September 28, 2021
Wrestling coach Jimmie Foster is coaching girls wrestling this year for its first season in Central history. This addition to Central sports comes from the Nebraska School Activities Association (NSAA) voting to officially sanction girls wrestling for the 2021-2022 school year, a decision Foster appreciates.
“Girls have wrestled since the beginning of time, just like guys,” Foster said. “Wrestling teaches a lot of things that will help you later in life, so why wouldn’t girls be able to do it? That doesn’t make any sense.”
Foster has become especially familiar with the lessons he believes wrestling can teach, as he was introduced to the sport at age 14.
“It’s just a way of life,” Foster said.
Despite the upcoming season in November being the first for girls wrestling, Foster’s experience as the wrestling coach for over 20 years gives him the ability to anticipate the distinctions between coaching girls to boys.
“When it comes down to it there’s not going to be much of a difference with showing moves, but how you approach the athletes is probably going to be a little different,” Foster said.
There is one aspect of the sport that Foster expects to be a barrier for the team.
“A new girl that’s never wrestled before will probably have to get over some of the things in wrestling where there’s so much touching,” Foster said. “Once they get over that then they’re fine.”
The first season of any sport can be hindered by the unknown, but Foster has already determined what he wants to accomplish with the team once that barrier is broken down.
“The goal is to keep a solid group of girls that are excited about joining the program and excited about being the standard in the beginnings of the program. You would hope that years from now the girls are doing as well as the guys and more,” Foster said.
Boys wrestling has been established at Central for almost 100 years and accumulated 123 state championships throughout that time. Given the sharp contrast that currently exists between the two, Foster believes the worst thing people can do is compare the boys team to the girls team.
“When I think of the future of the girls team, I think of 1929 when the boys wrestling team started,” Foster said. “It probably looked a lot like how the girl’s wrestling team is going to look this year.”
While Foster expects the girls team to eventually win state titles and see the same success the current wrestling program has seen, this season he is more focused on the groundwork.
“Right now, it’s more about drumming up the interest and building a strong enough base so that the program can last,” he said.
Foster is most excited for the future, as he is looking forward to watching the first team blaze the trail for girls wrestling at Central and beyond.
“Women’s wrestling is on the rise and I’m just glad it’s finally getting to Nebraska, so hopefully we can contribute to it.”
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