>> HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS ARE RAMPING BACK UP FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR AHEAD AND ONE SPORT THAT’S
REALLY TAKING OFF IS IN A RACE
TO BECOME RECOGNIZED AS A FULLY
SANCTIONED HIGH SCHOOL SPORT OF
FLORIDA. MARY BAER SHOWS US WHO
WOULD BENEFIT.
>>MARY BAER: WOULD YOU BELIEVE
MORE THAN 900 GIRLS IN FLORIDA
WRESTLE AT THE HIGH
SCHOOL LEVEL YET OUR STATE LAGS
BEHIND SO MANY WHEN IT COMES TO
GIVING THOSE GIRLS THE SAME
RECOGNITION
AS BOYS. WELL THE SPORT HAS
GROWN FASTER THAN ANYONE
EXPECTED IT STILL NOT
SANCTIONED BY THE FLORIDA HIGH
SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION.
NOW THOUGH GIRLS ARE TAKING
THEIR FIGHT TO THE MAT.
>>JOY PURDY: GIRLS ARE TAKING THEIR MUSCLE TO THE MAT WRESTLING EACH OTHER AND BOYS.
AND A MIXED MARTIAL ARTS GROWING UP WITH MY DAD, HE WAS A BIG PRO FIGHTER AND STUFF
GIRL IS LIKE MADISON BLACKBURN
WRESTLING WAS THE CLOSEST PORT
TO MIXED MARTIAL ARTS
FOR HER. THE LEESPORT ACTUALLY
MADE IN JUNIOR HIGH, BUT DAD
DIDN’T LIKE THE IDEA AT FIRST
IT WILL BE A TRAP WRESTLING
BECAUSE IT WAS ONLY GUYS IN ONE
OF THE PEOPLE I KNOW, BUT IT
TURNS OUT IT WAS THE SPORT THAT
MOTIVATED HER AND THEN DAD WAS
CAPTIVATED BY IT THEN 8.
TOURNAMENTS ALL FIRST-ROUND
PICK IN
DOMINATING JUST MEASURES RIGHT
ONE TO WRESTLING CLICKED FOR
MADISON AND TURNED HER INTO A
FOCUS DRIVEN RESPONSIBLE IT’S
WHAT’S WORKING. IT WAS WORKING.
THE HURDLE AND ALL MADISON
WANTS IS TO
WIN STATE.
>> IT’S LIKE GETTING IN A CAGE,
YOU GOT ONE PERSON IN FRONT OF
YOU AND IT’S JUST ALL NEWS JUST
GOT PERFORM THE BEST YOU’VE
BEEN PERFORMING THE BEST GIVEN
FOR THAT I GIVE IT MY ALL PRACTICING EVERY DAY FOR HOURS SOMETIMES TWICE A DAY GIRLS AND
BOYS HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO BEAT
SOME OF THE BOYS SO
I WAS A MAJORITY 50 CITIES.
AND SO I TRY TO PAVE MY PATH
AND MAKE IT KNOWN FOR THE GIRLS
OUT THERE TO COME TO THE SPORTS
SUN COME OUT FOR THE SPORT TOO.
THERE’S A SAYING
IT’S LIKE ONCE YOU DO WRESTLING
EVERYTHING ELSE IN LIFE
IS EASIER. TRUE
YEAH SHE SAYS SHE TRIED OUT FOR
MULTIPLE SPORTS IN 7TH GRADE
WRESTLING WAS THE ONLY ONE SHE
MADE, BUT THE NEXT YEAR SHE
MADE THE TRACK AND FLAG
FOOTBALL MY CONFIDENCE VOTE
MIND OR IN SCHOOL MY STRENGTH.
>> IT’S IT’S CHANGER.
AND NOW SHE’S HOPING TO END HER
HIGH SCHOOL CAREER WITH A
SANCTIONED
WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIP.
>> I WANT TO BE IN THAT ARENA
AND I WANT TO BE IN MY FINALS
MATCH FOR MY STATE CHAMPION I
WON’T DEFEND THAT TITLE AND I
WANT LIKE I WANT THAT CROWD I
WANT THAT YOU KNOW THE LIKE
THIS IS MY SPORT, YOU KNOW OR
RECOGNIZE AS AN
OFFICIAL SPORT, AND ALL THESE
GIRLS IN THE PAST YEARS THAT
HAVEN’T HAD THAT CHANCE AND I
WANT TO BE THERE AND HAVE THAT
CHANCE
US.
CHANCE US. >> IT’S PAVING THE WAY TO A
BRIGHTER FUTURE FOR YOURSELF
WHICH IS DEFINITELY I THINK
THIS IS PRETTY MUCH MY TICKET
TO
CALL IT.
>>MARY BAER: THE SPORT OPENS
DOORS FOR MANY WHO MIGHT NOT
HAVE THE OPTIONS BECAUSE YOU’RE
NOT TRYING TO BE THE PERSON IN
FRONT OF YOU NOT TRY TO BEAT
THAT TEAM FOR THE TIME
TO YOURSELF.
>>MARY BAER: IF YOU TRY TO MAKE
YOURSELF BETTER AND ACCOMPLISH
IN REACH YOUR GOALS AND BREAK
THOSE BOUNDARIES I PICK THIS UP
SWIMMING HERE, YOU HAVE TO SHUN
WITH THUNDER. JAMIE HARRISON IS MADISON’S COACH AND TEACHES KIDS OF ALL AGES AT RIOT
PERFORMANCE ACADEMY ON THE WEST
SIDE. HE SAYS THIS YEAR SOME
700 GIRLS WRESTLE THAT STATE
CHAMPIONSHIPS WITHOUT IT BEING
SANCTIONED I THINK THE OUTLET
FOR THEM
TO BE.
>> FEATURED AS THE BOYS MAJOR
THING THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN AND
IT’S ONLY RIGHT AT
THIS POINT AS FOR MADISON TO
WANTS TO BE THE FIRST YOU KNOW
THAT’S THEIR DOG OR A CLASS
COMING TO HER AND SHE WANTS
WANTS TO BE THE FIRST STATE
CHAMP SO.
>> AND HE SAYS IT’S TOTALLY
POSSIBLE. WE WE ACTUALLY HAVE
TO RETURNING STATE CHAMPS HERE
WITH US AND THERE ARE A LITTLE
BUMMED RIGHT
NOW BUT IF YOU FOR THE FACT,
YES FOR SURE EVERYBODY IS
HOPING FOR THE BEST.
>> SO WHAT’S
THE HOLDUP WELL A YEAR AGO IN
JUNE THE FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL
ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION’S BOARD OF
DIRECTORS VOTED UNANIMOUSLY TO
SANCTION THE SPORT FOR THIS
UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR.
BUT JUST WEEKS AGO THE SAME
BOARD TABLED A VOTE
UNTIL SEPTEMBER TO RECOGNIZE
GIRLS WRESTLING AS A F H A
CHAMPION SPORT AND THAT DELAY
IS WHAT WORRIES WRESTLERS HAS
SOME BLACKBURN WHO IS NOW GOING
INTO HER SENIOR YEAR.