Although wrestling remains a predominately male sport, girls have competed more and more frequently since the early 1990s. Despite some social difficulties on some teams, the rules of wrestling treat girls exactly the same as boys in standard competition. The fact that wrestling is a close contact sport, coupled with the skimpy uniforms, means that a 12-year-old girl who wants to wrestle should make some small modifications to the standard outfit.
Singlet
All wrestlers must wear a singlet in competition. The singlet is a tight, stretch garment that resembles a early 20th-century bathing suit. The tightness of a singlet prevents fingers from becoming trapped in a competitor's clothing, and its skimpiness keeps it from interfering with the competitor's mobility. Although not all parents are comfortable seeing their 12-year-old daughter in such an outfit, it's part of the competitive rules in most sanctioned competition.
Head Gear
Wrestlers are required to wear headgear, a pair of protective cups that cover the ears during competition. Without headgear, your daughter runs the risk of unsightly keloid scarring on the ears -- a condition called cauliflower ear. Girls with long hair may also want to braid or wrap their hair with a soft band to keep it from getting in their eyes during a match.
Groin Protection
Some male wrestlers wear a groin cup during competition, although it's not universally required. Girls who feel pain in that region while wrestling can buy a soft female groin protector. As with male groin protection, this is permitted but not required.
Modesty Covering
A 12-year-old girl may feel uncomfortable wearing just a wrestling singlet, as singlets expose a lot of a competitor's upper body. For this reason, most female wrestlers choose to wear a T-shirt or sports bra underneath their singlet during competition. This is not only permitted, but usually required for girls to wrestle in sanctioned competition.
Team Conventions
Some teams have additional requirements to build camaraderie through a uniform look. Some teams with a girl on the roster require all their athletes to wear T-shirts beneath their singlets. Others might wear leggings, or knee pads of uniform color. If your coach or team manager recommends specific changes to what your 12-year-old girl wears while wrestling, it's best to follow any appropriate suggestions.
Member Comments