“Wrestling is for everyone,” says head coach Johnston of the Broomfield Girls Wrestling team. It’s only been since the 1980s that Women’s Wrestling officially was recognized as a sport and in the U.S. it would be another 9 years before the nation sent its first all-women team to the World Championships in Martigny, Switzerland1. Before that, women would be lucky if they got to compete on a men’s team, until the legislation of Title IX was put into law, women were highly excluded from the wrestling community. Specifically, for Colorado High School, CHSAA only sanctioned the sport as recently as April 2019.
Since girl’s teams are still relatively new, but rapidly growing, the Centaurus wrestlers have joined forces with nearby schools such as Monarch and Broomfield High School. Not only does this create an environment that fosters strong new connections, but the girls are surrounded and learning from other powerful women like themselves.
“The girls on our team are some of the sweetest and funniest people I have ever met. I joined pretty late in the season and they made me feel so welcome from the start” says Samantha McWilliams, a current Freshman at Centaurus. McWilliams has been wrestling since 6th grade and explains that the team has sincere respect for each other and the challenge of the sport, creating a dedicated and committed community.
Wrestling is a very physically taxing sport but it’s the achievement and pride of one’s success that makes it all worth it. As shared by CHS Junior, Kaliyah Schimpf, “I love the challenge that comes with wrestling…the sense of accomplishment that comes with pushing myself to my limit and coming out on top is unmatched”.
Coach Johnston recently started coaching an all-girls team last year, but before that, he has coached his daughter since she was eight years old and who now is a current member of the team. When asked about the differences between boy’s and girl’s wrestling he stated “How we explain moves and teach them was always made for males…(girls) are way more flexible so things that work on boys don’t necessarily work on girls the same way”. This brings a unique challenge and advantage that female wrestlers experience, as well as an opportunity for coaches to take on new approaches to teaching.
Female Wrestling has seen exponential growth in the U.S. as the sport becomes more sanctioned in high schools. During the 2022-23 school year, there were 49,127 participants in girls wrestling, a 55.2% increase from the previous year. Among Centaurus wrestlers, the support of the team and the rewarding physical demand of the sport is what makes it enjoyable. Senior Aubree Ellis commented, “We push each other to work harder, celebrate each other’s wins, and empathize with the losses.” The team encourages anyone who is interested in joining the team to do so, regardless of athleticism or experience. The sport is for people who want to grow as athletes and people by challenging themselves with the support of amazing teammates. As said by Coach Johnston “[Whether] you’re six foot six or you’re four foot six, you can join wrestling…you just have to be willing to work hard.”
Sources
“50 U.S. Women’s Wrestling Milestones to Celebrate 50th Anniversary of Title IX.” Nwhof.org, 2019, nwhof.org/news/50-u-s-women-s-wrestling-milestones-to-celebrate-50th-anniversary-of-title-ix.
“Unified Bowling, Girls Wrestling and Boys Volleyball Become Sanctioned Sports.” Chsaanow.com, 24 Apr. 2019, chsaanow.com/news/2021/7/21/unified-bowling-girls-wrestling-and-boys-volleyball-become-sanctioned-sports.aspx. Accessed 9 Feb. 2025.
Hamilton, Andy. “High School Wrestling Participation Tops 300K for First Time in 45 Years – FloWrestling.” Www.flowrestling.org, 7 Sept. 2023, www.flowrestling.org/articles/11223805-high-school-wrestling-participation-tops-300k-for-first-time-in-45-years.
