Girls wrestling breaking barriers and inspiring athletes

Libby Pullen | The Chronicle

With grit, determination, and a growing roster, the Mason Girls wrestling team is making its mark at Mason, challenging stereotypes and inspiring future athletes. What was once seen as an unconventional male sport is evolving into a more inclusive environment, inviting young athletes to step on the mat and compete in a male-dominated sport.

Societal views on femininity can influence perceptions of which activities are considered appropriate for girls, leading to stigmas around certain sports. This dynamic may result in fewer girls choosing to participate in such sports, as they navigate the pressures associated with these expectations. Junior Lilly Steverson was one of the first female wrestlers to join Mason’s program and has watched the program develop over the past few years.

“I think [wrestling] was such a male-dominated sport in the past, but more girls are starting to get into it,” Steverson said. “In middle school, I was the only female on my team.”

With changing times, society is becoming more open to expressing both feminine and masculine traits, and becoming more accepting to sports that traditionally have been so gender influenced. Steverson believes the line between femininity and masculinity is blurred by one’s personal outlook. 

“In society, the feminine concept is to be this tiny person that has no muscle,” Steverson said. “But in wrestling, you gain muscle, and we have both feminine and masculine girls on our team, it’s just dependent on perspective.” 

The idea of perspective helps eradicate the stigma behind girls’ participation in sports. Head coach of Mason High School’s Wrestling program, Nicholas Maffey, has watched the growing popularity of girls’ participation in wrestling for the past several years as head coach. In the fifth year of the girl’s wrestling program, the team is reaching the growth they have been working towards since their start.

“It’s a very exciting time right now because our first cycle of athletes just graduated, and the tone and culture of the program has been set by previous athletes,” Maffey said. “The last few years, our numbers have been between 10 to 12 girls. This year has skyrocketed because of the investment at the younger ages. We now have around 30 girls on the roster from grades  seven to 12.” 

Maffey praises the growth of the girls’ team, recognizing its growing popularity amongst younger athletes. The alluring aspect of starting younger kids in sports leads to higher numbers in high school teams. The message that wrestling is for everyone is a key factor in attracting these younger athletes.

“I think a lot of it is advertising that wrestling is an option and that we want all body sizes and shapes, there is no mold for wrestling except someone willing to work hard,” Maffey said. 

According to Junior Lilly Steverson, the main concept for recruiting more girls is trying to change people’s perspectives. When starting a sport, having family and friends’ support is necessary for someone to thrive in the activity. Sophomore Arryana Troutman said that what started as a friendly suggestion turned into her joining a lifelong family.

“My friend introduced it to me as a joke, and I thought it sounded fun,” Troutman said, “I tried it out and it turned out to be something great for me.”

Troutman’s experience is similar to many others who tried out wrestling. Girls saw it as an opportunity to get involved in something, be a part of a close-knit bond, and demonstrate girls’ strength in a male-influenced sport. 

“Boys are always saying that the male bracket is harder, even though they’re competing against people of their same size and their physique, but girls do the same thing,” Troutman said. “It’s just unfair that boys think that. I just mostly ignore it, and at the end of the day I know I competed my best and I did what I wanted to do, and I’m proud of what I’ve done.” 

The judgment Troutman faced is similar to that of other girls on the wrestling team. Although these girls face challenges, the wrestling coaches try to combat this through years of expertise.

Girls wrestling head coach, Wayne Black, shares what he has learned through his six years of coaching. 

“I think there’s a question about what [wrestling] is really,” Black said. “Yes, it is feminine, but it’s still a contact sport. The bottom line for us here is the way we coach it. We coach it in a way that lends itself a little bit more to girls who are newer to the sport, who may not know exactly what the sport entails because there are girls in the sport, and there are more masculine stigmas that we have to work to destigmatize to get more girls involved”

Through the destigmatizing of gender roles in sports, the school community can get more students involved in sports, such as girls wrestling. Overall, Troutman believes ending the idea of ‘male domination’ in sports is the way to end societal expectations.

“The difference between trying to be equal and trying to fulfill what you want is completely different. So at the end of the day, you do what you want.” Troutman said.