While the sport of wrestling is not inherently gender specific, at North Park, there is a clear trend in those who participate. Male students have always outnumbered female students in terms of sign ups. Is this due to female students taking less interest in the sport and stepping back? Or is it because of the lack of encouragement and direction to join?
At North Park’s most recent club fair, the women’s wrestling captain, Kenisha Goyal, approached everyone, regardless of gender and age, and encouraged them to try out for the wrestling team. After attending a wrestling practice myself, I was able to witness firsthand the inclusive and judgement-free environment created by the coaches and the students. The inclusiveness regarding the wrestling team seen at both the club fair and practices implies that the lack of women in wrestling isn’t the fault of the club itself, but instead due to female students showing less interest.
Goyal said, “There is only one more girl in wrestling this year than last.” This shows that the number of female students joining wrestling hasn’t increased in North Park like it has in the rest of the country. The number of girls interested in wrestling in Canada is at an all-time high, and wrestling is one of the fastest-growing high school sports, according to City News Ottawa. However, these trends are not reflected at North Park.
Most wrestlers join wrestling due to family and friend relationships and referrals, with a friend, brother, or coach encouraging them. This may be why female students are being left out of the loop. Wrestling is also a fairly niche sport that doesn’t garner a lot of attention from the media. In my opinion, the lack of female wrestlers in North Park is due to individuals being intimidated by the sport and the stigma around wrestling being a boys’ club. “I think fewer girls join in school wrestling because they are afraid to embarrass themselves,” said Duncan Smith, a member of the boys wrestling team.
Image Credits: Kenisha G.
THE NORTH STAR 