WHITEHALL, Pa. — Girls wrestling could be coming to Whitehall High School.
Zephyrs Director of Athletics Bob Hartman on Monday asked Whitehall-Coplay School Board to approve a club team.
“Club [teams] in PIAA language operates like having an interscholastic team,” Hartman told the board. “We’re not there yet; we want this for growth.”
“Incrementally it will grow under a club designation. The boys wrestling coaches will coach them. It’s low-cost. This is a pragmatic approach. But it doesn’t grow, it doesn’t grow."Whitehall-Coplay Schools Director of Athletics Bob Hartman
Last fall, the school district approved a junior high school girls wrestling program.
“This year, two girls competed for us on the high school level,” Hartman said. “And a number of girls participate in our youth program.”
The number of schools with girls wrestling programs has grown rapidly locally and nationally. In the Lehigh Valley, 17 schools have wrestling programs.
Girls wrestling as a sport was officially sanctioned by the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association in May 2023, making Pennsylvania the 38th state to do so.
“Incrementally it will grow under a club designation,” Hartman said. “The boys wrestling coaches will coach them. It’s low-cost. This is a pragmatic approach. But it doesn’t grow, it doesn’t grow.
“But when we add a team, we’ll have to add coaches, a wrestling room and a budget.”
Lego Camp
A request to approve a Lego STEM camp was heard by the board.
The three-day LEGO STEM camp would be held at Gockley Elementary School on July 21-23.Whitehall-Coplay School Board committee meeting
The three-day camp would be held at Gockley Elementary School on July 21-23.
Camp is free. The first 30 students who apply would attend the camp. Parents would be responsible for providing transportation to and from camp.
Lego Camps for young school children are programs that use Lego bricks and other materials to foster creativity, problem-solving, and STEM learning through hands-on activities.
The camps, often part of summer programs or after-school activities, engage students in building projects, exploring STEM concepts and developing essential 21st-century skills.
