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Selah Girl Finishing What She Started in Seventh Grade

By SCOTT SPRUILL 11/27/02
YAKIMA HERALD-REPUBLIC

SANDY SUMMERS/Yakima Herald-Republic Bridgette Bosman, a senior at Selah High School, is entering her sixth season of wrestling.

Bridgette Bosman simply wants to be viewed as a wrestler. Not a feminine rebel with any agenda or cause, just a high school wrestler.

She knows, of course, that can't happen. Girls don't exactly blend facelessly into a boys muscle sport like wrestling.

But even if they did, Bosman would still be special. Fierce dedication stands out regardless of gender.

A senior at Selah High School, Bosman is entering her sixth wrestling season and has never missed a practice since taking up the sport in seventh grade.

"Two years ago she broke a rib but still came to practice and all the meets to help out. She's one of the most dedicated kids I've ever had," said Selah's coach, Jim Durand. "The biggest compliment I could give her is she's a wrestler who happens to be a girl. Not a girl who is a wrestler. That's the way Bridgette has always wanted it."

As a seventh-grader, Bosman carefully considered her decision to be a girl in a boys world. Thing is, she already was.

Bosman's father and uncle were wrestlers, and she has three siblings, all brothers. Rocky, two years her elder, was also a wrestler.

"I always liked the sport. It pushes you like no other," she said before a recent practice. "It also builds your confidence, and that helped me because I'm a shy person."

That first season Bosman did manage to build her confidence even when others tried to tear it down.

"It was hard at first because it felt like a lot of people were looking down it," she said of her decision to turn out. "It was tough physically for me, obviously, but it was also tough mentally. Sometimes people made fun of me and it's hard to block that out."

Bosman wasn't turning out for the novelty of it. She was attracted to the strategy of the sport and was eager to compete. Not just go through the motions, compete.

It wasn't long before she won her first match.

"I was excited and my team was excited, but the boy I beat was upset and I understand how he must have felt," she said. "It's a lose-lose situation for a boy wrestling a girl. What I didn't like was his teammates made fun of him. He didn't deserve that."

After two junior high seasons, Bosman entered high school and the difficulty factor doubled.

"That was the biggest adjustment, my freshman season," she said. "The season was twice as long and the guys were so much stronger. It was like starting all over."

It was new for Bosman and new for Durand.

"Bridgette's first year was my first year and I admit I had a little problem with it," Durand recalled. "Her mom was adamant about her being treated like any other wrestler. But I said, no, she's a girl and I'm going to look out for her. That thinking changed, though."

That's because Bosman changed his thinking.

"I could see right off that she was there for all the right reasons," Durand said. "She works very hard, lifts weights and doesn't miss practice. And she's done it now for six years."

Bosman has wrestled mostly junior varsity matches but has seen varsity action in some tournaments. The competition at her weights — either 125 or 130 pounds — is deep but her goal is to wrestle more varsity matches and possibly qualify for district.

What the years have taught Bosman is how to offset strength with skill.

"Guys are naturally stronger but girls are more flexible," she believes. "That's how I try to get past the strength thing, with flexibility and good moves. Strength isn't everything."

Bosman figures she's wrestled only five girls since seventh grade. The rest have been boys, and sometimes they're not interested.

"It happens: A boy will come out for a match, see me and walk away," she said. "I'm surprised it doesn't happen more, and I understand what a guy must think. But I've worked hard, too. I've put in the practice, I've made weight and I want to wrestle."

Bosman has encountered enough what's-a-girl-doing-wrestling attitude over the years that she's been able to block most of it out. Most of it.

Once in a while, it's difficult not to get irritated.

"When somebody is rude or way overaggressive, that ticks me off," she said. "I don't mind somebody being aggressive — that's OK, I want their best. When the match starts, I just want to be like any other wrestler."

That has been Bosman's desire since she took up the sport as a seventh grader. Idealistic, perhaps, but she's happy with the six years she put into it.

Bosman has thoroughly enjoyed being a part of Selah's program, sharing with teammates that have embraced her participation, and learning the sport from Durand, who has learned his own lessons along the way.

And above all, there are no regrets.

"I wouldn't do anything different," she said without hesitation. "When I first came out some people said I was just doing it to prove a point. No, I just really wanted to wrestle.

"I never wanted to skip a practice because that would be like cheating myself. That's what I like about wrestling — you get out of it what you put in and I'm glad I did."

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TheMatside View, by Gary Abbott: Sharing thousands of wrestling pictures online as a hobby

11/26/2002
Gary Abbott/USA Wrestling

What kind of nut would travel around the United States and the world, spend long days lugging heavy camera equipment all over a loud gymnasium just to take wrestling photos? How about the many more hours spent editing and preparing the shots in order to post them on the internet? As a hobby? For free?

You have to be some kind of wrestling fan to do that, wouldn’t you? Meet Al Elrefei of Birmingham, Ala.

Al is a doctor in Birmingham, Ala. who enjoys photography and martial arts. He has become a major fan of amateur wrestling, one of those people who take personal time to attend events around the nation. Last spring, he asked if he might get a photo pass to shoot some USA Wrestling events.

Along the way, he met Danielle Hobeika, a nationally-ranked women’s freestyle wrestler. Danielle has a passion for computers, internet design, and of course, wrestling. When Danielle suggested that she assist Al in posting his photos on the internet for all to see, a new webpage was born: amateurwrestlingphotos.com.

Al was telling his story to me between sessions at the 2002 Women’s World Championships in Halkida, Greece a few weeks ago. Al was able to attend the event, by taking a few day sidetrip on a journey to Egypt to visit his family. It was his first World Championships wrestling event since starting his photo webpage, and was an enlightening and enjoyable experience for him.

“Wrestling is a great sport,” says Elrefei, who participated in judo and other martial arts as a youth but not wrestling. “It has action, emotions, and a lot of people who come out to take part. It lends itself to great photography.”

In addition to finding some personal satisfaction and fun from shooting the sport, Al also saw a glaring need. There are very few good wrestling images in the general public that are accessible to everybody.

He has discovered that there are people who enjoy wrestling all over the nation who can not get to the many major wrestling events scattered across the nation. They are starving for information, especially visual information, on the sport. He has been able to spend the time, and devote his personal resources, to capturing this action. All he wants in return is the chance to share these photos with as many people as possible.

“You can’t travel to these events, but you want to know what happened,” he explains. “If you see 500 photos of the event, you will have a great idea of what happened.”

Elrefei figures that he has already posted 5,000 wrestling photos online, and that is just since June, when Hobeika was able to start placing his images on the new web page. This is his way to help promote and build the sport, to combat the challenges faced by wrestling on all levels. Seeing is believing, and he wants everybody to see what wrestling is all about.

“There is so much talent, so much skill, but nobody knows it,” says Elrefei. “It’s a waste. It’s gone.”

He gives tremendous credit to Hobeika, also a wrestling fanatic, for using her many skills with the internet and computers to bring the photos to life and to reach out to the world through the internet. It is a partnership that seems to be working, and our sport is getting the benefit.

Al Elrefei is one of a long list of special people who enjoy taking wrestling pictures. These are wrestling photographers, not to be confused with sports photographers or professional photographers. In most cases, these people were first involved in wrestling in some other capacity, then learned how to shoot the sport with a camera. Most of these people, like Al, are primarily interested in using their hobby to help the sport of wrestling in their own special way.

Believe me, a wrestling photographer has a much better chance of catching a dramatic wrestling image than those who claim to be the photo experts. The lighting may not be perfect, and the color is maybe slightly less dramatic, but they know when to push the button. By knowing the sport, they are ready to shoot when a lighting-quick technique is executed. They can anticipate the action, because they know wrestling.

I have seen some hot-shot professional photographers, often from the major publications or photo services, who just can’t get good wrestling photos. They often tend to zoom in too close, trying to capture the facial expressions, yet cutting off key body parts. They don’t anticipate the action, so often the pictures just show wrestlers standing around or lying flat on the mat. They do not understand that it takes the entire body to execute a wrestling move, nor that there is raw beauty in a proper technique at its most explosive. The lighting is right, and the color is perfect, but the essence of the sport is missed by these so-called photo experts.

The amateur wrestling photographers are amateurs like the athletes; they don’t pay the mortgage with their photography income, usually spending more on travel and film than they ever receive from their photo fees. They want to be a part of wrestling, and they want to share their experiences with others. Your favorite wrestling magazines and newspapers could not survive without these dedicated wrestling photographers.

Some of the names you may recognize are Sonja and Jack Stanbro, John Johnson, Ginger Robinson, Tim Tushla, Peter Venier, Wyatt Schultz, Greg Guy, Steve Brown, the late Chris Poff and so many others. Sometimes, they are the actual wrestling publication staff, like Amateur Wrestling News’ John Hoke, who take the shots in addition to their other editorial duties. There are a few pro photographers that choose to do wrestling even if there is not a major market for their wares, like Kevin Allen, George Tiedemann, Casey Gibson, Tom Kimmell, Steve Spatafore and others. Wrestling can be such a beautiful and powerful sport when the correct images are captured. These are the people who are bringing the best of wrestling to the world through their photography. These are the people who help promote our sport through the lens on their camera.

If you enjoy looking at wrestling photos, you should check out the work done by Al Elrefei and Danielle Hobeika on their web page at amateurwrestlingphotos.com. This is their personal gift to the wrestling community.

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Out of the loop
Martin's Miller wrestles with being only female on team

11/24/2002

By SCOTT McDONALD / The Dallas Morning News

Wrestling boys hasn't been too much of a problem for Jennifer Miller.
Finding girls to wrestle has.

Miller is a 5-4 junior and the only female wrestler at Martin.
Practices seem to get lonely as she runs, jumps rope and peddles on a stationary
bike by herself while more than 35 guys are on the mat working on moves.

"Earlier in the year, we had three girls but they're not around
anymore," Martin wrestling coach Tony Warren said. "And the UIL rules won't let
her wrestle the boys."

So Miller wrestles the boys at the Southwest Eagles wrestling club in
Fort Worth. Again, there are no girls at the club, but this time she can
compete against her male counterparts.

"Guys are typically more aggressive and generally stronger," Miller
said.

The aggressive nature of the boys has carried over to Miller's style of
wrestling. She was 14-3 as a sophomore, which included a loss at the
state championship in the 148-pound weight class.

Miller now competes in the 165-pound class. She said maintaining her
weight last year limited her strength.

"I'm not as dominating this year in the new weight class, but I can
show off my moves and my quickness," Miller said.

Her favorite move is the snake, where she snaps the opponent's head
down, grabs her opponent's chin with one hand and gives an uppercut with the
other arm before taking them to the mat.

In her first match as a freshman, a girl from Coppell pulled Miller's
long ponytail. Miller tackled her for the pin.

Miller's father, Dale, was ecstatic when he found out his daughter was
giving up softball for wrestling two years ago.

"She has a wrestling mentality," Dale said. "She seems to have found a
new love with this sport."

He said when he began watching his daughter two years ago, the
"wrestling was more like cat fighting." Now, he said the girls are more intense
and the matches are fun to watch.

One downfall of not having girls on the Martin team is not having the
chance to compete in the marquee tournaments.

"Our boys team wrestles in all the big tournaments around the state, so
we're ready for the big stage at regional and state," Warren said.
"Jennifer gets matches here and there, plus she wrestles with her club. She's
been limited here because we don't have the girls."

Miller said she gets bored only doing calisthenics while the rest of
the team practices.

"I have no problem wrestling a boy, but I can't do it here at school,"
Miller said. "Plus, it's better to practice against girls since that's
who I'll be wrestling against anyway. There's a difference when you're out
on the mat."

The coach continued to say Miller's best assets are her aggressiveness
and strength, and he believes she has a great chance to win state this
year.

"She's tough, and I don't think there are many girls in the state who
can beat her," Warren said.

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Raccoons grappling the best
Wrestling squad faces tough competition in its first season

11/27/2002

By MEYLA T. HOOKER / Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News

In its inaugural season, Frisco's wrestling program only knows one
thing for sure – the girls team is a lock to win this year's district title.

Of course, being the only girls team in the district gives that fact
away, but it doesn't mean they can't brag.

Although he has only two boys and no girls with wrestling experience,
coach Chuck Brown did not shy away from putting together a tough schedule.

"Some people think it's crazy for a first-year program," Brown said.
"But like any other sport, when you compete against the best, all it can do
is make you better."

Despite having several big tournaments on its schedule, Frisco has to
look no further than its district to find some of the best squads in the
state. With tough opponents such as Hebron, The Colony, Lewisville, Flower
Mound and Flower Mound Marcus, the boys team will have its hands full.

GIRLS
Brittany Kimball 95 So.
Jasmine Flores 102 Jr.
Aubrey Sperier 110 Jr.
Katherine Barreda 119 Jr.
Jamie Odom 128 Jr.
Allison Hooper 138 Sr.
Mandy Heathcock 138 Fr.
Laney Lawrimore 148 So.
Mindy Harris 185 Fr.

SCHEDULE

Nov. 29-30 at Oklahoma Open (boys) 8 a.m.
Dec. 3 Fossil Ridge/Birdville 6:00
Dec. 7 at 1st Baptist 5-Way (boys) TBA
Dec. 4 at L. Highlands for Tri-State Inv. (girls) 8 a.m.
Dec. 10 Trinity/Sam Houston 6:00
Dec. 12-14 at Carrollton R.L. Turner Tour. TBA
Dec. 17 Southlake Carroll/Wylie 6:00
Dec. 21 at Bryan Viking Classic TBA
Jan. 3-4 at SGP for Lone Star Duals (girls) TBA
Jan. 3 at Richardson Quad (boys) TBA
Jan. 7 at Trimble Tech (boys) 6:00
Jan. 11 at Fort Worth Duals (boys) 8 a.m.
Jan. 11 at Amarillo Caprock Tour. (girls) 6:00
Jan. 13 at FM Marcus (boys) 6:00
Jan. 18 Frisco Dual Classic (boys) 8 a.m.
Jan. 21 at Hebron (boys) 6:00
Jan. 24-25 at Dallas Jesuit Tournament (boys) TBA
Jan. 29 at L.D. Bell Lady Raider Tune-up (girls) 5:30

However, Brown is used to the pressure as he was the boys and girls
coach at Hurst L.D. Bell before coming over to Frisco.

"For such a new team, we've done well," Brown said. "More than 20 of
our kids have never wrestled before. It was hard coming into it with such a
new group."

Junior Ben Weyand and sophomore Ben Mahmoodi are Frisco's only
experienced wrestlers. Weyand wrestled in elementary and junior high school. But,
he had a two-year layoff because Frisco did not offer the sport his first two
years.

Mahmoodi qualified for the Team Texas National squad in June after
winning the State Greco Roman tournament. He finished 0-2 at the national
tournament in Fargo, N.D.

According to Brown, the girls, who are led by Jasmine Flores, Allison
Hooper and Brittany Kimball, quickly have picked up on techniques.

"We are not ready yet, but we are working hard to get there," Brown
said. "When we get to regionals, we have a good chance of qualifying five
girls. For a first-year squad, that would be remarkable."

The boys team departs Thanksgiving night for Norman, where it will
participate in the Oklahoma Open onFriday and Saturday at Oklahoma.

"This is an incredible tournament which may be better than even the
state finals," Brown said. "I told our kids that they will see where our
program will be in a few years when they watch some of these teams."

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Senior's dedicated to giving her all

The Patriot - News; Harrisburg, Pa.; Nov 26, 2002; JUDITH PATTON

The vision of Milton and Catherine Hershey has inspired Robin Henderson
in her academic and athletic pursuits at the school they founded.

A senior at Milton Hershey School, Robin, who's from Hackensack, N.J.,
received the school's Visionary Award last year, which is given to
students who share the Hersheys' vision.

"The only reason that I get all these awards is that Milton Hershey has
provided these opportunities for me," she said.

A daughter of Susan Henderson, Robin started at the school as a
first-grader. Her older brother, Morgan, is a graduate, and a younger
brother, Dale, is a student. Her houseparents are Shauna and Jermemias
Garcia.

Playing varsity field hockey is her main sport, although she plays
soccer and softball. She plays on the school field hockey team in the fall and
tries to stay involved in the sport through tournaments.

"Robin Henderson is a hardworking, dedicated athlete who contributes
110 percent every practice and game," said Gina Allessie, her coach. Robin
has provided the team "with a strong sense of leadership and perseverance."

Playing center back, Robin enjoys the control of the game. Use of
individual skills is challenging, but "I also need to work with my teammates," she
said. "I love the aggressiveness of the sport."

Robin also played soccer, "but then I got a [field hockey] stick and
the ball is harder," she said. "It takes lots of skills to play field
hockey."

In post-season action she played on an all-star team and was on the
league all-star team for four years, the first two years as honorable mention.
She took part in the National Field Hockey Futures Program. Robin was team
captain this year.

For the last four years, Robin has been manager of the wrestling team,
as well as a competitor in female wrestling tournaments at McCaskey High
School in Lancaster. She sat out last season with a knee injury, but as a
sophomore she finished first in state competition and second in Mid-Atlantic
tournament.

"I learned by watching the boys, but in previous years I had other
girls to practice with," she said. "I like wrestling as it's more individual.
It's the one thing that really makes me nervous."

A member of the National Honor Society, Robin needs to study as she has
a schedule that includes advanced biology, calculus, physics and college
algebra. She's a regular on distinguished honor roll and is ranked in
the top 10 percent of her class.

She's also president of the newly organized recycling committee and is
starting a soda-tab collection for Ronald McDonald House in Derry Twp.
She sits on the judicial board of the Student Government Association.

"I like to stay busy, so I try to stay involved," she said. "I
prioritize, but schoolwork comes first."

"Robin is a natural leader and has the ability to achieve success in
any path she chooses," Allessie said.

Robin is working to organize an area Operation Cinderella project.
Formal wear and prom attire is collected to be given to boys and girls in area
high schools who can't afford to buy it.

"Donations will come from other schools if I can get the word out," she
said. "I'm coordinating something on the local level for an established
program of the Glass Slipper Foundation."

She plans to study kinesiology next year and explore options such as
physical therapy or athletic administration.

Robin works part time as a dietary aide and aqua-aerobics instructor
and lifeguard at the Country Meadows Retirement Community in Hershey.

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CBS to air “Title IX” segment on 60 Minutes during its Sunday, Dec. 1 show at 7 pm ET

11/27/2002 Assorted sources/

CBS has announced that a feature concerning Title IX and athletics will
be included on the nationally-respected news show 60 Minutes this
weekend.

The segment, reported by Bob Simon, will be aired on 60 Minutes on
Sunday, December 1 at 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Please check your local
listings for air-times in your area.

The announcement concerning the news segment appeared on the CBS web
page. It says the following:

“Title IX Controversy
(CBS) Sunday: December 1, 7 p.m. ET/PT
TITLE IX – This anti-discrimination law paved the way for a raft of
women’s collegiate sports. But 30 years after its passing, male athletes
are suing to change the law because they say their programs are being
dropped or trimmed to comply with it. Bob Simon reports.”

60 Minutes has been researching the Title IX issue since the spring of
2002. Among those who were interviewed were NWCA president Mike Moyer,
Univ. of Chicago wrestling coach Leo Kocher and former BYU wrestler
Colin Robertson. 60 Minutes also came to Colorado Springs, Colo. to film
wrestlers in training. Also interviewed for the piece were world-class
gymnasts and other sports officials. There is no way to know if any of
these people will appear on the final edited segment.

All those in the Olympics sports community are encouraged to watch the
show, as well as ask their friends and acquaintances to view the
segment.

60 Minutes, the CBS News magazine providing a blend of hard-hitting
investigative reports, interviews, feature segments and profiles of people
in the news, began its 34th season in September and is the most
successful broadcast in television history.

The program finished the 2000-01 season as the number-one rated news
magazine. No other program has even approached this record. It is among
many milestones for 60 Minutes.

60 Minutes was created in 1968 by Don Hewitt, still the program's
executive producer, and premiered on CBS on Sept. 24 of that year. 60
Minutes has won 73 Emmy Awards - the most for any news program ever - and
virtually every other major broadcast journalism award. It has also won
nine Peabody Awards for exceptional television broadcasting.

According to Nielsen, nearly 16 million viewers tuned in to the
broadcast each Sunday evening over the 2000-01 season, for an average rating
of 11.2 with a 19 share.

The correspondents/co-editors of 60 Minutes are listed below in the
order in which they joined the broadcast: Mike Wallace (1968), Morley
Safer (1970), Ed Bradley (1981), Steve Kroft (1989) and Lesley Stahl
(1991). Andy Rooney, the broadcast's correspondent and commentator, began his
regular on-air segment, "A Few Minutes with Andy Rooney," in 1978. He
had been a writer and producer for the program since its premiere.

Other high-profile journalists report for 60 Minutes: veteran CBS News
foreign correspondent Bob Simon and Correspondent Carol Marin both
ontribute, and through a unique agreement with CNN, CNN Chief International
Correspondent Christiane Amanpour also provides reports.

60 Minutes airs Sundays at 7 p.m. ET/PT. Check your local listings.

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