Why Should Girls Wrestle?
By Cheryl Wong, Head Women’s Wrestling Coach, Beat the Streets, NYC

Wrestling is a great sport for all people, but it is especially important for girls. In light of cultural pressures that objectify women and encourage women to be passive, it is extremely important that there be an outlet that teaches women to recognize their own physical strength and capacity to be assertive.

Unlike other martial arts, it is institutionalized into the American school system, making it accessible. It builds discipline, and courage, instilling a self-confidence and self-awareness that other sports cannot deliver.

It is also important that boys and men be exposed to their female peers in a sport that shows that assertiveness and physical strength are qualities that transcend traditional gender roles.

By teaching our girls to confront physical and mental challenges, and by demonstrating this capacity to our boys, we create a brighter future for all our daughters and sons.

Through Beat the Streets, we sponsor trips to Women’s Tournaments and hold one to two all-female practices a week. The girls who come to these practices are either on the mixed wrestling teams at their schools or do not have wrestling programs at their schools. All-female practices give the girls a chance to compete against opponents closer to their own size, and build a unique network of support.

Whether you’ve wrestled one day or one decade: everyone starts somewhere. Join us to start your own journey or to support the journey of other girls in wrestling