'We're failing those girls' Coaches trying to bring girls wrestling to Pennsylvania
When it comes to wrestling, Ana Malovich hits the road.
A lot.
Malovich will be a freshman in the Butler High School wrestling program next year. She's had a winning record against boys at the elementary and junior high levels.
When it comes to wrestling girls?
“We've been all over the place,” said Jess Malovich, Ana's mother. “Texas, Atlantic City, Virginia Beach ... Ana's competed in girls tournaments there and done very well.”
She's not alone.
While all 12 districts in the PIAA have female wrestlers rostered on boys teams, there is no PIAA girls wrestling tournament. North Allegheny assistant mat coach Dan Heckert said more than 300 Pennsylvania girls compete in freestyle tournaments during the summer through USA Wrestling.
“There's not even close to 300 wrestling in our high schools,” Heckert said. “We're failing those girls.”
Now Heckert, Butler wrestling coach Scott Stoner and numerous others have united to right that wrong, in their view.
They are part of the PA Girls High School Wrestling Task Force — created in March — which has begun the SanctionPA campaign to make girls wrestling an official PIAA sport.
They face an uphill climb in that regard.
“The PIAA wants 100 high schools to have a girls wrestling team before the state will recognize it as its own sport,” Heckert said.
Right now, it has one. McCaskey High School (Lancaster County) officially formed a girls wrestling team in March of this year. Parkland High School had 14 female wrestlers on its roster this year and is expected to have a girls team next year.
Brooke Zumas, an assistant coach at Parkland, is the chair of the statewide task force.
SanctionPA has a stated goal of having 25 high school girls wrestling teams in the state for the 2020-21 season. Its plan is to have 100 within three years and thus force the PIAA's hand in making girls wrestling an official varsity sport.
“I'm hoping Butler has a girls wrestling team by the time Ana is a junior,” Jess Malovich said.
Stoner's not ruling it out.
Butler athletic director Bill Mylan is a former wrestler and former assistant coach on Stoner's staff.“We believe in it and we plan on approaching the board about it,” Stoner said of forming a girls team. “There's no reason why this can't happen.“We get girls out for wrestling at the youth level, but they drop off as they get older and come through the system. They see nowhere for them to go at the high school level. Build it and they will come. If girls know they can wrestle against girls, that whole scenario changes.”There are 23 states currently offering girls wrestling as a high school varsity sport. Hawaii (1998) and Texas (1999) were the first two to do so.There were 804 high school female wrestlers in 1994, according to the National Wrestling Coaches Association. Last year, there were 21,124. And there are more than 70 colleges and universities with women's wrestling programs.“It's the fastest growing high school sport in America,” said Leah Wright, media liaison for the task force. “All these kids need is an opportunity.“Finances wouldn't be an issue. Coaches are already in place. Mats and wrestling rooms are already in place. A girls schedule could mirror the boys, just as it's done in swimming and track and field.”Stoner agreed.“The cost would be minute,” he said. “The discipline, the confidence and healthy lifestyle ... Everything boys get out of wrestling, girls would get out of it, too,” the Butler coach said.“I can see two mats side by side, the girls dual meet going on right alongside the boys dual meet. That would create a really cool environment. And with girls matches would come more female officials. It would all grow.”Figures in Missouri support that view.That state had 169 female high school wrestlers in 2017-18. Missouri then added girls wrestling as a varsity sport and had 914 girls wrestling in 2018-19.This year, the state had 1,423 competing.“I feel like our state's doing it backwards,” Seneca Valley wrestling coach Kevin Wildrick said. “The PIAA wants 100 schools to have a program before it will sanction girls wrestling. It's hard to form a team with no tournament for them to wrestle in.“Make it a varsity sport and then promote it within the school itself. That's how it worked here with girls golf. We started a girls golf team at Seneca with four girls. The next year, we had 20.“Wrestling would work the same way. With today's technology, it's easy to get the word out. It's easy to get the numbers,” Wildrick added.Wildrick said he's talked about forming a girls program with SV athletic director Heather Lewis “and she's very supportive of that happening.”Seneca Valley has two or three girls in its elemementary wrestling program each year. North Allegheny had six in its youth organization last year, two on the high school team.“If we actually started a high school girls team? Our participation numbers would explode. I truly believe that,” Wildrick said.The prestigious Powerade Tournament — hosted by Canon-McMillan High School year year — is adding a girls tournament to the event next year. A couple of other in-season wrestling tourneys in the state are doing the same.“If girls know they can wrestle girls all the way through (the school system,), I think it would take off,” Stoner said. “There are female athletes wjo want to be physical, who like physical challenges, who would spread the word.“Wrestling gives all participants, male or female, a high level of self-esteem. Girls wrestling is coming. I think it's just a matter of time.”That would put a smile on one woman's face.“I think this task force, this movement, is great, absolutely great,” Mrs. Malovich said. “I just hope it happens for Ana.”
