An Open Letter to Parents of Girl Wrestlers | From Coach Kassi - No Limits Wrestling Club, Ridgefield, WA.

Youth Wrestling DevelopmentGirls Wrestlingyouth wrestlingCoaching Philosophy
Written By Limitless Performance

The Landscape Has Changed, But It’s Also More Confusing

If you’re the parent of a girl wrestler right now, you’re navigating something that didn’t really exist at this level even a decade ago. The opportunities are bigger, the visibility is higher, and the path forward is more legitimate than it has ever been. That’s a good thing. But it also means there is a lot of noise. There are more tournaments, more opinions, and more pressure to follow what everyone else is doing. And if you’re trying to make the best decisions for your athlete, it can feel like you’re constantly trying to keep up rather than confidently moving forward.

I want to be very clear about something: not every opportunity in wrestling is equal. That has always been true, but it matters even more now in girls wrestling because the sport is growing so quickly. There is a difference between being busy and actually developing. There is a difference between getting matches and getting the right matches. And there is a difference between being in the room and being in the right room.

Where Girls Wrestling Came From, and What Still Matters

When I was coming up in the sport, there were very few college opportunities for women. If you wanted to wrestle, you had to carve out your place in a system that wasn’t really designed for you. Most girls were training alongside boys, competing wherever they could, and figuring things out as they went.

What has changed is the access. What has not changed is the foundation.

Women’s wrestling in the United States has always been built on freestyle. That is the style that feeds college programs, national teams, and ultimately the Olympic level. That is the standard that serious female wrestlers are measured against. Even as the sport grows, that truth has remained constant.

Where the Sport Is Going, and Why That Matters for Your Athlete

As girls wrestling continues to expand, we are starting to see a clearer separation between athletes who are progressing and athletes who are simply participating. In the short term, those paths can look very similar. Both athletes are competing, both are traveling, and both are putting in time. But over time, the difference becomes obvious.

The athletes who are consistently in freestyle environments, who are competing against other girls who understand the same positions and scoring systems, and who are being challenged in meaningful ways are the ones who continue to improve. The others often stay in a cycle of activity without the same level of development.

This is why where your athlete spends her time matters. The environment, the style, and the level of competition all play a role in shaping her trajectory.

The Opportunity Right in Front of Us: Spokane

In our region, one of the most important opportunities for female wrestlers, from youth through high school, is the women’s national-level competition in Spokane at The Podium.

This is not just another tournament. It is one of the few environments where you see a true concentration of girls wrestling at a high level, in the style that actually translates to long-term success. The brackets are deeper, the matches are more relevant, and the experience is aligned with where the sport is going.

When girls step onto those mats, they are not just getting matches; they are getting exposure to what the next level actually looks like. They are wrestling opponents who understand hand fighting, positioning, and freestyle scoring. They are put into situations that force them to adjust, to think, and to grow. That kind of environment accelerates development in a way that no amount of random matches ever will.

The Hard Truth About Reno

This is the part that can be uncomfortable, but it needs to be said clearly.

Reno is a large, high-energy event, and for many athletes, especially on the boys’ side, it can serve a purpose. But for girls, it is not built with their development in mind. It is primarily structured around folkstyle and driven by boys’ brackets, which means the depth and consistency of female competition is often limited.

Just because an event is valuable for boys does not automatically make it valuable for girls. Those are two different developmental tracks, even though they exist within the same sport. For many female wrestlers, Reno results in inconsistent match quality and situations that do not reflect the freestyle positions and scoring they will encounter as they progress.

It can feel productive because there are matches and activity, but that does not always translate to meaningful growth.

What Parents Need to Understand About Investment

As a parent, you are investing a significant amount of time, money, and energy into your athlete’s journey. Travel, entry fees, gear, and missed weekends all add up. It is reasonable to expect that those investments are actually contributing to your child’s development.

The reality is that not all tournaments provide the same return. A full schedule does not guarantee progress, and a large event does not guarantee quality competition. The value comes from alignment, alignment with the style, the level, and the future of the sport.

Our Responsibility as a Program

As a coaching staff, we take that responsibility seriously. We are not just trying to keep athletes busy; we are trying to move them forward. That means prioritizing freestyle development, placing them in environments that reflect the direction of women’s wrestling, and being intentional about the opportunities we recommend.

Events like Spokane are a priority because they align with that vision. They provide the kind of matches and experiences that actually contribute to long-term success.

Final Thoughts

Girls wrestling is no longer an afterthought. It is not a secondary version of the sport. It has its own path, its own structure, and its own opportunities. If we want our athletes to succeed within that space, we have to start treating it that way.

If your daughter has goals in this sport, whether that is building confidence, competing at a high level, or pursuing opportunities beyond high school, the environments you choose for her matter.

Right now, one of the most important rooms she can be in is in Spokane, surrounded by other girls who are on that same path.

That is where growth is happening. That is where the standard is being set. And that is where we should be investing our time.


Resources for Parents of Girl Wrestlers

If you’re trying to navigate opportunities in girls wrestling, these are the most important organizations, events, and tools to understand. These links will take you directly to the source.

Governing Bodies & National Pathways

  • USA Wrestling
    https://www.usawmembership.com/
    The official governing body for wrestling in the United States. This is where you:

    • Purchase athlete memberships

    • Find sanctioned events

    • Track freestyle/Greco opportunities

    • Follow national development pathways

  • United World Wrestling
    https://uww.org/
    The international governing body for Olympic wrestling. This is the highest level of the sport and where elite female athletes ultimately compete.

High-Value Girls Wrestling Competitions (That Actually Matter)

National-Level Events (Top Priority)

USA Wrestling Women’s Nationals – Spokane

The Podium

  • One of the best regional/national events for girls

  • Deep brackets, freestyle-focused

  • Strong recruiting visibility

Best for: All serious athletes in the PNW

Fargo Nationals (USMC Junior & 16U Nationals)

📍 Fargodome

  • The gold standard in the U.S.

  • Where top girls separate themselves nationally

  • College coaches + national attention

Best for: Advanced middle school & high school (must qualify)

U.S. Open (Women’s Division)

Las Vegas

  • Elite-level competition

  • Includes U15, U17, U20 divisions

  • Pathway to world teams

Best for: High-level athletes

National Duals (Women’s Teams)

Various locations (USA Wrestling events)

  • Team-based competition

  • High match volume against quality opponents

Best for: Development + exposure

Regional High-Level Events (VERY IMPORTANT)

Northwest Regional Championships

  • Qualifier-style event

  • Good depth in Washington/Oregon region

Best for: Building into national events

Washington State Freestyle & Greco Championships

  • Official state-level benchmark

  • Directly aligned with USA Wrestling pathway

Best for: All competitive girls in WA

Oregon Freestyle/Greco State & Regionals

  • Often strong girls brackets

  • Good crossover competition

College Wrestling & Recruiting Resources

Media, Rankings & Match Footage

  • FloWrestling
    https://www.flowrestling.org/
    Provides:

    • Match footage

    • Athlete rankings

    • Coverage of major national events

    • Insight into the recruiting landscape

What Parents Should Focus On

When reviewing opportunities, keep this simple framework in mind:

  • Is it freestyle-focused?

  • Will my athlete face other experienced female wrestlers?

  • Does it align with college and national-level pathways?

  • Is this helping her grow, or just keeping her busy?

At No Limits Wrestling Club, we are committed to putting our female athletes in the right rooms and the right competitions. If you want your daughter training in a freestyle-focused environment and preparing for opportunities like Spokane, we’d love to have you in the room with us.


Limitless Performance
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