD’s goal has always been to increase appropriate athletic opportunities, not eliminate them. The situation cannot be reasonably resolved by "simply" placing the three women on the men’s team.
When ICA administrators insisted last fall the women could not participate with the men after they were unable to make the team (an appropriate action in our opinion), athletic ad-ministrators met with the women wrestlers to have direct communication about the change. It is now evident that the change in their status should have been dealt with in a formal way with a written public statement, since such an action might have prevented the current situation. It is also very regrettable that neither the wrestlers nor the coach went at that time to the established groups who could deal with such situations, the Student-Athlete Advisory Com-mittee and the Coaches Advisory Committee.
Gender complaint misguided
The women wrestlers filed a gender discrimination complaint with the Office of Civil Rights, and last week the OCR ruled that there was no basis for complaint. It is not clear why Assemblywoman Thomson has taken a public position in opposition to the federal agency charged with oversight of these kinds of issues, nor why she feels her opinion is of more importance than that of OCR. Assemblywoman Thomson has not met personally with any member of athletic administration for information on the reasons for actions taken by Intercollegiate Athletics.
The women wrestlers tried out for the wrestling team and did not make the team based on talent (and we understand fully that it would be very difficult for a woman to make a men’s team). They are now demanding to be placed on the team based on the fact that they are women. This flies in the face of the ethics that have guided the growth of women’s athletics in the past 25 years and is nothing other than reverse discrimination. They have no more right to be on the men’s wrestling team because they want to than male gymnasts would have a right to be on the women’s gymnastics team. Preferential treatment is wrong in any form.
– Sandy Simpson, chair, UC Davis Coaches Advisory Committee, women’s head basketball coach
– Sue Williams, head coach, women’s and men’s cross country
– Deanne Vochatzer, head coach, women’s track and field
– Kathy DeYoung, head coach, women’s softball
–Emily Plesser, head coach, women’s crew
– Barbara Jahn, head coach, women’s swimming
– Stephanie Hawbecker, head coach, women’s volleyball
– MaryClaire Robinson, head coach, women’s soccer
–Jennifer Cardone, compliance officer
– Mitch Campbell, lecturer, academic advisor
– Michelle Roppeau, director of athletic advising, Student-Athlete Guidance Services
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Wrestle with the Best:
Lakehead to host Inukshuk Women's Wrestling Festival
By Rob Linke February 1, 2000.
Next week Lakehead University will host the first annual Inukshuk Women's Wrestling Festival at the C.J. Saunders Fieldhouse,
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This event, which is the first international women's tournament held in Canada, will feature some of the best amateur female wrestlers from around the world.
Along with Canada's national women's wrestling team, squads from Germany, France, Poland, Mexico and the United States are expected to attend. The number one ranked University of Calgary will be one of the many university teams attending this festival.
This event will give a unique opportunity to international, national and local women of all ages and abilities to train and learn from some of the best amateur wrestlers in the world. The organizers of the Inukshuk Wrestling Festival are interested in perpetuating positive sport experiences for female wrestlers, from school age to adulthood.
This event hopes to provide female athletes with extensive training opportunities through skill instruction, interactive discussions and active wrestling sessions that will provide them with positive sport and life skill experiences rather than just a tournament that may offer only a brief competitive experience.
Practice times, wrestling clinics and speaking sessions for all athletes to engage in will begin on Monday, January 31. This will give all wrestlers the chance to interact with the Canadian women's wrestling team.
The Inukshuk Women's Wrestling Festival will feature a dual meet format with wrestlers grouped by body weight and divided into four or more teams of mixed age groups and abilities. Because this event is open to all female athletes of all ages and capabilities mixing up the teams will allow great interaction between wrestlers that will further enhance their wrestling experience.
Event organizers are hoping that many of the teams will take advantage of the free bus ride that is being offered from Winnipeg to Thunder Bay on January 30th.
The Manitoba Open is being held on Saturday January 29, so all of these teams will have the opportunity to get a two for one deal by also attending the Inukshuk Wrestling Festival.
Lockheed University will continue to advance one of the worlds fastest growing sports women's amateur wrestling. Inukshuk will provide female athletes with experiences and opportunities that will last a lifetime.
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Female Wrestlers Face the Challenge
By: Goldie Deatherage / YVHS ODYSSEY
October 31, 2000
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Wrestling is a virtually male dominated sport, but here come the female wrestlers. They may have to work harder to excel in wrestling, but, "I like the endurance [you have to have]," explains freshman wrestler, Penny Ponder.
As challenging as wrestling is, the female wrestlers here at Yucca Valley High School are not quitting now. "[I joined wrestling] because some guy told me I couldn't wrestle," said veteran Jenifer Kaufman. Challenges for female wrestlers are not just physical.
"[Some] guys don't think girls can do wrestling," says freshman Karina Sheppard. While stereotypes do debilitate the female wrestlers in several ways, physical strength is a factor in the participation of females in wrestling. Kaufman said, "The biggest challenge in wrestling is that the men have more overall strength than the women."
Should wrestling be a co-ed sport? "Personally, no" says Kaufman, "It would be better if the girls could have their own team. That way we could have more confidence in our own team. We wouldn't have to be in the awkward positions with the guy that are part of wrestling. And the guys wouldn't have to be embarrassed about wrestling girls."
Coach Izzy, the wrestling coach, said the female wrestlers are, "Pretty brave for doing something not all guys and only a few girls are willing to do." He also said, "Wrestling should not be a co-ed sport, however, our headgears off to the girls who do come out for wrestling because of the obvious physical disadvantages the female wrestlers have while wrestling guys."
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Strong and growing: Number of female high school wrestlers continues to rise
EDMOND, Okla.(AP) -- When Melissa DeVeau was asked by Edmond Santa Fe wrestling coach Kirk Willis to come out for the team, she thought it was a joke.
Now, two years later, DeVeau is headed to Missouri Valley College in Marshall, Mo., on a wrestling scholarship.
DeVeau will wrestle for one of the three colleges in the United States that has a women's wrestling program, Missouri Valley being the first to offer scholarships. Minnesota-Morris and Cumberland, Ky., are the other two schools. Minnesota-Morris was the first college in the country to start an official women's wrestling team.
This may be the first you have heard about women's collegiate wrestling, but it probably won't be the last. Mike Machholz, wrestling coach at Missouri Valley, said there are numerous women's club teams around the country in addition to the three NAIA women's wrestling squads.
Missouri Valley competes against the other two NAIA women's teams as well as wrestling club teams that compete internationally. There are 10 Canadian colleges with women's wrestling teams.
Possibly the most shocking numbers regarding female wrestling is the growing amount of high school girls wrestlers. USA Wrestling estimates some 1,900 girls are wrestling in high school, mostly against males. That number has increased in recent years.
What kind of girls go out for wrestling?
"The athletic type of girls that have usually been involved in a variety of other activities," said Machholz. "These aren't girls that when they walk around everyone can automatically tell they're wrestlers."
DeVeau agrees with her new coach.
"I'm not nasty or anything," lau
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Rough and Tumble
Guys, get used to it. Girl wrestlers are here to stay.
by Amanda,15 /sports.chickclick.com
2001-02-27
Wrestling is one of the toughest and roughest of high school sports, which makes it really popular. No matter what age or sex you are, wrestling is challenging and intense.
You'll find many different ages and weights in wrestling, but who would you not expect to find out on the mat? Probably a girl. But you'd be wrong!
Wrestling is thought of as an all-guy sport, but it's not. Females participate too. The questions that seem to be on the minds of every male wrestler I come across are: "Should she even be here?" and "Can she handle it?"
With stupid questions come stupid answers. Of course she should be here, if she's willing to bleed, sweat and get brushed and bumped.
It's said that guys have bigger muscles than girls do, but that doesn't mean they're stronger. Wrestling isn't just about strength. It's about balance, endurance, skill, and most importantly, heart. If a female wrestler has all of these qualities, of course she can handle it. She may handle it better than the guys. Don't even think twice about it, guys -- she may even beat you.
A female wrestler may be your girlfriend, your best friend or even your crush, but on the mat, she's your enemy and your worst nightmare. You shouldn't treat her any differently than you would wrestling an African American, an Asian or even a disabled person.
One thing you must remember: If she didn't want to wrestle, she wouldn't be competing. Never take it easy on her, no matter what. If you hurt her, you hurt her. If she hurts you, she hurts you.
Why keep female athletes from a sport they know they can excel at? Many different opinions about women wrestling fly around, and it's a touchy subject. But female wrestlers aren't treated any differently at practice, so why should they be treated differently on the mat?
"Should she be here?" shouldn't even be a question
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