I am petitioning here to have the Girls Wrestling season separated from the Girls Basketball season at North Polk Middle School. As a girl athlete, I like to participate in lots of different sports. One thing that I like about middle school athletics is that it gives me a chance to try different sports. I like that North Polk Middle School is trying to form a girls wrestling team. Yet, I can’t try wrestling without giving up basketball.

With the thought of a new sport to try, my friends and I have been discussing this.  We  just don’t understand how we can try a new sport if wrestling is during our basketball season. The boys at our school have separate basketball and wrestling seasons. 

My parents told me to take a look at Title IX. The US Department of Education website states “Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. Title IX protects people from discrimination based on sex in education programs or activities that receive federal financial assistance. Title IX states:

No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”

Girls Wrestling season should be moved to the second half of Winter. This is an important change that needs to be made because boys get to try both sports and why shouldn’t girls get the same opportunity as the boys. We can’t discriminate against the girls at North Polk Middle School. I realize that this is just the planning stages, but that means this is the perfect time to make the opportunities equal.

Below you will find an attachment of those who agree with me on this stance. Thanks for your consideration

Sincerely,

Frankie E. Huether, Student-Athlete