- November 27, 2024
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The other day I watched my wife, Jessica, put together a wooden book case and put up new blinds. Did I lend a hand? Of course! I showed her how to twist in a drill bit. Please, don’t judge me.
Since moving into our house last year…well, since getting married in 2010, she’s handled all of the heavy duty work, not because I’m lazy, I just suck at it. Being a handy man’s not my niche. For example, at separate times, we both assembled two of the same cheap book shelves. Hers looks like the picture on the box, and my bookshelf looks like a kindergarten project, but at least it still holds books.
Like Jessica, there are a lot of women in the world who can do “manly” things better than men, or at least better than I. Quickly approaching in their own lane are Florida high school student-athletes, who are girl wrestlers. For years, these young ladies have had to wrestle against the boys – and still do – instead of competing against each other in a league, until now.
Recently, over 271 girls participated in the Varsity Girls State Championships Saturday, Feb. 13, at Osceola High School, and four of those girls were locals: Myla Deford and Leslie Baez of Flagler Palm Coast, Makayla Wilder of Matanzas and Dessiea Kaler of Seabreeze.
Baez and Kaler didn’t place, but Deford, who wrestled a weight class higher than she has all season, finished fourth in her division, and Wilder, a first-year wrestler, finished second.
Although the sport is not officially sanctioned by Florida High School Athletic Association, many participants, coaches and fans believe it is well on its way, seeing it is the only high school sport without a female equivalent.
“I think it would be great, because, at the girl tournaments, girls have a fair shot and it is based on technique and who is actually better,” Kaler said. “When I go to boys’ tournaments, I'm usually outmuscled and outweighed.” Kaler has qualified for the boys’ regionals tournament, due to there being a shortage of wrestlers in her weight class, but she pinned a boy in the Five-Star Conference, much to the entire gym’s dismay and hers, for the opportunity to advance to districts.
“I think they are still a couple years away,” said John White, the Matanzas wrestling coach. “Participation has been increasing. It is an official sport in the NCAA, and several other states have sanctioned it. It's only a matter of time before Florida does.”
