A wrestling practice may look very different from other sports, such as football or basketball. Girl’s wrestling has experienced rapid growth in recent years, garnering attention across schools and communities, and is quickly becoming one of the fastest-growing high school sports. What was once seen as a male-dominated sport is now actively providing opportunities for girls to compete, grow, and succeed both individually and as part of a team. According to Raquel Gerovac, a Sophomore at New Berlin West, the growth of women’s wrestling has expanded due to social media and with the encouragement from friends and family. As more athletes share their experiences online and the program continues to expand, girls are becoming more aware of the opportunities that wrestling can offer. 

Unlike other high school sports, wrestling is an individual sport, along with being a team sport; the athletes in this sport compete in their own weight class, but also rely on their teammates for support. The girl’s wrestling program in New Berlin is a combined team between New Berlin West and New Berlin Eisenhower, allowing athletes from both schools to practice and compete together. This combined program has helped strengthen this sport by bringing together a larger group of athletes who support and motivate each other throughout the season. Since this program is shared, practices are held every day of the week and can be either at West or Eisenhower High School. The wrestlers must adjust to the different environments while maintaining their effort and preparation for meets. 

Practices 

A typical wrestling practice looks different than most sports like basketball or football. These practices are to challenge athletes both physically and mentally, to strengthen them, and to help with their endurance and technical skills. Gerovac explained that wrestling includes a mix of hard work and fun. Practices usually begin with a jog around the school to warm up the body and prevent injuries. Then this is followed by conditioning exercises and strength training. This helps the wrestlers to develop the power and stamina needed to compete in the matches that can be physically exhausting. After warming up, the team works on drills to focus on their footwork, positioning, and simple takedowns. These drills are repeated often to help the wrestlers sharpen their skills and build more confidence on the mat. 

Gerovac shared that one of the most important parts of their practices is live wrestling because it is most like meets, and it helps her to prepare. During live wrestling, the athletes compete against their partner in their weight class. This part of practice helps the athletes to apply the techniques they have learned in real-time situations to help them prepare for meets. 

Even though they have some intense practices, there are many fun moments. Gerovac said, “ My favorite part of practice is when we play games at the end.” While games do not happen every day at practices, this provides a break from all the physical stuff of practice and gives the team a chance to bond and enjoy themselves after a tough workout. These moments remind the athletes that wrestling can be both challenging and enjoyable. 

Goals for the Season

Setting goals is an important part of wrestling, both individually and as a team. Gerovac shared that her goals for the season include helping her team to make conference and sectional champions once again. She also hopes to qualify for the state tournament, which is a huge accomplishment for any athlete. Beyond Gerovac’s personal goals, she emphasizes the importance of being a supportive teammate. She is a strong believer that encouraging others and contributing positively to the team helps everyone perform better. Wrestling may be an individual sport on the mat, but off the mat is where success is built through the support and encouragement of each other. The team’s motivation comes from its past success. Last season was historic for the girl’s wrestling program. Several of the girls on the team claimed their first team title in their program’s history. This included four individual champions, including Gerovac.

Last year, at almost every meet, they placed very well, even at the WIAA State Tournament. Natalia Poplawski finished in fifth place in the 138-pound Bracket, while Tesa Marrero finished in sixth place in the 107-pound bracket. The wrestling team aims to support one another and continue to grow the girl’s wrestling program. Lastly, another one of Gerovac’s goals is to practice more wrestling skills and stay conditioned with cardio to keep her endurance up. So she can continue to work hard to achieve her goals for the season. 

Team Bonding and Support

One of the most meaningful parts of girl’s wrestling is the strong sense of community within the team. Although wrestling is an individual sport, wrestlers rely heavily on their teammates for encouragement and support throughout the season. This plays a huge role in success, with supporting each other on and off the mat. Gerovac explained that the team helps one another learn moves during practice, encouraging and motivating each other before matches, and offering support and reassurance after matches, especially if someone does not perform as well as they had hoped they would.

Gerovac explains how the team cheers each other on, and they are very supportive of each other. She describes the team as being like a family with a supportive environment that helps the girls stay motivated and build confidence, both on and off the mat. Gerovac mentions that she values the support of others. She also mentions that one of her favorite memories of this sport is supporting each other, playing games with each other at the end of practices, and making more friendships. The support of each other makes wrestling more enjoyable and less intimidating for new athletes. Gerovac says that she would recommend wrestling to others because it builds such strong relationships and creates a sense of belonging. The encouragement athletes receive from their teammates helps them to stay motivated and helps with their confidence throughout the season.

Challenges of the Sport

There are many challenges to every sport, mental challenges and physical challenges. Wrestling can be very physically challenging; it can take a toll on your body because you either need to gain weight or lose weight to be in a certain weight class, and when you’re actually wrestling, you use every muscle in your body to win the match. Gerovac explained how one of her biggest challenges was spraining her elbow, but she explained how the recovery is going fast and well, so she can start practicing and training harder.

Balancing School and Wrestling 

Balancing academics and sports is a challenge faced by many student-athletes. Gerovac manages to balance both by staying organized and working ahead when she knows meetings are coming up. Planning helps her to keep up with the assignments she needs to get done and reduces the stress of the busy weeks.  She also mentions the importance of studying and staying focused in school. Wrestling helps to teach time management, responsibility, and skills that help succeed beyond the sport itself. By prioritizing both academics and sports, Gerovac demonstrates how student-athletes can succeed in multiple areas of their lives.