We are at a time where women’s equality in sports is on the rise. In sports entertainment, we are seeing some of the top performers in each promotion happen to be women. Unlike pro wrestling, collegiate wresting is still in the dark ages.
Currently, there is only one Division 1 college offering women’s wrestling. NCAA does not recognize women’s wrestling as an official sport so there are no scholarships offered to girls who excel at the high school level.
Feb. 6 was the official Signing Day for high school athletes across the nation, but sadly, talented female wrestlers were left out in the dust. Sally Roberts, a US Army combat vet and former 2x World Bronze Medalist wrestler wants to change that.
in 2016, Sally started Wrestle Like A Girl, a non profit who’s mission statement is:
The mission of Wrestle Like a Girl is to empower girls and women through the sport of wrestling to become leaders in life.
Wrestle Like A Girl is currently working in collaboration with agencies and organizations to find the most effective way to help bring women’s wrestling to the NCAA level. The current campaign is #WrestleTheGap and the non-profit is looking to get a petition signed, which will be presented to the NCAA.
With over 18K signatures already collected, they are close to their 20K goal. They have support from people in over 21 countries, including US Senators, professional wrestlers and Olympians.
One huge supporter of this cause is WWE Hall of Famer Beth Phoenix. Beth herself was a wrestler in her high school days in Elmira, New York. She was the first female at her school to join the all-male team and garnered multiple awards. On Twitter, had this to say about the importance of the campaign:
“I remember loving the sport of wrestling but having to join the boy’s wrestling team because I had no other avenues. Young women deserve equal opportunity in every aspect of their lives. It’s time to sanction girls’ wrestling in every state!”
Help the #WreslteTheGap campaign reach their goals by signing the petition at this link.
