Second-grader Gracie Crosby attempts an escape during one of her first matches at the West Suburban Girls Wrestling tournament held recently at Naperville Central High School.
She chose to keep wrestling. And I watched in shock – anger, too – as her coach brandished a pair of scissors and, in front of the entire crowd, lopped off that thick braid.Fortunately, girls have come a long way on playing fields, and gym mats, with women’s wrestling becoming part of the Olympics in 2004. And it’s grown in popularity.
The Batavia grad has been a fan of this sport since fifth grade when she competed in her first match - against a boy, of course. Wrestling guys was pretty much the way she had to roll all the way through her senior year at Batavia, Long recalled, adding that finding female opponents meant traveling further or competing in smaller brackets.These days tell a different story.
In the four hours I sat on that top far right bleacher I watched with equal pride and amazement as these young girls went out on those mats, shook hands - some like Gracie with freshly painted nails - and then proceeded to kick butt in moves that, not so long ago, were described as “unlady-like.”