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    IL High School Girls Participation Survey results:

    In 1989, the U.S. started participating in the Women's Freestyle World Wrestling Championships. Since then womens wrestling has been one of the fastest growing sports in the United States and the world. It has been an official olypmic sport for the last two Summer olympics. The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) has shown a steady increase in female participation in high school wrestling over this time. Four states have officially sanctioned girls only wrestling teams at the high school level (HI, TX, WA, OR). Eighteen states do not report girls participation in wrestling including the state of Illinois. This survey was introduced to 1) see how many are participating 2) gauge whether the interest/growth is there to take the next steps in forming girls only teams.

    There are 429 high schools in the state of Illinois this year that have wrestling teams. An email was sent to all that an email address could be found for (approx 406). Whenever possible the Head Wrestling Coach was the target of the email, when unavailable the survey went to the Athletic Director. The first two tables below identify where the responses came from by position and by athletic conference. (skip to conclusions)

    NumPosition
    130Wrestling Coach
    40Athletic Director

    NumConference
    15Chicago Public League
    8Central Suburban League
    North Suburban
    Southwest Suburban
    6Big Twelve
    Interstate Eight
    5Corn Belt
    Mid-Illini
    Mid-Suburban East
    Upstate Eight
    Western Sun
    4Chicago Catholic League
    Fox Valley
    Heart of Illinois
    Mid-Suburban West
    Mississippi Valley
    NIC10
    South Seven
    South Suburban
    3Big Northern
    Central State Eight
    East Suburban Catholic
    NCIC (Lincoln Division)
    NCIC (Reagan Division)
    Okaw Valley
    Southwest Prairie
    Vermilion Valley
    West Suburban Gold
    Western Big Six
    2Metropolitan Prep
    Northwest Upstate Illini
    Prairieland
    Sangamo
    Sangamon Valley
    South Central
    Southern Illinois River to River (Ohio Division)
    Southwestern
    Suburban Catholic
    Three Rivers
    West Suburban Silver
    1Apollo
    DuPage Valley
    Little Illini
    Olympic
    Prairie State
    SICA Central
    SICA South
    Tomahawk
    West Central
    Western Illinois Valley

    Below are the survey questions with the responses received (skip to conclusions):

    1. Did you have girls go out for your wrestling team this year?

    2. If so, how many?
    Total
    Girls
    Schools
    w/Girls
    Total Schools
    that Responded
    117 57 170
    Avg Girls/Category: 2.05 0.69

    3. Have you had girls on the team in previous years?

    4. Is this an increase, reduction, or about the same as last year?

    Below are select responses to the two optional comment boxes that were part of the survey (skip to conclusions):

    Optional: If you have had girls in previous years how many/when? (please answer off the top of your head we are not requesting a lot of thought/work on this)

    • We have always had about 2-4 girls on our wrestling team since our wrestling program began 5 years ago. From the get-go, our coaching staff is very open and welcoming to having girls on the team!
    • This is the fourth year for thiw girl who has wrestled 103 all three years. She has lettered every year and wrestled over 20 matches. Whe has won only six in that time
    • I have an average of about 3-5 girls a year. I have had as many as 8 before and I have alway in my 9 years as head coach had at least 1.
    • We have had two in 16 years. One did very well and went on to Minnesota Morris and wrestled four years. The other girl wrestled as a frosh.
    • In 10 years probably 7, one girl was a 22 win 15 pin sectional qualifier
    • We have had female wrestlers on the team for the last 5 years. Usually one to two athletes, this year we have three and last year we had three. One female athlete graduated and is currently wrestling in a female college program.

    Optional: Do you have any comments about the growth of girls wrestling, their participation on boys teams, or the need for girls only teams?

    • I think that if girls are competing against other girls more girls will be interested in wrestling.
    • I think they should have girls only teams. I do not like to have my girl compete against other guys. Last year and this year was the first time this same girl has wrestled for the team. I have never discussed why she is here. She is serious about the sport. Maybe I will ask her. Previously girls went out becuase of some guy on the team and not very serious about the sport.
    • The girls on my team have done the research on their own, and know about places like Washington where there are female wrestling programs. They would love that idea.
    • I'd like to see more opportunities for girls. I wrestled with girls in college, including olympic medalist Randi Miller and USA team member Mary Kelly. I would love to see more girls get involved
    • I feel girls need their own team. It puts added and unneeded pressure on the boys having to wrestler girls. It's a no win situation for the boys.
    • Over the last 5 years I have noticed a large number of female students showing interest in the sport. In years past only 3 or 4 females would ask about joing the team and 1 would actually make the team. But recently I get at least 10-15 girls inquire about our team each year. Still, only one or 2 are serious enough about it to try out and make the cut. But the interest and awareness has increased substantially. As for female only wrestling teams.....I can see it as a real possibility, because a lot of parents tell me that they don't want their daughters wrestling against boys.
    • It could be a great thing, all I need is more options and tournaments for my girl wrestlers
    • My organization just started a wrestling program. This is our first year. I have had females inquire about the program so I may try to establish female program next year.
    • We are an Orthodox Jewish Day School, where boys & gurls are not allowed to touch each other at all. Not even holding hands in the hallway. As such, having girls on the wrestling team is not an option. That being said, a number of girls have expressed interest in having a girls' only wrestling team, but there has never been sufficient interest to press the administration on it.
    • It is a good source of activity for girls to wrestle.
    • I think it is great that there are so many girls coming out for sports, whether it is on a girls-only team, or co-ed team. Shows the changes in our culture and social-norms.
    • Increasing the amount of young ladies on the wrestling team is only possible with the support of the athletic director and coach.
    • I think if you had girls only wrestling you may see more participation, but not sure how many I woulget. I think I have 3 signed up for the junior high this year.
    • Girls are at a huge disadvantage having to wrestle on a boys' team against boys. There should possibly be regional girls' teams established and then they could compete against each other.
    • I feel girls being able to wrestle is great!Against boys or girls ,helps them in many other sports,gain confidence/self esteem.Girls wrestling girls would be better,I hope the day comes when there is all Girl teams in Illinios.
    • There needs to be girls only teams. The difference in physical abilities makes it unfair and therfore more likely that girls will not stick it out.
    • I think a girls only team is a great idea.
    • The 3 girls that really stuck it out were tough but only on the jv level. it would be nice if it were girls vs. girls ,nit a big fan of co-ed wrestling.
    • I have had quite a few girls ask me about wrestling, but get turned off by the fact that they have to wrestle with the boys. I think if there were an all girls team there would be higher participation.
    • I think that girls should wrestle I would like to see an increase in participation to have an all womens team
    • Thrilled to hear there is growth in girls wrestling. I'm not crazy about them participating on boys teams but I know they won't get many opportunities if they didn't. At our school I don't believe we would have enough of an interest to begin a girls' team. I do hope there are individual tournaments in the area for interested girls.
    • I think that girls wrestling having their own season would greatly increase the numbers. I also think it is very justifiable becasue it is now an olympic sport.
    • I have no opposition to girls wrestling in high school vs. the boys. However, I would support a girls only high school program.
    • I would like to see an increase in girls wrestling. I have had a good number of girls ask about the team and their involvement usually stops when I talk to the parents and tell them there is no girls wrestling team.
    • Need for girls only
    • I believe that it would benefit girls' wrestling by creating a separate series for them, i.e. girls only teams. I think the coed wrestling works when their younger, but by they get to high school, the disparity is too much: they are just not built the same. My guess is that if you create girls only teams, I think the overall numbers will rise.
    • It is growing and we make no different for the girls as the guys for our team. They have to do everything!!!!! No need for girls only teams YET but, it would be nice for girls events for the IHSA to allow the girls to wrestle in.
    • I'd rather girls wrestle girls.
    • We are a small school but if offered for female only against other females, I truly believe the sport could grow. Especially with the new found interest in the sports of mixed martial arts and ultimate fighting.
    • I feel if there was a girls only team participation would increase.
    • My granddaughter might wrestle .I am torn. I would like them to wrestle but wrestling boys really effects attitude
    • I think it's great that girls want to participate in wrestling. It give them another athletic option and the more numbers in wrestling the better. However, I feel there is a need for all girls teams. Once you pass 103 - 112 the girls are at a big disadvantage from the stand point of strength.
    • My team has wrestled against girls from other schools and they were fierce competitors. As a matter of fact, my 135 pound wrestler just lost to a girl from Highland Park, IL last week. She was excellent. i belive she went 3-0. I think it is difficult for female wrestlers to compete at the upper levels and upper weight classes, so I am not sure if there would be a need for girls only team. It seems that there would not be enough girls to make seperate teams. Not sure.
    • I believe girls should have their own tournament and competitions but I realize there may not be enough girls in the sport.

    Conclusions

    Because the state of Illinois does not submit girls participation in wrestling numbers to the NFHS the state is tied for 34th place with all the other states that do not report. Based on just the numbers of actual responses above the state of Illinois actually ranks as follows:

    6th - Number of schools with girls (57)
    12th - Number of girls participating (117)

    If this sampling were extrapolated over the full 429 schools you could project about 143 schools and 295 girls participating in IL. This could put IL at #3 for number of schools and #5 for number of girls participating. See list below:

    StateSchoolsRankSanctioned
    CA2271 
    TX2002Y
    IL1433 
    WA1134Y
    AZ675 
    OR586Y
    HI548Y

    StateGirlsRankSanctioned
    TX16401Y
    CA14932 
    WA5693Y
    HI4124Y
    IL2955 
    FL2606 
    OR12610Y

    * IL boys rank #6 for number of schools with teams and #2 for number of participants.

    Already today the state of Illinois has almost as many female participants as other states that are already sanctioned or in the process of sanctioning. The IHSA's current stance is that there is not enough interest in the state to start to consider girls opportunities at the high school level (numbers prove otherwise). To support their stance they additionally mentioned that only 2 girls ever have made it to the IL state tournament and have never won unlike other states, therefore the state isn't ready for womens wrestling. Consider this - IL has the 2nd most HS wrestlers in the nation. Until last year IL only had 2 divisions for wrestling. Many other states have many more divisions than Illinois. Prior to the addition of the 3rd division only .173% (less than 1%) of HS wrestlers in Illinois could win a state championship each year [(14 x 2) / 16213 x 100]. Only California and New Jersey had a lower percent. Now even with the addition of the 3rd division Illinois went from #3 to #6 hardest (behind CA, NJ, TX, IN, NY). Also consider that the state of Illinois is one of the top states for HS wrestlers in the country based on these results:

    2008, 2007, 2006 Junior Freestyle National Dual Team Champions
    2009, 2008, 2007 Junior Greco-Roman National Dual Team Champions
    2009, 2007 Cadet Greco-Roman National Dual Team Champions
    2009 Schoolboy/girl Freestyle National Dual Team Champions
    2006 Junior Greco-Roman National Dual Team Runner-up
    2009 Schoolboy/girl Greco-Roman National Dual Team Runner-up

    Other states like Washington took an "if we build it they will come approach" to girls wrestling. They began with a state open tournament with blocked weight classes. Then moved to 8-10 weight classes and have gradually increased as participation numbers grew. Other states have done similar things. I believe the numbers show that if coaches, athletic directors, and the IHSA can come up with some preliminary girls only opportunities that you will see the sport explode through out the state of Illinois.

    The state of Illinois is already very talented in the female ranks. Three of last years national champs at the United States Girls Wrestling Associations hailed from Illinois. And all three are returning this year to defend their crown. Several others are expected to represent the state as well. You can read more in Wrestling USA Magazine article 2010 USGWA Nationals. Illinois also has 2 HS girls that are good enough to be selected to train at the United States Olympic Education Center at Northern Michigan University preparing for world competition against some of the best in the country.

    Anyone interested in helping out with increasing opportunities for females in the state of IL can contact me or become of fan of the Illinois Girls Wrestling Facebook page.

    Please view some of the information I have gathered about the sanctioning process in the state of Illinois and also view the results for a girls participation survey at the kids club level.