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Maryland’s Richard Montgomery H. S. Ingrid Rosales & Carmen Arevalo Courtesy Chris Rossi/The Gazette

The future of women’s amateur wrestling is looking brighter everyday, with participation growing quickly in high schools.

According to the NFHS High School Athletics Participation Survey for the 2010-2011 season, female wrestling participants grew from 6,134 from the previous year to 7,351; roughly a 20% increase. Boys participation also grew, but only by 842 (only a 0.3% increase).

There are only five states that have full fledged high school girl’s divisions in wrestling; Washington, Hawaii, California, Texas, and Massachusetts. This will be growing by at least three states in 2013. New York will be introducing its own girls high school programs this spring; while Oklahoma and Pennsylvania are looking to also start women’s divisions.

As the more populated states organize the sport, hope is that it will trickle down to more states. It has, however, found an immediate impact in the collegiate ranks, as several higher education institutions are developing their own women’s wrestling teams this year to join the almost two dozen already organized.

You can read more about the study and some in depth interviews about  girls’ wrestling at the high school level by going to Max Sports.

Thanks to Wrestling Roots on Facebook for point this article out to us.

Filed under: BJJ/Wrestling

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