Philadelphia-area girls wants to wrestle on boys' high school team

by Jeff Fisher
Host, NHSCA Sports Hour
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16-year old Amanda Leve is waiting patiently to hear from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia on whether she'll be allowed to wrestle on the Archbishop Ryan (Pennsylvania) wrestling team.  Right now the junior isn't allowed on the team, because it considers wrestling a full contact sport that is only open to boys.

Here's a statement from the Archdiocese on the matter:

The Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s Catholic high schools currently designate wrestling as a full contact sport open to boys only. The majority of sports in our high schools are designated by gender with separate teams for boys and girls. These measures are taken to ensure an appropriate playing environment that is safe for all participants. They also reflect the Catholic teaching that gender differences are important and play a role in the development of mature Christian identity while serving the distinct differences between male and female athletes. Representatives from both Archbishop Ryan High School and the Office of Catholic Education have met with a female student who wishes to wrestle on the school’s newly formed team. At that time, the current rule and the reasoning behind it was relayed clearly. The situation will be reviewed moving forward. There is no definitive timetable for a final decision. All possible factors will be taken into account to ensure that sports programs in our high schools foster an enjoyable and safe atmosphere to supplement academic pursuits and provide for proper human formation with Christian dignity and maturity.

According to CBS 3 in Philadelphia, the Archdiocese will consider Amanda's request to wrestle on the boys' team, but hasn't set a timetable for making its decision.