Women's Wrestling

Wrestling College Athletic Scholarships for Women

The first thing to know is, women’s collegiate wrestling isn’t an NCAA-affiliated sport. Women’s wrestling is a sport that’s growing quickly across the country at both the college and high school level. According to the National Wrestling Coaches Association, the number of girls wrestling in high school has grown from 804 to more than 50,000 since 1994.

Growth means opportunity. As such, women’s college wrestling coaches are more and more on the lookout for student-athletes who have done well academically and exhibit a passion for wrestling, even if a recruit’s athletic background is mostly in other sports and not freestyle wrestling (the style used at collegiate women’s programs and in the Olympics).

Do you have good grades and a strong work ethic? If so, you can put yourself in a good position to receive interest from women’s college wrestling programs. Getting recruited also takes name recognition. In almost all instances, you need to let coaches know you’re interested in getting into their wrestling programs. Here’s how to do that:

• Build A Target List
  Don’t waste time pursuing programs that aren’t a good match. Look at the roster to see how you qualify athletically and learn more about the school’s academic requirements.
• Create An Online Profile
  Think like an influencer, i.e., you need a platform to get noticed. Make it easy for coaches to see your highlight video, key stats, contact information and academic history.
• Contact Coaches, Follow Up
  You can’t sit around and wait to be discovered. Proactively reach out to college coaches by sending an introductory email that includes your online profile, highlight video, academic information, outstanding athletic achievements and personal interest in the program. Then continue to follow up with noteworthy updates throughout the year.
• Get Visibility
  Tournaments are an opportunity to test your skills against top talent and compete in front of college coaches. If you time it right and contact these coaches before you attend a tournament or camp, you’ll improve your odds of being evaluated in-person.
• Be Persistent
  If you’re an upperclassman who isn’t being actively recruited, rework your target list. Consider new opportunities, including lower-division programs where you might be more competitive. Make visits. Tap your high school coach for help in identifying programs.

You may have talent and you may have self-discipline, but unless you get your name out there in a consistent and respectful way, you may also fly under your preferred program’s radar. Show those coaches how much you want to compete for them in their wrestling program. That type of drive gets attention and will help you distinguish yourself from those you’re competing with.

Women’s Collegiate Wrestling Scholarships

• Athletic scholarships in women’s wrestling are awarded on a case-by-case basis. Schools decide how many scholarships they can fund on their own, whether it’s through fundraising efforts, donations, an endowment or a set scholarship budget.
• Because it can be difficult to gauge a student-athlete’s pedigree if they come from a region where women’s wrestling is not popular, scholarships are largely awarded based on academics. Therefore, your best bet for securing a scholarship is to have good grades and test scores in addition to all-around athletic talent.

When Can Colleges Start Recruiting For Women’s Wrestling?

Since women’s wrestling isn’t an NCAA-affiliated sport there are no restrictions on contact between athletes and recruiters. However, the Women’s Collegiate Wrestling Association—the governing body of women’s wrestling—states that athletes cannot sign a Letter of Intent before September 1 of their senior year of high school.

What College Coaches Are Looking For

With women’s college wrestling growing so rapidly, schools are filling their rosters with athletes who come from a wide variety of backgrounds. Some recruits will have had the opportunity to wrestle in state championships, unofficial state tournaments, or wrestling camps. Others may have gained experience from men’s wrestling teams or other sports. Overall, women’s college wrestling coaches recruit students who have a good attitude and a solid athletic background.

Women’s Collegiate Wrestling Association Freestyle Weight Classes In Pounds

Final Thoughts on Achieving Your Goal

There’s a limited number of women’s college wrestling programs out there. Though the number is growing, you’re still competing for a chance to wrestle at the college level and will therefore need to take a proactive approach to getting noticed. This means being strategic about the process, building relationships, and being tenacious in the pursuit of your dream. There are more than 30 women’s wrestling programs, and you can realistically reach out to all of them.

• Find The Right Match
  By researching schools, and targeting programs where your particular skills would add to the team’s ability to put up points, you have a better chance of landing a spot on a college roster. So do your homework and identify programs that will benefit from your various athletic strengths.
• Create A Target List
  After you’ve done your research, create a list of schools you’re competitive for. Putting it all down on paper will help you order your thoughts and see the overall situation more clearly.
• Keep Up Your Grades
  Make sure you keep a focus on your academics as you strive for excellence in your sport. Recruiters will be looking at both. And if you do land a spot on a college team, you’re going to be expected to keep up your academic performance along with your athletic performance, so you might as well get used to doing it now. Good luck out there!