BUTLER TWP — The Butler Area School District took another step toward the possible formation of a high school girls wrestling team by sending out a survey recently.

The survey was sent to parents of students in grades 7-11 “to try to get some feedback and gauge how much interest there is in the idea,” Butler athletic director Bill Mylan said.

The deadline to respond is June 19.

“That gives people enough time to mull it over,” Mylan said. “If we moved the deadline back farther, a lot of people might forget about it and not respond.”

A letter accompanying the survey states that girls wrestling is the fastest growing sport at the high school and collegiate level, and that girls participation in wrestling has increased more than 40% in the last year.

The PIAA officially approved girls wrestling as a sanctioned sport last month — becoming the 39th state to do so — and will have a girls state championship tournament the same weekend as the boys in March of 2024, most likely at the GIANT Center in Hershey.

More than 100 Pennsylvania high schools now have girls wrestling teams, including nearby North Allegheny and Seneca Valley. There are 16 WPIAL schools that now have the sport.

“With enough positive feedback, it’s feasible we could have a team in place for the next school year,” Mylan said. “A lot of details would have to be worked out, of course, but there are enough WPIAL schools competing now that we could put together a schedule.”

Among details that would need worked out are coaching staff, practice facility and practice times.

“I’d love to see a girls wrestling program here, but it has to be done right,” Butler wrestling coach Scott Stoner said. “We don’t want to have a team just to have a team. We’d want to work and be successful at it.

“I’d be willing to help in starting a program up, but I’m wary about our facilities. We only have the one wrestling room and designated practice times could be an issue. I believe a girls team would need its own head coach and assistant. Money would have to be budgeted to pay those people.”

There are now 115 colleges in the United States that offer women’s wrestling, including nine in Pennsylvania.

“The more girls wrestling teams there are at the high school level, it winds up benefiting colleges as well and opens up more opportunities to grow the sport,” Stoner said.

“While I’d like to be involved and help out, there has to be separate staffs,” Stoner said. “ If I tried to do both, I’d be taking time away from both (boys and girls wrestling) programs and that wouldn’t be fair to either.”

Canon-McMillan has 25 on its girls wrestling team. Connellsville has 17. Stoner hopes Butler can approach the latter figure.

The high school girls wrestling season will run from November through March, the same time frame as the boys. There are 10 weight classes in high school girls wrestling.

“I’d like us to have a full lineup that first year, meaning we would need at least 15 or 16 girls,” Stoner said. “A positive survey is one thing. How many show up for the first day or how many are still there after three weeks is another.

“Filling a wrestling coach position is a unique process. It will be interesting to see where this goes.”