FHSAA To Add Girls Wrestling, Sand Volleyball in 2021-22

Women sports will be expanding in Florida for the 2021-22 school year. The Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) announced on Tuesday, June 9 that the board of directors voted unanimously to sanction girls wrestling and will recognize sand volleyball in two years.

The report, from the Fort Myers News-Press, pointed out that supporters had hoped that student-athletes could begin the new sports this year, however, due to supplements and coaching stipends already being allocated in individual school districts, both sports will begin in 2021-22.

Previously, girls had to qualify for the boys’ state wrestling tournament, hosted by the FHSAA, for the last decade as participation began growing. Now they will have all the chance to compete for an FHSAA state championship.

“The story will no longer be that girls qualified for the [boys] state tournament,” South Fort Myers coach Jake Noland told the Fort Myers News-Press. “The story will now be that girls get to compete for their own state title.”

Last season, the FHSAA participation reports showed that 708 girls were on co-ed wrestling rosters. The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) noted that participation in girls’ wrestling has grown nationwide for 31 consecutive years.

As for sand volleyball in the Sunshine State, the sport has been available for some Floridians via the Sunshine State Athletic Conference before the FHSAA adopted the sport.

To read the full story from the Fort Myers News-Press on the FHSAA’s addition of girls wrestling and sand volleyball, click here.