Interesting story.

 

http://www.aolnews.com/2011/02/17/high-school-wrestler-joel-northrup-forfeits-match-rather-than-fa/

 

Regardless how you feel about the decision you have to respect the way the kid handled it. No lawsuits trying to get the girl banned. No public pressure applied. He simply said "no thanks."

 

For the uninitiated , high school wrestling in Iowa is like the Sweet 16 for boys basketball in KY. The finals draw thousands over a four-day period and I'd say the finals probably draw over 10,000.

 

Every kid who wrestles in Iowa a)know who Dan Gable is and b)dream of making the last four days.

 

If you have ever watched high school/college wrestling you know that there are many positions that are "interesting" and would be hard to watch if it included your 13 or 14 year old daughter.

Kind of torn on this one. I don't like the mixing of genders in sports. Just two different levels of physicality. Part of me says he should have wrestled her and completely humiliated her. Another part says if wrestling is that huge in Iowa he may have been scared he was going to lose to her. If it is as big as you say it is then he had to have known who she was and that he may face her. I haven't read the story. But these are my thoughts before I click the link.

Yeah I think he was worried about losing to a girl. Kids will do surprising things for petty reasons.

Yeah I think he was worried about losing to a girl. Kids will do surprising things for petty reasons.

 

Zero chance he was worried about losing to a girl. Look at their records.

Kind of torn on this one. I don't like the mixing of genders in sports. Just two different levels of physicality. Part of me says he should have wrestled her and completely humiliated her. Another part says if wrestling is that huge in Iowa he may have been scared he was going to lose to her. If it is as big as you say it is then he had to have known who she was and that he may face her. I haven't read the story. But these are my thoughts before I click the link.

Same here. Was he worried about possibly losing to a girl? She did beat 20 other guys so far this year. But hey! I am not sold on the "wrestling is a combat sport" line, so just because it's a girl a male shouldn't fight her? Heck with that thinking we should just go ahead and ban all males from the military, we will never lose anyone if no one will fight a female. Go ahread and fight her! She knows what she signed up for!

 

But on the other side, the statement from the kid wasn't all crying about having to face her and having to forfeit, his statement seemed to be well thought out, BUT I don't buy the respect part, what would she or any female think about that line? It kind of sounds like the statement was his parents and not his.

 

Interested to hear someone like Rockmom's take on this as well.

Same here. Was he worried about possibly losing to a girl? She did beat 20 other guys so far this year. But hey! I am not sold on the "wrestling is a combat sport" line, so just because it's a girl a male shouldn't fight her? Heck with that thinking we should just go ahead and ban all males from the military, we will never lose anyone if no one will fight a female. Go ahread and fight her! She knows what she signed up for!

 

But on the other side, the statement from the kid wasn't all crying about having to face her and having to forfeit, his statement seemed to be well thought out, BUT I don't buy the respect part, what would she or any female think about that line? It kind of sounds like the statement was his parents and not his.

 

Interested to hear someone like Rockmom's take on this as well.

 

I agree completely. I too would like to hear RM's take on this as well.

I am not sure if I could wrestle a female. Too many uncomfortable positions and hold plus I don't think I could be as aggressive as I would need to be.

 

My guess is a hold like this may have played a factor in the decision. Personal or religious beliefs maybe?

Zero chance he was worried about losing to a girl. Look at their records.

 

Then why not just wrestle her then? She knew what she signed up for. You also know as well as I do when it's the playoffs records are meaningless. She may have wrestled higher ranked people than him. She may have beaten people that have beaten him. At face value, from my little office in Ky, it seems like a little fear of losing may have crept into the picture. He saves more face by taking a forfeit than by going out and losing to her. Is there a chance they could meet in the finals? Will he forfeit again? Whole season down the drain because of a girl? Really? Why not refuse to wrestle all year in protest instead of waiting until they are matched up. No way did she just sneak up on the wrestling community. Especially with a winning record. I am just kind of skeptical of the intentions behind the forfeit.

I am not sure if I could wrestle a female. Too many uncomfortable positions and hold plus I don't think I could be as aggressive as I would need to be.

 

My guess is a hold like this may have played a factor in the decision. Personal or religious beliefs maybe?

 

Could be but it seems if religious beliefs were in the way he shouldn't be half naked wrestling around with guys either.

Then why not just wrestle her then? She knew what she signed up for. You also know as well as I do when it's the playoffs records are meaningless. She may have wrestled higher ranked people than him. She may have beaten people that have beaten him. At face value, from my little office in Ky, it seems like a little fear of losing may have crept into the picture. He saves more face by taking a forfeit than by going out and losing to her. Is there a chance they could meet in the finals? Will he forfeit again? Whole season down the drain because of a girl? Really? Why not refuse to wrestle all year in protest instead of waiting until they are matched up. No way did she just sneak up on the wrestling community. Especially with a winning record. I am just kind of skeptical of the intentions behind the forfeit.

 

That's fine. We disagree.

 

However, why refuse to wrestle all year ON THE CHANCE that you MIGHT wrestle a female in the tourney? Doesn't make sense.

I'm not torn at all. Have a girl's division and crown her queen. They should not be mixed together in wrestling. Kudos to this kid for being more wise than the adults who decided it would be a good idea.

To support my point that the kid didn't back out due to fear of losing to a girl the young lady was pinned in 52 seconds in her next match.

To support my point that the kid didn't back out due to fear of losing to a girl the young lady was pinned in 52 seconds in her next match.

 

 

:lol:

 

Point taken and received.

Northup was favored to win his weight class' title. No chance the decision had anything to do with fear of losing.

 

He simply said he did not think it was morally right to engage physically with a girl. Why doesn't anyone believe him when he says that?

I'm not torn at all. Have a girl's division and crown her queen. They should not be mixed together in wrestling. Kudos to this kid for being more wise than the adults who decided it would be a good idea.

 

 

I definitely agree somewhat. The more I think about it I wish he would have wrestled her but no way should she be wrestling with the fellas. I would have encouraged my son to wrestle her and approach the match the same as the rest but I would have supported whatever decision he came to as well.