by Shelby Yarchin

Ben Ronnau has always been involved in the wrestling community. He’s coached male and female wrestling, both of his daughters competing in the sport from a young age. Having seen all sides of competitive wrestling, Ben realized that there was a stark difference between the two divisions: namely, Girls wrestling not being a sanctioned sport in many states in North America. Below is an infographic visualizing a continuous fight for sanction. 

Ben’s daughters began wrestling in eighth grade when the family resided in Germany. He was coaching for his three son’s at the time, and the family quickly realized that while wrestling was offered for his daughters, there was a significant difference in opportunity. The family relocated to Wyoming in 2018.  When asked, one of Ben’s daughters stated “I have not fully immersed myself into girls wrestling, due to the fact that specifically at the high school level in Wyoming, I would not be competing against girls in major tournaments especially in the postseason. Having girls wrestling sanctioned in Wyoming would mean a lot to me as it would give girls across the state the opportunity to compete. Due to the fact that most girls tournaments require long-distance travel, it poses an obstacle for girls who don’t have the means to do so.” 

Ben Ronnau set out to change things from that point on. He created the “Sanction girls wrestling in Wyoming” petition on Change.org and in 3 weeks, has (at the time of writing) had 1,315 signatures. Ben believes that right now is the prime time for girls wrestling to grow. He’s seen an increase in recognition each year, stating “I know there is a need for women’s wrestling to be included as a state-sanctioned sport. Over the last three years, there has been an exponential growth in the number of girls competing in boys wrestling.” 

The Ronnau’s hope that there will be a significant change in Girls wrestling within the next two years. Ben’s petition informs us that “as of the 2004 Athens Olympics, women’s wrestling is a recognized sport and has seen an unprecedented surge in participation over the last few years.” as for Wyoming, many girls choose to compete in the boys’ brackets, while the state has begun to add women’s brackets, they’re often last minute and rushed. Ben and his family are very passionate about sanctioning girls wrestling in Wyoming, and the fight continues to push on throughout North America. To support the Ronnau’s in their journey, sign the Change.org petition here.