SH will love this. Iowa college adds womens wrestling
Posted: Sun Aug 08, 2010 3:25 pm
Supply and demand have delivered Iowa's first college-level women's wrestling program.
Waldorf announced earlier this week it will add women's wrestling for 2010-11. A few days later, Waldorf had landed its first recruit simply because wrestling-crazy Iowa provided the sport.
Terry Steiner, the U.S. women's national coach and former standout at Iowa, welcomed the news.
"In the state of Iowa where wrestling is so important, I think it's a step in the right direction," he said.
Waldorf, a private college of about 500 students in Forest City, is the 14th women's college program in North America. All of the teams except Pacific (NCAA) compete in the NAIA. Two, Simon Fraser and Regina, are in Canada.
Tyler Brandt, Waldorf's men's coach and interim women's coach, said the program meets a need.
"There are maybe 40, 50, 60 girls wrestling at the high school level (in Iowa)," Brandt said. "Now they don't have to go to North Dakota, Oklahoma or Michigan. They can stay right here."
Mike Moyer, executive director of the National Wrestling Coaches Association, pointed to Georgia and Texas as other examples.
Georgia has 299 boys' high school wrestling teams, but had no college team until Shorter College introduced a men's squad for 2010. Texas has 250 high school teams for boys and 200 for girls, but Wayland Baptist was the first to launch men's and women's wrestling for 2010.
Waldorf hopes to place 10 women on the roster this season, with a future goal of 30 to 40 — a sizeable addition for a small campus.
A survey by the National Federation of State High School Associations showed 6,025 girls participated in wrestling in 2008-09 - compared with 267,378 boys over the same period. There are 260 four-year colleges offering men's wrestling.
Brandt said the cost to add the program is small.
"We already have the wrestling room," he said. "Really, it's travel and singlets and warm-ups."
Women's wrestling, an Olympic discipline since 2004, helped attract Julie Johnsen to Waldorf.
Johnsen wrestled while growing up in Underwood, but quit to pursue sports like basketball. She resumed wrestling as a senior in Friend, Neb., and had to compete against boys, as do girls in Iowa.
The lack of women's wrestling in high schools poses a challenge to those looking for college options.
"That's our fight right now," Steiner said.
Johnsen planned to attend Iowa State in the fall. When she talked to Brandt at the junior nationals in Fargo, N.D., in July, though, she reconsidered. She toured Waldorf's campus on Wednesday then verbally committed Thursday.
"This should have happened years ago," Johnsen said. "Why not have a women's program?"
Steiner said the United States is slow to act.
"We're definitely behind," he said. "We're like 15 years back. Yeah, I'd say it's long overdue."
Waldorf awards some athletic scholarships, but is not aligned with a conference.
Brandt said the team will enter seven to 10 events this season, starting with the Sunkist International Open in Tempe, Ariz., in October. Brandt will serve as coach until a nationwide search is completed.
Steiner stressed the importance of hiring the right coach. He struggled to adjust to women's wrestling when he started with the national team in 2002.
Questions Steiner faced: Which places were inappropriate to touch when demonstrating technique? Should he say chest or breast?
"I also understood that was my problem," he said. "It's a fear of how do I do this without sticking my foot in my mouth? The girls just need to know that I'm sincere.
"If they put the wrong person in place it could be a black eye. If they put the right person in place, it could be a great thing."
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Waldorf announced earlier this week it will add women's wrestling for 2010-11. A few days later, Waldorf had landed its first recruit simply because wrestling-crazy Iowa provided the sport.
Terry Steiner, the U.S. women's national coach and former standout at Iowa, welcomed the news.
"In the state of Iowa where wrestling is so important, I think it's a step in the right direction," he said.
Waldorf, a private college of about 500 students in Forest City, is the 14th women's college program in North America. All of the teams except Pacific (NCAA) compete in the NAIA. Two, Simon Fraser and Regina, are in Canada.
Tyler Brandt, Waldorf's men's coach and interim women's coach, said the program meets a need.
"There are maybe 40, 50, 60 girls wrestling at the high school level (in Iowa)," Brandt said. "Now they don't have to go to North Dakota, Oklahoma or Michigan. They can stay right here."
Mike Moyer, executive director of the National Wrestling Coaches Association, pointed to Georgia and Texas as other examples.
Georgia has 299 boys' high school wrestling teams, but had no college team until Shorter College introduced a men's squad for 2010. Texas has 250 high school teams for boys and 200 for girls, but Wayland Baptist was the first to launch men's and women's wrestling for 2010.
Waldorf hopes to place 10 women on the roster this season, with a future goal of 30 to 40 — a sizeable addition for a small campus.
A survey by the National Federation of State High School Associations showed 6,025 girls participated in wrestling in 2008-09 - compared with 267,378 boys over the same period. There are 260 four-year colleges offering men's wrestling.
Brandt said the cost to add the program is small.
"We already have the wrestling room," he said. "Really, it's travel and singlets and warm-ups."
Women's wrestling, an Olympic discipline since 2004, helped attract Julie Johnsen to Waldorf.
Johnsen wrestled while growing up in Underwood, but quit to pursue sports like basketball. She resumed wrestling as a senior in Friend, Neb., and had to compete against boys, as do girls in Iowa.
The lack of women's wrestling in high schools poses a challenge to those looking for college options.
"That's our fight right now," Steiner said.
Johnsen planned to attend Iowa State in the fall. When she talked to Brandt at the junior nationals in Fargo, N.D., in July, though, she reconsidered. She toured Waldorf's campus on Wednesday then verbally committed Thursday.
"This should have happened years ago," Johnsen said. "Why not have a women's program?"
Steiner said the United States is slow to act.
"We're definitely behind," he said. "We're like 15 years back. Yeah, I'd say it's long overdue."
Waldorf awards some athletic scholarships, but is not aligned with a conference.
Brandt said the team will enter seven to 10 events this season, starting with the Sunkist International Open in Tempe, Ariz., in October. Brandt will serve as coach until a nationwide search is completed.
Steiner stressed the importance of hiring the right coach. He struggled to adjust to women's wrestling when he started with the national team in 2002.
Questions Steiner faced: Which places were inappropriate to touch when demonstrating technique? Should he say chest or breast?
"I also understood that was my problem," he said. "It's a fear of how do I do this without sticking my foot in my mouth? The girls just need to know that I'm sincere.
"If they put the wrong person in place it could be a black eye. If they put the right person in place, it could be a great thing."
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