First Girls Wrestling Team To Compete In Batavia

BATAVIA, IL --- High school wrestling can be a grueling sport, with athletes training consistently and then going toe-to-toe against an opponent without the support of a cheerleading team or pep band. The new wrestling team at Batavia High School is forging its own path against a set of challenges that have been ingrained into high school wrestling from the start because the newest Batavia wrestler have one thing in common: they're all female.

Batavia High School Head Wrestling Coach Scott Bayer spoke candidly about the all-girls team on the social media group, What's Happening In Batavia, IL? Bayer wrote that the school chose to add an all-girls wrestling team to its roster despite the fact that the Illinois High School Association only considers girls wrestling an "emerging sport."

Despite the challenges, Bayer said that coaching the girls and watching their eagerness during practice has been among the most "rewarding experiences of [his] teaching and coaching career."

The team will make its debut on their home turf when Batavia High School hosts a dual-meet competition with all-girls teams from seven schools competing for victory. The competition kicks off Wednesday, Dec. 5 at 6 p.m. in Batavia High School's Middle Gym.

Image via GoogleMaps Streetview