Posted on 02/17/2011 2:03:09 PM PST by Nachum
DES MOINES, Iowa – A standout Iowa high school wrestler refused to compete against a girl at the state tournament on Thursday, relinquishing any chance of becoming a champion because he says wrestling a girl would conflict with his religious beliefs.
Joel Northrup, a home-schooled sophomore who was 35-4 wrestling for Linn-Mar High School this season, praised his first-round opponent, Cedar Falls freshman Cassy Herkelman, and Ottumwa sophomore Megan Black, who became the first two girls to make the state wrestling tournament in its 85-year history.
But in a news release, he said he defaulted on his match with Herkelman because he doesn't think boys and girls should compete in the sport.
"I have a tremendous amount of respect for Cassy and Megan and their accomplishments. However, wrestling is a combat sport and it can get violent at times," said Northrup. "As a matter of conscience and my faith I do not believe that it is appropriate for a boy to engage a girl in this manner. It is unfortunate that I have been placed in a situation not seen in most other high school sports in Iowa."
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
The first (and only) time one of my sons wrestled a girl, I asked him beforehand how he felt about it and he sort of shrugged. He wasn't entirely comfortable.
After thinking it through, I told him to forget this was a girl, don't even think about it that way. I suggested he shake hands, take her down, and pin her as fast as he could, not to hurt her, but just to get it over with.
Less than thirty seconds later, he walked off and forgot it ever happened.
I'm not sure what she got out of it other than some sort of humiliation. What were the parents thinking?
I believe it. There are some good female collegiate wrestlers.
I say, let her try. Don’t think she will win it all, but if she is that good, let her try.
If a guy broke her arm wrestling her I’m sure the teachers would call the cops pronto and have him arrested.
It was 1987 or 1988 when the male class president went out for girls' volleyball at a high school in Iowa City.
I do believe this girl earned her way into the state tournament by wrestling boys and not other girls. I know here in Michigan very few freshman of either sex make it to states in an individual sport, let alone a girl participating in boys wrestling.
This young man made his decision not to wrestle and forfeited the match. I do not see what all the hoopla is about over this issue.
I thought I made it clear I had done her wrong. She wasn’t going to learn to block and evade if she didn’t hit hard enough times to get sick of it and learn how to protect and attack.
I don’t care to fight and I don’t want to do contact sports with a girl. It will never be fair.
I am genetically predisposed with muscles and a skeletal frame she won’t have, ever. Moreover, I ain’t just plain good, I am very competitive.
Wanna play board games, run a race or whatever, fine. I’ll go all out.
I just don’t want hitting a girl the same as I would a man on my conscience, even if we are wearing all that protective gear.
You can’t exactly leg sweep a girl. You could seriously injure their legs and cause a deformity. I like their legs too much to do that.
I don’t to break a rib or an arm or anything on them.
I just want to admire their form over drinks and some conversation.
As far control, sure and stopping at the skin but it ain’t the same against guys. We go all out and sometimes stuff happens. Just part of being a guy and playing guy games.
And yeah, I couldn’t kick her or any other girl in the chest. Couldn’t conceive of drilling em in the chest with a strong right. You have less targets on them as well.
Believe me Kong scolded me on more than one occassion for not sticking it them and said I was going to get “whooped” by a bunch of girls in a bar. (So damn funny hearing him say “whooped” and every time he said it I would laugh or smile. He once demanded “You think that’s funny”. I started laughing and said “Yep. That’s why I keep coming back. Cuz you’re a great teacher”. He just looked at me and said “Oh? And you know how to kiss my ? and he slapped his ass)
The whole class was laughing and he tried to get serious and then he bowled over hands on knees trying to control himself but was laughing to hard.
Took us about two minutes to get back to class after a couple of fits and starts of laughing.
As for the rest of your post I completely agree:
“Any woman, deserves to truly know what her abilities are; because her life may depend upon that skill at some point in time.
After all, isn’t the point of this discipline to compete against what the best you think you can be? It’s not to defeat your opponent, but to measure yourself against what you once were, and where you want to go. Every day, the goal is to go to bed smarter than you were when you woke up.”
I am just probably not the guy to teach that. But I won’t get “Whooped” by a bunch of girls in a bar, unless they’re all HOT and it feels good.
If boys are not allowed to try out for volleyball (a girls-only sport in Michigan), why should girls be allowed to wrestle?
ROTFLMAO!!!!
RIP
Andy was hilarious!
Come on. Give the kid the benefit of the doubt. I’ll play any sport with a girl that doesn’t involve me being physically in contact with them and aggressive.
I did Ice Skate doubles though and I like that.
I just don’t want to ever hit or hurt a girl and it doesn’t have a thing to with fear of losing, I probably won’t anyway.
This kid is good enough to be in contention for a state award, the girl probably isn’t and he doesn’t want to put any kind of hurt on her.
It’s not fair to either side to have women compete with men in a full contact sport.
Meaning what? Are you saying any boy in Iowa can try out for any girls' sports team in school?
I agree the guy should win , being ranked I think fifth in the state , the guy should not have to go all in if he’s that good. it should be more like a friendly match then anything else. if he’s that good and she’s that over matched he should be able to pin the girl without hurting her.I’m not for hurting or hitting a girl , but if she wants to try playing a contact sport let her at least she was given a chance.
While we’re at it, girls shouldn’t be allowed on football teams past flag football. My hubby’s ex loon signs up his daughter for football so she can be the “only girl on the football team.” She is neither athletic or talented in football. It’s another “look at me and mom” stunt.
Thank Title 9 for this state of affairs.
Who in their right minds would allow girls to wrestle boys? Insane idiots have taken over schools—why are the parents allowing this????????
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