For more than 60 years, the wrestling mats at Pascack Valley High School had been dominated by male athletes— until last year, when Pascack Valley Wrestling introduced its first group of female athletes.
Now, in the middle of its second season, the Pascack Valley Girls Wrestling Team has six girls on the roster: Lauren Fouche (Jr.), Victoria Ginestra (Jr.), Casie Kerber (Jr.), Jolie Kim (Jr.), Itzel Vasquez (Sr.), and Giovanna White (Jr.).
The initiative to introduce female athletes to wrestling at PVHS was originally led by now junior captain Giovanna White, after learning that several girls shared her interest in wrestling but were unsure how to start.
“I decided to really push [starting a girls team] forward,” after she realized some others were afraid to do so alone, White said.
Co-head Coach Gary Beyer explained he and the rest of the coaching staff had been planning to start a girls team around the same time last year when White approached them about it.
“[We] the coaches were thinking of [starting a girls team] because it’s the fastest growing [high school] sport in the country,” Beyer said.
The program was then established in pursuit of this shared desire between both students and coaches to meet the growing demand for girls on the mats.
For many of the girls, the new program has given them the opportunity to finally step into a sport they had previously only viewed from the stands.
Jolie Kim had been surrounded by wrestling her whole life, having watched from the sidelines as her brothers competed. She had expressed interest in the sport from as early as middle school but was hesitant to join a sport that didn’t have a prior female presence at PV.
“Considering there was never a girls wrestling team, we were all pretty nervous stepping into the room, not knowing how people would react,” Kim said.
Lauren Fouche explained that a major hardship the team had to overcome was simply being in a male-dominated environment. A place, she said, “that no one expected to see us in.”
Despite the initial hesitation from several girls to join the team, the all-male coaching staff and teammates weren’t as intimidating as many of the girls had imagined.
“[The coaches] were willing to learn and research more about women’s wrestling to help us all improve,” Kim noted. “In my opinion, they have put in equally as much work as we [have].”
Coach Beyer, who has been a wrestling coach for approximately 30 years, is excited to continue on this new journey with the girls, as he also has experience coaching his own daughters.
“I’m excited that we’re starting something that’s giving another option for all the girls to be able to do,” Beyer noted. “I’m also excited right now about girls wrestling, because it’s lots of fun and it’s new to me.”
During training, the girls have opportunities to practice against the boys, who have responded with mutual respect and support.
First-year senior wrestler Itzel Vasquez discussed the team mentality between the boys and the girls: “It’s just my team, and I’m supporting my team… I’m happy to be here.”
Kim added that practicing with the boys actually helped prepare her for matches and that she is thankful for their support.
“[The boys] never fail to tell us good job after a win or tell us it’s okay when we lose,” said Kim. “They help us in practice by not going easy on us so we can be more aggressive on the mat… they don’t undermine us just because we are girls. They treat us like we are one of them.”
Despite the sacrifices made, like early morning practices and weekend tournaments, the girls expressed their gratitude for the opportunity to be a part of this sport that, as Kim said, “takes a toll on you mentally and physically.”
While wrestling may be taxing, Kim explained that “The crowd at a rival match, the team, the environment, and mostly the coaches make it all worth it.”
It’s not just athletes like Kim who have found this experience rewarding; Beyer also shared how he hopes the team will continue to grow into the future.
“We’re having a lot of fun, and we would love for more girls to come out,” said Beyer. “I’m hoping that we continue to grow in numbers.”
From 6:00 a.m. lifts to after-school practices, these girls, as Beyer stated, are getting ‘tougher’ by the day.
“The girls wrestling team is a very close group of girls, and, no matter what happens, we always have each other’s backs,” explained Kim. “I have made many friendships and memories through this sport.”
Both the wrestlers and coaches hope the girls team will continue to grow in the future.
“To any girl that is scared or intimidated by wrestling, you are always welcomed, and you can talk to any one of the girls or the coaches on the team if you are ever interested in the sport,” said Kim.
