State College school board considers proposal for high school girls wrestling team

The State College Area School District is considering starting a girls wrestling team for the 2023-2024 school year.

If the board votes to approve the team’s funding request in the 2023-2024 budget, it will be the third district in Centre County to start a girls wrestling team. Philipsburg-Osceola School District voted to start its girls wrestling team last month, joining Bald Eagle Area School District, which started its team in 2021. In the proposal, SCASD projects an annual cost of $39,248 to support the team.

The administration’s proposal cited a 200% increase in girls participating in PIAA wrestling in recent years. The district saw 10 female students at a “Give Girls Wrestling a Shot” event in November but only one girl chose to compete in the 2022-2023 season. Girls wrestling teams have no minimum player requirement and many teams in the state were started with one or no girls.

“National data has suggested that girls are more likely to come out for wrestling once they know they don’t have to wrestle boys,” the district’s proposal said. “In other words, if you build it, they will come.”

Both the girls and boys teams will share locations and facilities but have separate coaches and tournament schedules.

The proposal comes after the district was found to have violated Title IX in regard to a middle school co-ed hockey team, but board member Amy Bader said the two are not connected.

“This is not something new, this is not a reactionary choice to bring this forward, this has been in the works a long time,” Bader said.

Both board members and community members voiced approval for the position during public comment. Matt Lackey, a parent in the district and head women’s wrestling coach for Lock Haven University, said his daughter is currently the only female wrestler on the boys team.

“I’ve been able to see the growth and the expansion of a team firsthand and it has been an incredibly exciting process, especially considering I am the father of four girls,” Lackey said.

If the board approves the funding request in the 2023-2024 budget, the girls team will be created for the winter season.