PRINTER'S NO. 788
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE RESOLUTION
No.
119
Session of
2023
INTRODUCED BY MARTIN, BREWSTER, PHILLIPS-HILL, VOGEL, DUSH,
LAUGHLIN, SCHWANK AND BROWN, MAY 31, 2023
REFERRED TO RULES AND EXECUTIVE NOMINATIONS, MAY 31, 2023
A RESOLUTION
Designating May 17, 2023, as "Pennsylvania Girls' Wrestling Day"
in Pennsylvania.
WHEREAS, Pennsylvania has a rich history of and unrivaled
passion for wrestling as a high school sport; and
WHEREAS, Girls' wrestling has been the fastest-growing high
school sport in the country over the past five years; and
WHEREAS, According to the nonprofit organization Wrestle Like
a Girl, Pennsylvania high school girls' wrestling increased
approximately 100% over the same five-year time period; and
WHEREAS, The number of female wrestlers in this Commonwealth
has grown from 229 in the 2019-2020 wrestling season to well
over 1,000 in the 2022-2023 wrestling season; and
WHEREAS, There are currently 32 states that have officially
sanctioned girls' wrestling; and
WHEREAS, Currently, the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic
Association (PIAA) does not recognize girls' wrestling as an
official sport but has labeled it as an emerging sport; and
WHEREAS, The PIAA previously expressed that at least 100
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girls' wrestling teams must organize before they can officially
sanction the sport and create a State championship for girls'
wrestling; and
WHEREAS, SanctionPA formed to help this Commonwealth's girl
wrestlers reach the PIAA 100-team marker; and
WHEREAS, SanctionPA is a grassroots effort by wrestling
leaders in this Commonwealth to work toward establishing girls'
wrestling as a sanctioned sport in Pennsylvania; and
WHEREAS, Wrestle Like A Girl, USA Wrestling, Pennsylvania USA
Wrestling, the Pennsylvania Wrestling Coaches Association, the
National Wrestling Coaches Association, the National High School
Coaches Association and the Pennsylvania Chapter of the National
Wrestling Hall of Fame have all participated as positive
collaborators in the grassroots effort; and
WHEREAS, The grassroots sanction movement achieved their
initial goal of 100 girls' wrestling programs to be approved by
their respective schools on February 14, 2023, with the addition
of Pennridge High School in Bucks County; and
WHEREAS, The first girls' wrestling program approved in this
Commonwealth occurred at J.P. McCaskey High School in Lancaster
County; and
WHEREAS, To date, there are 108 girls' wrestling programs
approved by their respective schools across this Commonwealth;
and
WHEREAS, The PIAA plans to hold the third and final vote on
the application to approve girls' wrestling as a PIAA sponsored
sport on May 17, 2023; and
WHEREAS, The Statewide champions of the likely final
unsanctioned girls' wrestling season included: Valarie Solorio
(Canonsburg), Jayleah Pletz (Shillington), Journie Rodriguez
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(Lancaster), Sierra Chiesa (West Springfield), Aubre Krazer
(Easton), Jordyn Fouse (Roaring Spring), Haylie Jaffe (Kennett
Square), Zoey Haines (Orrtanna), Leyna Rumpler (Wexford), Gabby
Reid (Stroudsburg), Alyssa Favara (Johnstown), Caroline Hattala
(Quakertown) and Brenda Banks (Lansford); and
WHEREAS, Participation in wrestling on a high school level
leads to invaluable opportunities to compete and succeed at the
collegiate level and later on in life; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate designate May 17, 2023, as
"Pennsylvania Girls' Wrestling Day" in Pennsylvania; and be it
further
RESOLVED, That the Senate acknowledge the efforts of
SanctionPA to help establish girls' wrestling as a sanctioned
sport by the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association.
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