By Chapin Jewell News & Tribune Correspondend
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – In the last several years, the sports of girls’ wrestling has exploded in popularity, becoming, in fact, the fastest growing sport in the United States. Currently, 46 of the 50 states have sanctioned girls’ wrestling through a state high school executive association. West Virginia is not one of them. A bill introduced on Monday in the state legislature looks to change that.
House Bill 4834, introduced by Delegates D. Rolland Jennings (R-Preston), Lori Dittman (R-Braxton), Dana Ferrell (R-Kanawha), Michael Hornby (R-Berkeley), and Jimmy Willis (R-Brooke), aims to, “amend and reenact 18-2-25 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to permitting women’s wrestling in public high schools and public charter schools in this state as a sanctioned sporting event.”
While West Virginia does currently offer a girls’ wrestling state championship event, girls’ wrestling is not considered a sanctioned sport by the WVSSAC, the state’s governing body over scholastic athletics.
If the bill ultimately passes, girls’ wrestling would become a sanctioned sport in the state of West Virginia with the 2026-2027 school year.
Not only is girls’ wrestling the fastest growing sport in the country, there has been tremendous growth in the sport locally and regionally. On Saturday, 61 girls representing seven schools participated in the Potomac Valley Conference Girls’ Wrestling Tournament in Keyser, and there are other wrestlers that weren’t there, including at least one other member school.
Nationally, participation increased by as much as 55 percent in the last five years and participants now surpass 49,000, nearing 50,000.
Spurring the growth is the wide-spread sanctioning, and growing collegiate opportunities as the NCAA has declared girls’ wrestling an emerging sport.” Just this year, in fact, the NCAA will hold its first ever Women’s Wrestling Championship, which will feature female athletes from all three divisions competing against one another.
Additionally, advocacy groups such as the non-profit “Wrestle Like a Girl” have been very successful at growing media attention to the sport.
House Bill 4834 in West Virginia, related to sanctioning girls’ wrestling, is currently in the public comment stage.
