JCHS Girls Wrestling Sees Surge in Membership, Female Leadership

When ATI Athletic Trainer Elizabeth “Liz” Short began coaching wrestling at Joliet Central High School in 2018, the team only had six girls. During the 2019-2020 season, the team saw a huge surge in female participation, beginning the season with 22 girls and ending with 15.

“Before our increase in numbers, girls could only wrestle boys,” said Short. “This was an intimidating environment for some that may have deterred girls from joining the team. Now, with increased numbers, girls can wrestle each other, which may be one reason why participation is increasing.”

But more often than not, the girls still wrestle boys. Short noted that the Central girls are trailblazers that hold their own amongst boy wrestlers. “It is an interesting dynamic with a co-ed team, but our girls are tough. Practicing and competing amongst boys only makes them tougher. I have to commend our boys. It is not uncommon for our girl wrestlers to win matches against boys. In these cases, the boys are good sports and so are their parents. There seems to be a sense of pride in supporting girls who leave their comfort zone as they compete in a male-dominated sport.”

The increase in female participation can also be attributed to the first-hand success they see in their coach. Much like many of her wrestlers, Short began her wrestling career in high school. She joined the team her freshman year on a dare and fell in love with the challenge and physicality of the sport. Short continued her wrestling career in college, winning medals at National Championships and competing around the world in Mongolia and Istanbul.

Short added, “I love coaching at Central because of the positive and welcoming environment that all our coaches and wrestlers have helped to build. I would love to encourage any girl who is interested to come out and give wrestling a try. I would have never guessed a silly high school dare would have turned into something that afforded me so many opportunities and shaped the person I am today.”

Given the rising popularity of wrestling among girls, the Illinois High School Association Board approved a recommendation to begin an Individual Girls Wrestling State Series beginning the 2021-22 school year. In 2021-2022, it is anticipated that girls wrestling will be its own separate sport. IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson said, “I commend the Board on their vision to further the IHSA mission by continuing to seek out more participation opportunities for high school students in Illinois. Participation in high school girls wrestling has grown significantly over the past few years, and we expect this announcement will only help increase that momentum here in Illinois.”

“The future of girls wrestling is bright,” said Short. “Girls wrestling is gaining popularity nationwide. In recent years, there have been more female leaders in women’s wrestling and combat sports, and the media celebrates athletes like Helen Maroulis, Ronda Rousey, and Adeline Gray. I am proud to see our girls grow as athletes and people. They are confident, and our numbers have grown. When we travel to girls’ tournaments everyone is impressed by our growing program. We had two qualifiers and one alternate qualify for the Illinois State Girls Wrestling Championship this spring. Unfortunately, the event couldn’t take place due to the COVID pandemic, so in my mind everyone took first place. I hope that this coming season we will have more all-female event opportunities.”

Short is quick to point out the benefits of wrestling for girls. “Some girls join wrestling to get in shape, while others just want to try something different. Wrestling helps build physical and mental strength, improves self-confidence, and helps empower girls to become leaders. I look forward to seeing our numbers increase even more. I am so proud of this program and where it is headed.”