Girls wrestling in TN

[rjennings91]

Hello everyone,

My name is Randall Jennings and I'm the assistant coach at Coffee County High School. Myself and fellow coach Roger Barlow have been faced with a difficult decision the past 3 years. We have a girl 106 on our team, Tori Stottlemyer, many of you I'm sure know. She is without a doubt in my mind one of the top girl wrestlers in the state. But, each year she is faced with the decision between girls and boys state, WHICH IS COMPLETELY UNFAIR. She goes out there and wins 75% her matches and beats boys a ton. But then i have to tell her, well you can either wrestle maybe 10 matches all year long and have a state title or you can wrestle boys, get 30 to 40 matches a year, then risk not even getting to go to the state tournament. My point is something has got to be done about this rule. Girls should be able to wrestle boys and girls all year long then make a decision to wrestle girls or boys state at the end of the year. I just want to get some of your guys input on this, and see where i need to go with this complaint i have.

[hsfootballfantn]

Coach I will tell you what I think. First off, I have run into a lot of coaches who DO NOT and WILL NOT allow girls to wrestle boys. Some just think it's an abomination of God himself to allow that to happen. I personally agree with you in full. But all I can tell you is good luck with that. I don't know what they do in other states, but I do feel a change is needed. If our state's girls program was better than it is, then I wouldn't complain. If we could offer more opportunity, more interest, and more matches for the girls then all this would be a moot point. But it's not. My advice would be to start a petition on http://www.change.org/ Gage the interest across the state and see what you come up with. Use the coaches email list to promote it and go from there. Other than that, I got nothing.

[Varsity101]

I hate to be Debbie Downer here but if your girl has wrestled even one match against a male opponent she isn't eligible for the girl’s tournament. Girls don't get to make the decision at the end of the year; they have to make it at the beginning. Once she has wrestled even 1 match against a male wrestler, she is no longer eligible for the TSSAA Girls Invitational at the end of the season. This is a TSSAA rule…

[rjennings91]

I understand this, which is the reason for the posting. We have to do something to change this. In this day and time they should have the CHOICE!!!!

[rcpatriot]

So, should a male wrestler be given the choice to wrestle in the "Girls" divison?

[Varsity101]

I understand this, which is the reason for the posting. We have to do something to change this. In this day and time they should have the CHOICE!!!!

 

Sorry I thought you were saying the girl has been wrestling boys and beating them a ton, I am guess you were talking about in the practice room

Edited January 11, 2013 by Varsity101

[rjennings91]

No, she has been competing at a varsity level against boys and winning for 4 years now. We realize this isn't a change that would take place immediately and if anything is changed it would probably happen long after she is gone. I'm simply stating that she deserves to have the choice along with girls on the future. We want this rule to be changed not for one female, but to give the girls the chance and i think to better the sport.

[rjennings91]

So, should a male wrestler be given the choice to wrestle in the "Girls" divison?

 

No, but maybe we should start saying if a boy wrestles a girl he is unable to compete in boys state. I mean that would only be fair correct?

[WRESTLERX]

Hello everyone,

My name is Randall Jennings and I'm the assistant coach at Coffee County High School. Myself and fellow coach Roger Barlow have been faced with a difficult decision the past 3 years. We have a girl 106 on our team, Tori Stottlemyer, many of you I'm sure know. She is without a doubt in my mind one of the top girl wrestlers in the state. But, each year she is faced with the decision between girls and boys state, WHICH IS COMPLETELY UNFAIR. She goes out there and wins 75% her matches and beats boys a ton. But then i have to tell her, well you can either wrestle maybe 10 matches all year long and have a state title or you can wrestle boys, get 30 to 40 matches a year, then risk not even getting to go to the state tournament. My point is something has got to be done about this rule. Girls should be able to wrestle boys and girls all year long then make a decision to wrestle girls or boys state at the end of the year. I just want to get some of your guys input on this, and see where i need to go with this complaint i have.

 

I totally disagree- pick boys or girls- if she is that good go for it- but look at the boys side that wrestles a girl- he is in a no win scenario - he wins " oh wow you beat a girl" he loses he is humiliated. I have seen little boys quit the sport because of this. There is absolutely no sport in high school that allows boys to compete with girls- and that is for a very good reason..

[rcpatriot]

That's why they have a Boy's wrestling divison and a Girl's wrestling divisons. Boy's aren't allowed to wrestle in the Girl's divison, play girls softball, play girls basketball, etc, and girl's shouldn't be allowed to play within the Boy's divison.

 

Sorry, I believe they should both play/wrestle there own gender. The rules aren't made to be fair, they are made to satisfy the masses.

[WRESTLERX]

Amen!

[coyotewrestlingclub]

I am the father of a female wrestler who has chosen to wrestle only girls. I would allow her to wrestle boys only because she has a choice but it is my opinion that she should not have a choice. boys wrestle boys girls wrestle girls. if your girl is beating boys. most of the time she should be ok with beating boys. and by the way with a record of 12-15 with two wins being forfeits that makes her win percent against boys at 40percent