When LCPS posted job openings March 2, they included coaches of the anticipated new additions to the athletic department. Specifically, these are coaches for the new flag football, boys volleyball and girls wrestling teams.
The wrestling team has become a major focus when discussing the new teams. Currently, it is considered coed. Next year, this will no longer be the case. Instead, there will be separate boys and girls teams.
The change will allow athletes to be more comfortable when participating in the sport.
“When I first started coaching wrestling here, I had three female wrestlers, and they were starting varsity, and I felt like we did a good job together,” PE teacher Jamie Phillips said. “But then, it was also uncomfortable with me being a coach that likes to wrestle with them.”
Having these opportunities for all students can create more participation and more accessibility.
“I think it’s good,” senior wrestler Caleb Nicholson said. “Now there can be more opportunities in wrestling. They don’t get a lot of girls-specific wrestling tournaments. Like, they get girls’ states, but they don’t get any tournaments in season. And by getting a separate wrestling team, we can recruit more girl wrestlers.”
There is concern with separating the team when taking into account different weight classes. Specifically within girls wrestling, there is a fear that not all the weight classes will be filled, leaving fewer opportunities for female wrestlers.
“There’s 13 weight classes, so I don’t know if we can fill it,” athletic director Kris Kelican said. “And that’s not just our school. Lightridge, last year, had 14 girls, which is awesome, but if all the other schools only have two or three, then the resources are really low.”
Kelican also worries that if there aren’t enough girls, they could be disappointed in the number of opportunities to compete if there is a lack of variety in weight classes.
“I don’t want a girl to come out and be all excited, and then you don’t have anybody to wrestle,” Kelican said.
In addition to wrestling opening up new opportunities for girls, flag football will also be offered next year.
Powderpuff has been an annual event for over two decades at Valley in which junior and senior girls face off in a flag football game. This has always been an extremely popular event among students as the girls compete in the game while the boys are coaches and cheerleaders.
“I did Powderpuff and it was just kind of a fun high school experience where I got to play a sport I wouldn’t normally get to play with friends,” junior Jenalee Hastings said.
Flag football is becoming more popular in high schools throughout the country. This is opening many different opportunities for students. With the addition of these programs, students have more activities to choose from to become more competitive and involved in their school and community.
This also creates opportunities for students to stand out more with colleges.
“Flag football is floating across the country, and people are being offered scholarships,” principal Susan Ross said. “We have teachers who have seniors in a different county being offered scholarships at schools, at colleges, for flag football now.”
This has not only been sponsored by the school and community, but it is also being promoted by the Washington Commanders. The Commanders are donating uniforms to LCPS schools as well as promoting the team.
“The Commanders are really behind trying to promote girls sports and girl involvement,” Kelican said.
While flag football is more targeted towards girls, because flag and tackle football are different sports, they are still considered coed. If a girl wants to play tackle, they are allowed. Similarly, if a boy would rather play flag, he could.
Because of this, there are many opportunities for both boys and girls, including the creation of the new boys volleyball team. Currently, the school’s team is considered coed. However, with this new team, it will no longer be. Still, just like with the other new teams, there are concerns about participation in boys volleyball.
“I think maybe on the eastern side, it’s going to be really good,” Phillips said. “They’re strong down by the beach. They’re really strong. But I’m not sure about here.”
Since these teams will be new, there are still many questions surrounding their execution. However, the main goal is to increase equity, inclusivity and opportunities.
“I would be supportive of it if more access is granted to sports across the board, which I believe was the initial point of it,” IB director Michael Skavarch said. “I do think in terms of inclusivity, in terms of people having a chance to play, I think having more teams always promotes more ability to play and actually get on the field.”
The addition of these teams allows the county to not only expand the athletic department, but also achieve more engagement and support in schools and the community for students.
“Our mission and vision is all about not just equal opportunity,” Ross said, “but expanding opportunity and expanding people’s perspectives.”
