Male wrestler forfeits to female wrestler on principle

[SoonerTexan]

http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/ind...gon_girls.html

I respect his decision, but feel sad he had to make it. What do you think?

Personally, I think it is a better idea for boys and girls to compete separately. It's done in basketball, baseball/softball etc...why not here? At the very least, you can argue that the physiological differences between men and women give men the advantage.

I don't like the "excluding girls from sports" spin other news outlets have given this...the argument isn't for girls to be excluded from wrestling, just compete with other girls.

[SuzySunshine]

I think wrestling is different then the other sports because it is FULL contact. I think if a girl has the guts and the skills to play sports with the boys then so be it but not in wrestling.

There is a girl here who has chosen to compete on the boys tennis team even when her school has a girls team because she is nationally ranked and she feels she will get better and better competition from the boys, that is different then wrestling IMO.

This was big news here last week when it happened and everyone was very respectful about it.

[poky]

http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/ind...gon_girls.html

I respect his decision, but feel sad he had to make it. What do you think?

Personally, I think it is a better idea for boys and girls to compete separately. It's done in basketball, baseball/softball etc...why not here? At the very least, you can argue that the physiological differences between men and women give men the advantage.

I don't like the "excluding girls from sports" spin other news outlets have given this...the argument isn't for girls to be excluded from wrestling, just compete with other girls.

It works to have separate teams in those other sports because there are enough girls interested in participating. Wrestling, while it sounds like it's growing in popularity for girls, has nowhere near the critical mass needed to have separate girls teams. So yes, saying the girls can't join existing wrestling teams because they're "male" teams would mean they wouldn't be able to wrestle, because there wouldn't be enough of them at any one school/district for a separate team.

Obviously, the physical advantage is not all to the boys, if the girls are making it to state tournaments. Honestly, I think the bulk of the "keep the women's teams separate" stuff comes from male egos being unable to handle losing "to a girl". I saw how secondary and lesser-than the girls teams were when I was in school; if the girls are able to compete with the boys, more power to them. I'm glad to see that everyone handled themselves reasonably in the situation the article talked about, and I'm saddened that people would rather that girls not be able to wrestle at all (because that WOULD be the real-world result of not allowing them to wrestle against boys) just so the few male wrestlers with this particular strong religious belief wouldn't have to forfeit a bout or two.

[Tenacious_D]

It may not be most fair for the boys but there aren't enough girls playing to create girls teams. We had a great wrestling team in highschool and 2 girls were on the team. Boys were afraid to wrestle them because losing to a girl was the WORST in their eyes.

[SoonerTexan]

So yes, saying the girls can't join existing wrestling teams because they're "male" teams would mean they wouldn't be able to wrestle, because there wouldn't be enough of them at any one school/district for a separate team.

That's a good point. On that principle, though, shouldn't boys be allowed to participate in "female" sports that don't have enough/any guys? I don't see a lot of people being happy with a 6 foot tall guy on a girl's volleyball team. I'd love to see it happen on a drill team.

[diggitydot]

Full disclosure: my niece is an amazing middle school wrestler. She should be, too. She's been getting her ass kicked by her three older siblings forever so she's one tough cookie. As a matter of fact, her 15 y/o twin brothers have decided to finally leave her alone because she's now tougher than they are. The boys are 6'4", 220 lbs, who both play football AND are varsity wrestlers. And they're afraid of their 12 y/o slip-of-girl sister.

Hell yes she should be able to wrestle on a team. If she wasn't allowed to wrestle dudes, she wouldn't wrestle at all because she lives in such a tiny community that doesn't have enough girls to fill an entire team.

I respect religious beliefs. If they keep someone from competition, so be it. That is his choice.

[poky]

That's a good point. On that principle, though, shouldn't boys be allowed to participate in "female" sports that don't have enough/any guys? I don't see a lot of people being happy with a 6 foot tall guy on a girl's volleyball team. I'd love to see it happen on a drill team.

Allowing girls to play on "male" teams doesn't give the team an unfair advantage; allowing boys to play on "female" teams where brute strength is an advantage might. According to one of the comments on that article, the way the state tournament rules are set up in Oregon, it doesn't allow for it, for that reason. My guess is that other states are similar. There are guys on cheer squads, why wouldn't there be any on drill teams?

[SuzySunshine]

I'm pretty sure I've seen boys on drill teams and flag teams.

Am I the only one that has issues with these girls being groped by guys every day during practice and competition, that is what has to be happening? And while yes some are going to not even think about it and treat them just like another guy there are those that won't. I'm all for equality in sports but I would have a really hard time letting my daughter wrestle.

[MrsK]

http://my.hsj.org/Schools/Newspaper/...onference.aspx

This skinny little girl is my cousin. She weighs about 105 and wrestles on a co-ed team for her high school. She got involved in wrestling after a teacher suggested it. She was recruited because there were not many boys who could compete in her weight class.

[corn poffi]

MrsK, that's nearly exactly what I was going to say (Minus the cousin stuff). In the lighter weight classes, girls are often great recruits. It's hard for a high school boy to stay "small" enough to wrestle in the 103 weight class.

[diggitydot]

Woo hoo! Go, CousinK! She sounds like a great kid.

[scarlett09]

That's a good point. On that principle, though, shouldn't boys be allowed to participate in "female" sports that don't have enough/any guys? I don't see a lot of people being happy with a 6 foot tall guy on a girl's volleyball team. I'd love to see it happen on a drill team.

There are definitely guys who participate in color guard and drill teams. In seven years in color guard, I've performed alongside guys at varying times, usually no more than 1 or 2 guys at once. In drum corps, there are more guys than one would usually see in a HS or college color guard, due to drum corps' competitive nature.

Love that we know some girl wrestlers! They rawk!!

[PrincessFiona]

It bugs me too, Cheri. I'm all for equality. Male chefs, nannies and sahd's; female surgeons, CFO's and hockey players.

We raise our little boys to not touch girls "there", to respect their physical boundaries etc. Men are sexual creatures and they don't need an emotional connection to feel aroused ... Just physical stimulation. I imagine that this is a source of discomfort for many wtestlers who encounter willing female wrestlers. It has to feel awkward, and if it doesn't, I think you need to worry about them.

I personally believe that women are entitled to the same rights as men and that out of respect for them we can let some sports be .... For guys only.

[corn poffi]

I'm not sure that the boys really feel anything sexual while wrestling girls. I was the official scorekeeper for home wrestling meets at my HS. (Don't judge, I learned when I was in middle school because the super-hot boy across the street wrestled, and I wanted to go to the meets to watch him so I learned how the crazy sport works!) Anyway, there were several girls who wrestled at the lighter weight classes that the guys on our team would have to wrestle. They all hated wrestling girls because they were afraid of losing to a girl. They never said anything about how it was weird or whatever. They were there to win wrestling meets, not to cop a feel of the female wrestlers.

[MrsK]

Woo hoo! Go, CousinK! She sounds like a great kid.

She's awesome. Her mom adopted her from Paraguay when she was 1yo and raised her alone. Molly is a straight-A student and very popular and athletic. She's tall and beautiful and has an adorable boyfriend. She came to visit me and DrK when we were in OH a couple times and he adores her. She's definitely not the stereotypical female wrestler that is portrayed, for instance, by the Lauren character on Glee.