On February 17, 2011 an Iowa freshman made history when she won a wrestling match during the state tournament.  She was the first girl to win a match in the tournament’s 86 year history.  However, she won by default.  Her opponent, Joel Northrup, a sophomore boy refused to wrestle a girl.  He said:

“I have a tremendous amount of respect for Cassy and Megan [another girl that was eliminated from the tournament] and their accomplishments, however, wrestling is a combat sport and it can get violent at times. As a matter of conscience and my faith, I do not believe that it is appropriate for a boy to engage a girl in this manner. It is unfortunate that I have been placed in a situation not seen in most of the high school sports in Iowa.”

This young man can still win the tournament, but he has to do it through a loser’s bracket.  So far he is doing well.  Many applaud this young man for sticking to his convictions.  I do not.  It’s a tournament, a competition.  And as a competitor, you face the opponent in front of you.  The girls and their families are well aware of the nature of the sport and still the girls decide to compete. I assume that Joel Northrup entered the tournament to win.  What happens if those two are the last ones standing at the end of the competition, will he just give her the title?   I’m a skeptic so maybe I’m just reading too much into the situation.  Perhaps, this young man (a home schooled preacher’s son) is a stand up guy that just doesn’t think its right to “fight” a girl.  But, I feel there is more to this story.  Perhaps, while being home schooled, he never learned to socialize with the opposite sex and is afraid of what may happen if she gets too close.   Maybe this young man is scared to lose to a girl?  If it were your son, what would you advise him to do?

Monica Pierce, Guest Blogger for War Room Sports. Read more of her writing @ monicasthoughts.com.