Father and Daughter Wrestling Team Compete at U.S. Nationals

5/2/2002
Jaimie Millward/USA Wrestling

Most fathers and daughters share a special bond in life. For many, this bond is found in sporting events. As active participants or even spectators, athletic events offer a wide variety of ways fathers and daughters to become involved in a common interest.

One father/daughter duo has taken this interest to a new level of involvement. Brett Hatten and his daughter, Heather, of Glenwood Springs, Colo., have committed their lives in the sport of wrestling.

Brett has been competing in the sport for years. He wrestled in high school and then went on to become a two-time Junior College National champiom. On the Senior and Veterans level, he has won a number of events.

When Brett was in college however, the program was cut from the school he was attending due to compliance issues with Title IX, putting his wrestling career on hold for a couple of years.

“Of course I was upset when they cut the program,” said Brett, “Who wouldn’t be? But it’s really ironic now, I’m fighting for the thing that put my career on hold. I’m a huge supporter of Title IX. It has done wonders for the opportunities Heather has and without it, I don’t know if she could be where she is today.”

Brett continued wrestling and is still competing and coaching today. With her father coaching for over 30 years, Heather grew up in the wrestling room, being used as a training partner for the team to practice their moves on while sitting along the side learning everything there was to know about the sport simply by watching and listening.

By age 14, Heather had the knowledge to put on tournaments by herself. She knew how to set up the brackets, how to set up a venue and how to run a successful event. Her conversations with her father were about the philosophy of the sport and coaching techniques. With this kind of a background, it is no surprise that she got bored sitting along the sidelines and wanted to get more directly involved.

“I came home from college for a break when I was 19,” said Heather. “I told my father that I wanted to wrestle. He couldn’t really tell me no. I was out on my own.”

Brett was not sure how well Heather would do as a competitor. “I knew that she could be defensive, we used her as a practice dummy for a lot of years, Brett said. “I just wasn’t sure that she would be able to offensive. I knew that she was well-rounded in the knowledge, but that was my little girl and I didn’t want to see her get hurt.”

This is a concern shared by many athletes and coaches in women’s wrestling. Men are typically bigger and stronger and more physical than women. On top of that, there is not a lot of recognition for women’s wrestling yet and it is challenging to find support for the sport.

“I didn’t want Heather to compete against boys,” Brett stated. “It’s a different kind of wrestling against guys than it is against girls. Guys can power out of a move but girls are more flexible and move in different ways.”

Heather agrees with her father and adds, “Girls are made differently and if you only practice against boys then you get used to how they react in certain situation. I’ll be able to wrestle longer than some of the other girls who compete against guys because I have no injuries, I’m healthy. Girls need to practice against girls and it’s tough to find them right now.”

To try and overcome this lack of female participation Heather and her father have been instrumental in beginning their own programs at the junior high school, high school, college and club levels.

At the club level, Heather coaches boys and girls and focuses on the basic moves to build a strong foundation for future success.

“She really knows how to get the best out of the kids,” Brett said. “She’s been coaching since she was 14 and knows what she’s talking about.”

It is evident that people respect Heather and her knowledge of the sport. There are over 100 kids participating in the club she started.

“It’s really the best way to reach the majority of the kids, through the club,” Heather said.

When Heather made her decision to wrestle, there was not a women’s program at Adams State College. “I started the program in 2000 and now it’s recognized by the college,” Heather said.

Everything needs support to get up and running, especially if it wants to stay successful and grow. This was a primary concern for Heather as she went about getting women’s wrestling accepted at her college.

“When I started the program at college, the biggest obstacle was finding support for it,” said Heather. “I got frustrated because people think that girls can’t do this sport, that it is too physical for them or that you’re not feminine if you wrestle.”

“But women can participate and become very successful at wrestling,” added Brett. “There’s that saying, ‘You can do anything you set your mind to,’ and it’s so true in wrestling. Sure it’s a challenging sport. You have to train, you have to be serious about it, but anyone can do it.”

As for being feminine and being a wrestler, Heather says that there is no problem. “Just because you look one way while your on the mat, doesn’t mean that you look masculine when you’re off the matt,” she said. “Let a girl get a shower, put on a dress and maybe some makeup and they look like every other girl out there. We’re just in a little better shape than most.”

At this year’s U.S. National Championships in Las Vegas, Nev., April 25-27, there was a sight that may never have been seen before, a father and a daughter both entered and competing at the same time. Brett was entered in the Veterans Nationals and Heather in the U.S. Senior Women’s Nationals.

“We came here to get experience,” said Brett. “Heather’s an up-and-comer. She knows the moves and she knows her body now she just needs more experience on the mat. In three or four years she will be winning this tournament. As for myself, I came just to participate, next year I’ll win, I know what it takes.”

Brett ended up with a fourth place finish at 152 pounds while Heather went 0-2 at 138.5 pounds. Both are already preparing for next year’s event.

Knowing what it takes is one of the fundamental elements to be successful in wrestling. Knowing how far to push yourself and what you need to do to perform on the highest level is instrumental in finding success.

To get fathers and daughter involved and help people develop their overall skills and training techniques, Brett and Heather will be putting on a High Altitude Training Camp this summer.

“We’re putting on this training camp to try and get more fathers and daughters involved,” said Brett. “It’s an amazing sport and something that can really bring them closer together. It’s obvious from Nationals that there are more women getting involved and the veteran’s division was twice as large as last year, so why not see how many other fathers and daughters share the interest in the wrestling. We’ll have some great talent up here running the camp. Colorado is a great place to wrestle and we want to give the opportunity for athletes to train at a high altitude with some of the best instruction in the nation.”

Brett and Heather may not have your average father and daughter relationship, but that is the great thing about being involved wrestling. It is not an average sport that interests average people. Wrestling is an intense sport that takes devotion and commitment.

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TheMat.com U.S. Senior Women's Rankings

Released 5/2/2002
Ranked by TheMat.com

48 kg (105.5 lbs.) *
1. Patricia Miranda, Stanford, Calif. (Dave Schultz WC)
2. Tricia Saunders, Phoenix, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids)
3. Julie Gonzales, Vallejo, Calif. (Dave Schultz WC)
4. Miriam Jenkins, Quantico, Va. (U.S. Marines)
5. Clarissa Chun, Kapolei, Hawaii (Missouri Valley)
6. Sara Fulp-Allen, El Granada, Calif. (SF Peninsula Grapplers)
7. Katrina Betts, Milan, Mich. (UM-Morris)
8. Malida Ripley, Antioch, Calif. (Sunkist Kids)
9. Kristen Fujioka, Kaneohe, Hawaii (Pacific)
10. Tanya Miyasaki, Kaneohe, Hawaii (Rainbow Wahines)

51 kg (112 lbs.)
1. Jenny Wong, Stillwater, Minn. (Sunkist Kids)
2. Danielle Hobeika, Cambridge, Mass. (Dave Schultz WC)
3. Mary Kelly, Mahomet, Ill. (unattached)
4. Jillian Yost, Manchester, Conn. (New York AC)
5. Audrey Pang, Princeton, N.J. (PFW)
6. Katie Kunimoto, Kaneohe, Hawaii (Pacific)
7. Kera Pemberton, Manhattan, Kan. (Dave Schultz WC)
8. Sarah Hayes, Aurora, Colo. (Cumberland College)
9. Laura Obuhanych, Ewa Beach, Hawaii (Rainbow Wahines)
10. Marianne Vollmer, Grayling, Mich. (Missouri Valley)

55 kg (121 lbs.) *
1. Stephanie Murata, Minden, Nev. (Sunkist Kids)
2. Tina George, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)
3. Malissa Sherwood, Bates City, Mo. (Stars and Stripes)
4. Marcie Van Dusen, Twin Peaks, Calif. (MFWC)
5. Brooke Bogren, Carbondale, Kan. (Santa Fe WC)
6. Tela O’Donnell, Homer, Alaska (Pacific)
7. Jill Remiticado, Forest Grove, Ore. (Pacific)
8. Desi Lockhart, Forest Grove, Ore. (Pacific)
9. Lisa Ward, Woodinville, Wash. (Missouri Valley)
10. Hillary Wolf, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)

59 kg (130 lbs.)
1. Lauren Lamb, Farmington, N.Y. (Michigan WC)
2. Erin Tomeo, Volant, Pa. (Sunkist Kids)
3. Tonya Evinger, Bates City, Mo. (Stars and Stripes)
4. Brandy Rosenbrock, Warren, Mich. (Shamrock)
5. Kiersten Hyatt, Carmichael, Calif. (Missouri Valley)
6. Leigh Jaynes, Burlington, N.J. (Missouri Valley)
7. Jessica Shirley, Galion, Ohio (Cumberland College)
8. Cathilee Albert, Boulder, Colo. (Black Knight)
9. Amy Ehlenfeldt, Norman, Okla. (USA Stars)
10. Sarah Tolin, Casper, Wyo. (Dave Schultz WC)

63 kg (138.5 lbs.) *
1. Sara McMann, Lock Haven, Pa. (Sunkist Kids)
2. Kristie Stenglein-Marano, Albany, N.Y. (ATWA)
3. Tori Adams, Amarillo, Texas (Missouri Valley)
4. Grace Magnussen, Walnut Creek, Calif. (Dave Schultz)
5. Sally Roberts, Federal Way, Wash. (Pacific)
6. Tina Arnds, Scottsdale, Ariz. (Missouri Valley)
7. Ginele Lee, Olympia, Wash. (South Sound)
8. Judy Neff, Dalton Gardens, Idaho (Idaho USA)
9. Ashley Sword, Lake Worth, Fla. (Stars and Stripes)
10. Emily Rinehart, Orland, Calif. (Northern Select)

67 kg (147.5 lbs.)
1. Toccara Montgomery, Cleveland, Ohio (Sunkist Kids)
2. Katie Downing, Pendleton, Ind. (UM-Morris)
3. Lisa Bisers, Baltimore, Md. (unattached)
4. Brandy Golt, Chesapeake, Va. (Missouri Valley)
5. Cindy Herceg, Los Angeles, Calif. (Spartak)
6. Mollie Keith, Aurelia, Iowa (Missouri Valley)
7. Jimi Dawn Hornbuckle, State College, Pa. (NLWC)
8. Stephanie Bolton, Honoluku, Hawaii (Cumberland College)
9. Hillary Broad, Kaneohe, Hawaii (Rainbow Wahines)
10. Issa Alvarez, Kissimmee, Fla. (Cumberland College)

72 kg (158.5 lbs.) *
1. Iris Smith, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
2. Kaci Lyle, Eureka, Calif. (Pacific)
3. Sandra Bacher Fakaosi, San Jose, Calif. (Dave Schultz WC)
4. Satrinina Vernon, Rodeo, Calif. (Missouri Valley)
5. Jenna Pavlik, Lewes, Del. (Lock Haven)
6. Samantha Branka, Lincoln Park, Mich. (Minnesota Storm)
7. Donnell Bradley, Aiea, Hawaii (Missouri Valley)
8. Randi Miller, Arlington, Texas (Dave Schultz WC)
9. Alicia Mena, St. Paul, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)
10. Elena Mena, St. Paul, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)

* - Olympic weight class

Dates of publication: April 2, May 2, June 1, July 1

Media outlets may reproduce these rankings only if they identify them as TheMat.com U.S. Senior Women’s rankings

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