Girls’ wrestling is the fastest growing sport in Pennsylvania and Lehighton Area High School is looking to become the latest athletic program to add it as an offering.

Athletic Director Kyle Spotts said Lehighton has had at least one girl on the boys’ team in recent years and this year it has three girls. By forming an official girls’ team, he added, Lehighton girls will be allowed to compete in girls-only events as well as other opportunities without boys’ competition points being impacted.

“There are 82 schools in Pennsylvania that offer a high school girls’ wrestling program and it is growing by the month,” Spotts said. “Tamaqua added it in November.”

Initial sign up opportunities this year indicated as many as eight girls showed interest in participating in wrestling at the high school level. With approval, Spotts anticipates 6-7 girls participating the first year with the numbers growing into double digits within a few years.

“National data has suggested that girls are more likely to come out for wrestling once they know they don’t have to wrestle boys,” Spotts said in his proposal to the district school board, which could take an official vote as soon as later this month.

The competition structure for girls looks different from the typical duals-dominated model that’s in place for the boys. For example, competitions are largely individual tournaments.

Spotts said tournaments typically cost between $250-$300, but those fees would be about the only added cost to the district to add the program. Floyd Brown, head varsity wrestling coach, would provide oversight of the boys and girls wrestling teams.

The Pennsylvania Girls High School Wrestling Task Force is creating a schedule of girls’ competitions each year until girls’ wrestling is officially sanctioned by the PIAA, which could happen soon when 100 schools add it as a program.

During the 2021-22 season, there were more than 20 tournaments held, not including postseason championships, hosted by PA USA Wrestling.

“With a girls’ team,” Spotts said, “Lehighton could attend these events. With an official girls’ team, Lehighton would also be able to hold dual meets against other schools with girls’ teams. There are currently nine other official girls’ teams within District 11. Those schools are a reasonable driving distance that we could schedule dual meets against if we wanted to also compete in this format.”

The positive impact adding a girls’ wrestling program could have may extend well beyond the mat, Spotts added. Providing girls with a team to join also provides an opportunity for them to participate in a school-based activity that creates additional avenues for students to connect, engage, and feel like they belong, he said.

“Research has supported that by increasing students’ sense of connectedness, that their attendance, engagement, and even academic performance can be positively impacted,” Spotts said. “In addition to providing opportunities for students to try to connect to school within the classroom, providing additional opportunities outside of the classroom can also increase connectedness through all aspects of a student’s school experience. Ideally, we would like every student at Lehighton to feel connected and to have a place where they feel that they belong and are valued.”