The Female Blockade: Fighting for a fair game within a male-dominant sport industry which the new generation of females have been able to pin. Female wrestlers Lina Wright and Serena Chalon are proof of that.
This winter, senior Wright and junior foreign exchange student Chalon have started their first ever season competing for Westfield’s wrestling team with no prior experience under their belts.
Chalon first came up with the idea to enter the program, and she encouraged Wright to join her as a fun activity.
Wright and Chalons’ parents warned them it would be challenging, but they were ready to defy all odds stacked against them.
Prior to the 2023-24 season, Westfield had only seen one girl on the wrestling team, which ultimately was unsuccessful because there was not another female athlete to fill a second roster spot. Now, with two female wrestlers, this season has been a success as both Chalon and Wright have each other not only to practice with but to depend on emotionally and to relate to while playing on a team with all boys. Westfield wrestling coach Glen Kurz explained, “I think it is great having two girls on the wrestling team. I will say they do work very hard so that is all we really need. Our requirements are you show up and you work hard, and they both do so. They are doing what we are asking them.”
Kurz has everyone on the team practicing the same skills, treating everyone equally despite their gender. He explained that Wright and Chalon are in a similar weight class, so they mainly wrestle each other. However, they also have the ability to match up against boys at meets if available.
The boys Wright and Chalon wrestle are not only welcome to the challenge of wrestling girl opponents, but the entire Westfield team is also accepting of Wright and Chalon as one of their own.
“Our coach does this one thing where we have to get into groups and talk in order to get to know more people, and they are all very friendly,” said Wright.
Both girls agreed that wrestling is uncommon for females but ultimately rewarding, serving as a great place to get fit and to acquire a new hobby.
Wright said, “I personally wish I had done [wrestling] earlier, and it would be great if more girls were to do it in the future.”
With the support of Kurz, Wright and Chalons’ legacy to follow, the future for aspiring female wrestlers at Westfield is hopeful.
